And this is why they call us. Forty years ago, about half the people who died in hospitals underwent autopsies. Today, the autopsy rate is less than ten percent. Autopsies are generally done when foul play is suspected or the cause of death is unknown, but the rest of the time they're optional. And many insurance companies are reluctant to pay for them.
Many doctors also think they already know the cause of death.
But studies have found that nearly half the time the cause listed on the death certificate is wrong. It's almost always a case of how tricky disease is. Pathologist Larry Nichols is part of a national effort to increase the number of autopsies. And the autopsy showed that he had hemochromatosis, which is a disorder of excess iron buildup in the body. And that's a genetic condition that's easily treatable.