Pain in the rear

From the Wall Street Journal (Making Colonoscopies More Comfortable):

An increasingly popular approach to colonoscopies is making the test more comfortable for patients. But the method, which involves a potent and fast-acting anesthetic, is sharply boosting the cost of the procedures -- and some insurers are taking action to curb its use.

Colonoscopies are critical for detecting colon cancer, a leading, preventable cause of death.

Anything to encourage people to get colonoscopies done is worthwhile from my standpoint, even if it's not "medically necessary."By refusing to cover the use of Propofol, insurers raise doubts about how committed they are to prevention. After all, why not avoid the expense of colonoscopy and let the patient's next insurer pick up the colon cancer tab?------PS - Blogger's spellchecker, always wanting to get in on the action, suggests replacing "colonoscopies" with "saloonkeeper."