Even though America spends about 15 percent of GDP on healthcare, much of the system unfortunately brings to mind Dr. Hackenbush instead of Dr. Huxtable. Is anyone surprised that the percentage of U.S. healthcare costs allocated to “administration” is about twice Canada’s rate?

So with huge costs and rampant inefficiency, there’s an obvious need for expanding telemedicine and healthcare networking, right? Wrong – at least according to the inevitable consequences of net neutrality.

The U.S. Internet Industry Association just published this interesting essay (PDF) on the problems that net neutrality would cause for the healthcare industry. It notes:

“American consumers should not be forced to accept a ‘one-size-fits-all’ broadband service that places critical medical monitoring and health care on the same footing as music and video downloads or non-critical communications.”

Worse, net neutrality would essentially put courts and the federal government in charge of deciding which new applications could receive any sort of prioritized treatment by a broadband carrier. That’s hardly reassuring for those desperately in need of treatment that could be provided through the marriage of telemedicine and a broadband pipe.