Learn How Second Opinions can save Insurance Costs on Unnecessary Surgeries: MediAngels

2026-07-09 09:40:38 Health and Fitness

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October 21, 2015 | Mumbai: Save your Insurance cost by avoiding unnecessary surgeries. Opting for a second opinion, hence is fruitful.

The growth of medical insurance has resulted in an increased number of patients being advised surgeries for even minor problems. The reasoning is that the medical insurer will pay for the procedure and the patient will incur minimal costs, if at all. What is left unsaid is that using the insurance cover is likely to increase the perceived risks for the individual and they may pay a larger amount the next time they renew the policy. Moreover, the minor expenses of tests, X-rays, diagnostics, etc. add up to a tidy sum.

There are also cases where surgeries may not help at all. For instance, it may not make sense for an aged and frail person to undergo surgery when the problem is relatively minor and will go away with proper medication. The same applies to various other ailments. A World Bank report highlights this point and mentions that most surgeries offer only marginal benefits and cause needless distress, especially among the frail and elderly. In all these cases, a second opinion helps.

MediAngels.com, an online resource for patients to seek out good doctors from around the world, has been championing this cause to seek a second opinion in India for quite some time. The website has recently conducted a study on over 20,000 patients of whom 12,500 had been recommended surgery. It was discovered that 44% of those recommended a procedure did not need one and could recover through medication and diet plans. The incidence was highest among heart patients where nearly 55% who were advised cardiac surgery or stents could live without them.

Among other ailments, 48% of people advised knee replacements and hysterectomies did not need them and 47% of those asked to undergo surgical cancer treatment did not need the procedure. It was discovered that doctors had overemphasised even on reproductive surgeries. 45% of people who were told they needed fertility treatment did not need it.

The results are in line with the World Bank report that mentioned that medical overuse is becoming a critical problem in India. The report says that people who have medical insurance are 2-3 times more likely to be hospitalised than those without. Most of the procedures help only marginally and do more harm than good. The best way to beat this rampant misuse is to seek a second opinion. It helps the patients get a more detailed idea of their problem and if possible, recover through medication and lifestyle changes and without any interventions.

About MediAngels.com
MediAngels.com is the world's first online hospital. MediAngels matches each patient and every disease to the best doctors in the world for diagnosis and treatment. Our doctors are invited faculty from amongst the top 1% specialists in the world and belong to top hospitals like the Mayo Clinic, M.D. Anderson, Harvard, Stanford, Apollo, Fortis and many others. Our doctors are the ones other doctors refer patients to and seek second opinions from! Our doctors are also the ones who are conducting medical research and writing textbooks other doctors read and quote! We firmly believe that the best medical experts can transform your treatment and save your life. MediAngels? best doctor panel is trusted by patients globally, for medical expertise, online medical consultations, treatment recommendations and medical second opinions.

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