End of the year brings a crush of surgeries

[Star Tribune, December 29, 2009] High-deductible health insurance and economic uncertainty have combined to create a crush of year-end elective surgeries at area hospitals including several of Allina's.

At Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, overall surgery volumes have topped 100 a day for the past six weeks, up from the usual 80 a day. Some who had been putting things off because of the economy simply can't wait any longer. Others are afraid of losing their jobs and want to use their insurance while they still have it. Read the whole story at startribune.com.