Whoever wrote this is under the impression that Medicare does not do the exact same thing...only with less efficiency and more waste.
Whoever wrote this is under the impression that Medicare does not do the exact same thing...only with less efficiency and more waste.
There are more differences than just that. The cost of Medicare is spread across society whether individuals want it or not. If you’re insured, you opted in. But aside from that the main point is right. The things that are similar enough are the things that cause healthcare to be so expensive. In both cases, the market that is created involves the payor and provider, but excludes the actual consumer, so there’s no incentive to provide the highest quality product for the lowest price.
I think we would have a much better system if we broke the relationship between insurers and providers. The way it is now, and would be made worse with medicare for all, the transaction is pretty much between the payer and provider, neither of which, are you. In both cases, you’re the product.
I think a better system is a free market system where all the transactions are with the consumer. So, insurers describe their coverage and compete on coverage and price, and consumer’s buy whatever level of coverage they want. Healthcare providers compete on quality and price. You shop around for the best healthcare providers. When you need healthcar, you file the claim with your insurance company, they pay you the agreed upon amount for the service. You pay the provider.
Healthcare should be like any other market. You shop around. You know what the insurance will pay (which is none of the provide’s business) maybe you find someplace that will provide the servers for less than the insurance company pays for that procedure. You pocket the difference. Maybe your standards are high, and that costs more than your insurer will pay out, you’re willing to pay the difference so you go to that provider. That market transaction is then between you and the provider.
Good luck with that. Last year my wife called around to get prices for a shoulder x-ray. The most common answer by far was "We don't know." How could you not know? What, you've never done a shoulder x-ray before? Could you imagine going into a car dealership and they couldn't tell you how much the car sells for? Or a hardware store? Or almost ANYWHERE else?
Prices ranged from $2500 to $60 (with a reading fee). It really depends on who is paying.
Good luck with that. Last year my wife called around to get prices for a shoulder x-ray. The most common answer by far was "We don't know." How could you not know? What, you've never done a shoulder x-ray before? Could you imagine going into a car dealership and they couldn't tell you how much the car sells for? Or a hardware store? Or almost ANYWHERE else?
Prices ranged from $2500 to $60 (with a reading fee). It really depends on who is paying.
This is so common, the medical staff have no idea what the changes are. A recent news story told of a woman who needed a procedure under her deductible, she diligently determined the costs by checking with all involved as she was on a tight budget, when the bills arrived there was one that doubled the total expense, the hospital never informed her of the charge when she asked.
For scheduled procedures the patient should be given an itemized disclosure of the costs much like mortgage lenders are required do for their customers. And since the hospitals are buying out the practices and labs, make them responsible for the accuracy of the disclosure.
Good luck with that. Last year my wife called around to get prices for a shoulder x-ray. The most common answer by far was "We don't know." How could you not know? What, you've never done a shoulder x-ray before? Could you imagine going into a car dealership and they couldn't tell you how much the car sells for? Or a hardware store? Or almost ANYWHERE else?
Prices ranged from $2500 to $60 (with a reading fee). It really depends on who is paying.
A lot of private practices will not even accept new medicare patients now. If it's such a good system, you'd think they'd be all over it. My older uncle down south had a hell of a time even getting someone to see him.
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