Before The Prescription, Ask About Your Doctor's Finances

At the dawn of managed care, worried patients wanted to know whether their doctors were getting paid more to do less. Now, as many doctors' salaries depend on how many procedures they perform, patients want to know whether their doctors are paid more to do more.

Last month, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology issued new guidelines that could double the number of people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs.

The organizations receive financial support from drug companies, and many of the experts who worked on the guidelines have industry ties.

The groups' response to ethical concerns raised about the advice is, in large measure, that a final decision about what you should do to manage your health is between you and your doctor.