ABSTRACT
Today’s doctor visit looks very different than it did several generations ago and even in the past few decades. Long gone are the house calls and long visits with the family doctor. Health care today is very specialized with highly technical procedures and tools that enable diagnosis that is more precise and treatment in a way that is more impersonal, yet it extends our lifespan. Because of this, patients’ physical health and quality of life have been improved such that living an active life into their 70s and 80s is not uncommon. Many of the changes are driven by government programs such as Medicare and the Affordable Health Care Act in the United States (U.S.). Employers and insurers are responding to the changes in regulations in order to make consumers more price-conscious of what they are spending on both health care and health insurance.
