BZZZT. Preventive care in general is cheapest and study after study shows that it is. That doesn't mean that certain kinds of preventive care might not work.

BZZZT. Preventive care in general is cheapest and study after study shows that it is. That doesn't mean that certain kinds of preventive care might not work. Of course if they don't work then they're not cost effective. But the fact that smart, simple tests to catch diseases or conditions before they've progressed is most cost effective method has been established for a long time. Heck, just having patients get in for an annual physical and quick look over from a doctor is cost-effective form of preventive care. That's why ACA requires it to be covered. I do agree that unwise or poorly designed preventive care, usually in the form of excessive and expensive testing that is poorly chosen and often has too many false positives, is one of the big problems running up medical costs. That does not change the fact that proper preventive care is most cost-effective form of healthcare.