Friday, May 23, 2008

The $1.9 Million Shout-Out

Yep, the cost of a one-day ad campaign by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services to promote their hospital rankings:
Officials there are spending $1.9 million for a one-day advertising blitz in 58 local markets, including Chicago, urging consumers to compare the quality of care at medical institutions.
I wonder why they have to advertise? Aren't people using these rankings? I mean, they're so helpful and save money, no?

-Wes

4 comments:

Toni Brayer, MD said...

Yup,the SF Chronicle had a full page ad yesterday for their hospital "compare" rankings. I know $1.9 million is like pennies to the government, but don't they know we are in a recession? Well, at least it keeps the newspapers alive a little longer by adding to their ad revenue.

Doctor David said...

How many vaccines would $1.9 million buy? How many books for schools? How many elementary school teachers' salaries?

Don't we have better ways to spend our tax dollars?

Rogue Medic said...

Do they break it down by graft, embezzlement, misappropriation, . . . ?

Maybe, this is being funded by the doctors who do not fill out the forms correctly.

Anonymous said...

how much do doctors' unions spend along with device makers and drug companies as legal drug pushers when viewers of the ads dont even have a say in what drug or device they get?

doctors who blog about these topics are violating their oaths and should have been lawyers and hate the fact they are doctors so they sit arent whining through blogging now, instead of catching up on how best to save their patients...your blog is a symbol of everything that is wrong about healthcare, and the institution you work for who allows you to continue writing how you care more about money than your oath, is equally guilty.