What is a potential undesirable effect of health insurance related to service demand?

Prepare for the TAMU PHLT313 Health Care and Public Health System Exam. Study with flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

The potential undesirable effect of health insurance related to service demand is the growth of medical technology. Health insurance often results in increased access to healthcare services, which can lead to higher demand for various treatments and interventions. This demand can encourage the development and adoption of new medical technologies, sometimes without rigorous assessment of their cost-effectiveness or necessity.

While advancements in medical technology can bring about improvements in health outcomes, they can also create scenarios where healthcare spending escalates as more procedures and treatments become available. This increase doesn't always correlate with a proportional increase in patient health or improvements in quality of care. Moreover, the proliferation of medical technology can result in overtreatment, where patients receive unnecessary procedures, driving up healthcare costs overall and potentially leading to greater inefficiency within the healthcare system.

In contrast, the other options focus on aspects that may not directly coincide with undesirable effects. For example, reducing health care costs or promoting preventive care measures are generally seen as positive outcomes of health insurance, contributing to better health management and more effective use of healthcare resources. Decreasing patient visits may indicate unmet health needs but doesn't address the implications of increased technology utilization effectively.

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