In a fascinating blog post in Economix Uwe Reinhardt reported on his own Christmas Eve colonoscopy. which procedure appears to have been prompted by a standing balance in the professor's health spending account.

Wonks Anonymous thought that only an economist who was very far gone indeed would have a long flexible tube inserted into his nether regions just because he would otherwise lose tax free dollars.

Wonks Anonymous has since discovered that the professor is not alone. An endoscopy nurse reports that her clinic was booked up New Year's Eve with elective procedures.

Which just demonstrates the foolishness of flexible spending accounts and many other forms of tax policy as applied to medical care. The price of individual treatments and procedures and how much money you have to spend right now should be the last thing on your mind when you are seeking care.

If you buy a video game or a DVD that you don't need, if you buy something that does not quite work because the price was right, all that you lose is money.

If an unneeded treatment or test goes badly or if your inexpensive doctor does not get it right you can lose your health.

We need to focus on long term care and long term costs which would mean getting away from fee for service medicine.