One good way to fix America's vastly bloated and expensive health care system would be to make our health care system public like lots of other civilized nations with higher stands of living than us. [PAUSE FOR LAUGHTER]. Haha. But seriously—until then, here are some medical procedures you don't need.

The ABIM Foundation, working with a laundry list of medical societies, has released a new report on medical procedures that are COMMONLY DONE, but which you probably DON'T need, they are just big wastes of money. Just a few of the things your doctor should NOT do to you:

  • "Don't schedule elective, non-medically indicated inductions of labor or Cesarean deliveries before 39 weeks, 0 days gestational age."
  • "Don't screen women younger than 30 years of age for cervical cancer with HPV testing, alone or in combination with cytology."
  • "Don't perform electroencephalography (EEG) for headaches."
  • "Don't order antibiotics for adenoviral conjunctivitis (pink eye)."
  • "Cough and cold medicines should not be prescribed or recommended for respiratory illnesses in children under four years of age."
  • "Don't prescribe testosterone to men with erectile dysfunction who have normal testosterone levels."

I don't see anything in there about Dick Size Reduction Surgery, so I reckon I'm okay personally. But if you're a hypochondriac who is also a cheapskate, you should have fun perusing the full lists.

[Choosing Wisely. Photo: Shutterstock]