Why Didn’t You Educate Me?

A study published last month confirmed what many of us already suspected—don’t get surgery on a Friday. Researchers analyzed the records of over 400,000 patients in Ontario, Canada and found a clear trend: those who had Friday surgeries faced higher risks of complications, including death, compared to those who went under the knife earlier in the week¹.

Shocking? Not really. It’s as obvious as the risk of being treated in a teaching hospital during the month of July or getting an organ transplant in a 50-bed rural facility. Not all hospitals—or care settings—are created equal.

So why am I ranting about this? Because your health plan—the folks who are supposed to help you make informed decisions—are often the ones scheduling these surgeries. They’re the gatekeepers, approving (or denying) procedures through something called pre-authorization (more here). And you can bet that your plan’s nurse or case manager knows all about the Weekend Effect. Yet somehow, they’re still steering people toward a potentially worse outcome. That’s not just wrong—it’s unHealthrageous.

Let’s take a step back. Health plans were created to simplify the overwhelming maze of modern medicine, to help us make good decisions, not just fast ones. They were meant to steer the ship for those of us without a medical degree—or a map. But in their pursuit of efficiency, cost-savings, or both, they’ve forgotten the first rule of medicine: do no harm.

Access to quality care shouldn’t be reserved for those with connections or money. And trust? Trust in healthcare is eroding faster than the bottom line of Tesla. If patients lose faith in the system, they’re left to do their own research, make their own calls, and hope for the best. That’s not how this is supposed to work.

At Healthrageous, we see education differently. We know seniors have better things to do than earn a crash course in nutrition science, so we build trust by making smart, healthy choices effortless. We don’t throw confusing terms or endless food labels your way. We just deliver meals—over 40 of them—each crafted to be high in fiber and protein, low in sodium and sugar, and balanced for real life. It takes us six months to create and test each recipe, because we believe in getting it right and earning your trust.

Trust is our outrageous gold standard. And frankly, it feels like too many health plans have dropped that baton.

Suggesting that someone get surgery on any weekday but Friday may be a small act—but it’s also a meaningful one. It’s one of the many ways we could start rebuilding trust in a system that desperately needs it.

Looking for a partner who takes your health—and your trust—seriously? Join Healthrageous. We make better choices easy.

¹https://www.vox.com/health/405248/hospital-surgery-knee-heart-what-day