Are All Those Angioplasties Necessary?

by Richard Knox, NPR

A new study helps explain why American medicine is so expensive, and why it's so hard to cut costs. It focuses on angioplasty — one of the most common procedures in modern medicine. The research finds that doctors often do angioplasty before finding out if patients would do just as well with treatment that costs a tenth as much.

Broadcast Dates

• Morning Edition, October 15, 2008