The NYT has another excellent piece exposing corruption in the health care industry. This one is about medical devices, specifically an artificial spinal disk. The basic story is the same as with pharmaceuticals, the doctors that do the studies have a direct financial interest in the outcome of the tests. This raises concerns about whether the tests are being conducted and reported objectively. The one complaint with this and most other stories is that the reporters never step back and examine how the nature of the current system of financing research will inevitably lead to such distortions. In a situation where government granted patent monopolies allow for large rents, it is virtually inevitable that corruption of this sort will arise.
--Dean Baker
