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Is the Surgery Center of Oklahoma the model for free market healthcare? I saw a documentary on this hospital in Reason the other night. The prices are much better, but what are it's limitations?
They're doing the closest they can to "free market". Sadly, the limitations on the practice of medicine are probably making them charge 50 to 300% more than they would have to otherwise.
Ok....is this the closest thing to free market that medicine can be?
They don't say they don't accept regular insurance though.
That's what will get them IMHO.
I looked up the cost of a broken bone (having just been through that with my son).
The price of about $1900 seems realistic (simple break with cast).
This would appeal to people with no insurance, high deductible and HSA plans.
They deal directly with the hospital.
But once you get insurance involved then they play the "negotiated fee" game back and forth.
This is going on with me right now.
My son broke his hand in Sept and I have a pile of "statements" showing them going back and forth on prices. Just got my first bill in Dec.
If they stay away from insurance they might have a good chance of succeeding.
If I were living out there I would go there.
I have a dentist that does not take insurance. He runs a cash business.
His prices are more than reasonable compared to other dentists in the area.
And he doesn't have to worry about any claims or paperwork regarding insurance.
If you have dental insurance then the onus is on you to do that work.
That's not "free market" though. That's just a business bypassing the middleman that everyone seems to think they need.
We're just going backward to a time when healthcare worked like this.
This hospital is going "old school".
For elective, non-emergency, and non-life saving surgeries, sure. Why not have competitive pricing?
But are you going to shop around for your cancer treatments, or have your spouse call around area hospitals while you're having a heart attack?
Comparing the price of the surgery that my son just had, the price is only about $100 less than the cost at UK medical center. But it is noted that the price for his surgery included his post op brace, muscle stimulation machine, and cryo cuff at UK, and those are not included at the OK center.
For elective, non-emergency, and non-life saving surgeries, sure. Why not have competitive pricing?
But are you going to shop around for your cancer treatments, or have your spouse call around area hospitals while you're having a heart attack?
I think Cancer treatments could typically operate under a market mechanism to some degree because it has a higher degree of elacticity than a traumatic surgery. Obviously a heart attack is quite a bit different, but chemo, radiation, excisions of tumors, etc. all are usually planned or scheduled...therefore subject to comparison.
I've always been in favor for a single payer system, but my interest lies solely in whatever is the most cost effective for the consumer and what's long term sustainable for the country.
For elective, non-emergency, and non-life saving surgeries, sure. Why not have competitive pricing?
But are you going to shop around for your cancer treatments, or have your spouse call around area hospitals while you're having a heart attack?
No, you shop first. But emergencies are emergencies, and if insurance plays a role, that's the best one.
As for cancer treatment, YOUR INVOLVEMENT is more important than JUST shopping for a price.
Frankly, for most cancer's, I'd just say "Enjoy what life I have left, make my peace with God".
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