Elective surgeries surge during holidays

Orthopedic surgeon Jeffrey Stimac worked part of Thanksgiving and Christmas and expects to work part of New Year's Day checking on patients in the hospital after their operations. 'Tis the season for elective surgeries. Stimac says his surgeries are up about 20% this time of year. It's a trend long experienced by surgeons across the nation, and some say it has become more pronounced now that eight in 10 Americans have insurance plans with deductibles; what patients must pay before insurance kicks in. Even though many deductibles exceed $1,000 or $2,000 a year, patients often have spent that much on health care by November or December.