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If we eliminate insurance and replace it with universal health care, that will provide accessibility for all, but like ACA, it still does not solve the high cost problem. High costs have not come down through competition. It requires government oversight and cost controls to rein in high costs. But nobody wants that.
I think universal healthcare could control costs pretty well. One of my neighbors was a victim of a hit and run accident, he's on SSDI and the only insurance he has is medicare part A & B. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital, poked prodded scanned and x-rayed, 7 hours later he was released and walked out of the ER. He got a bill from the ER for $36,000 but when he got the Medicare statement they had refused to pay all but $3200 of that bill. You're right though, Universal Healthcare would never work if we allowed providers to charge whatever they want, but if we had medicare for all I think it would save all of us tons of money
Another thread by people who have 0 idea how health delivery operates.
Cite all the bastions of universal care in Europe... And see where innovation takes place.
Here's a clue: healthcare is insurance, not maintenance. Use it like intended, it would be cost efficient. But most that comment have never done icd 10 conversion, 5010 implementation, hipaa regulation, doi compliance, cost projection analysis, etc... I'd bet most that comment won't even know their e.o.b.
I think universal healthcare could control costs pretty well. One of my neighbors was a victim of a hit and run accident, he's on SSDI and the only insurance he has is medicare part A & B. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital, poked prodded scanned and x-rayed, 7 hours later he was released and walked out of the ER. He got a bill from the ER for $36,000 but when he got the Medicare statement they had refused to pay all but $3200 of that bill. You're right though, Universal Healthcare would never work if we allowed providers to charge whatever they want, but if we had medicare for all I think it would save all of us tons of money
Hit and run. That's subrogation. Clear example of not knowing how stuff works
These super cheap pre-ACA plans were a joke. There hasn't been such a thing as 'cheap healthcare' in the US in decades. My neighbor had one of those wonderful plans and when she couldn't keep it after the ACA became law she was running around with her hair on fire complaining to everyone who would listen that the ACA was robbing her and she wanted to keep her old policy.
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How true. My mother had one of those and it was as close to worthless as one can get.
I apologize, you are correct only about 20% have a household income of over 100k The median household income in 2014 was about $54,000 but that doesn't change what I am saying. Think about it for a minute. Shop rate for an auto mechanic at a dealership is around $100-$140 an hour. If you make 25k a year and you need your car fixed, do you think the dealership will only charge you 25% of the going rate? It's the same with Doctors if they have enough patients who can pay their bill they are not going to charge one cent less. I have yet to meet a doctor unless it is a charity clinic, which usually receives government subsidies, that will treat you according you how much you can afford.
You propose that doctors will only treat rich people despite the fact that they make up a small percentage of the population. Got it.
Ironically you note that car repair guys, or even car insurance, don't charge based on income, but expect lower prices for medical care.
Millions of poor people drive every day and they even have insurance. There are providers at every price point. In general, insurance has caused the cost of care to go up.
I think universal healthcare could control costs pretty well. One of my neighbors was a victim of a hit and run accident, he's on SSDI and the only insurance he has is medicare part A & B. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital, poked prodded scanned and x-rayed, 7 hours later he was released and walked out of the ER. He got a bill from the ER for $36,000 but when he got the Medicare statement they had refused to pay all but $3200 of that bill. You're right though, Universal Healthcare would never work if we allowed providers to charge whatever they want, but if we had medicare for all I think it would save all of us tons of money
Essentially all medical bills that are paid for with insurance (private or Medicare) are discounted in the manner of your neighbor. National healthcare spending is $3.2 trillion per year - that is the actual costs, i.e. after discounts, not the original billed amount. That discounting is the same as Amazon's "discounts" - they are made up prices to begin with, and are no more than a beginning position to bargain the insurance company down with.
Medicare came up with $3200 because they determined that is the minimal they can get away with paying for the service and the city. They did not come up with it based on what the true value is of the service. I imagine the true value is way less than $3200.
Essentially all medical bills that are paid for with insurance (private or Medicare) are discounted in the manner of your neighbor. National healthcare spending is $3.2 trillion per year - that is the actual costs, i.e. after discounts, not the original billed amount. That discounting is the same as Amazon's "discounts" - they are made up prices to begin with, and are no more than a beginning position to bargain the insurance company down with.
Medicare came up with $3200 because they determined that is the minimal they can get away with paying for the service and the city. They did not come up with it based on what the true value is of the service. I imagine the true value is way less than $3200.
I don't disagree, but I know that if you don't have insurance or medicare you will be on the hook for whatever the hospital bills you.
You propose that doctors will only treat rich people despite the fact that they make up a small percentage of the population. Got it. Ironically you note that car repair guys, or even car insurance, don't charge based on income, but expect lower prices for medical care. Millions of poor people drive every day and they even have insurance. There are providers at every price point. In general, insurance has caused the cost of care to go up.
You missed the point I was trying to make but that's ok. Let me see if I understand you; we don't need health insurance because there are doctors who will work at every price point, if that's correct then could you back it up with something, like a list of Doctors in your area who provide $5 or $10 office visits and are not subsidized by a charity or the government.
Obamacare will fail next year, United Healthcare already announced they've stopped accepting new applicants for some of its plans already.
You can't have a system where everybody that can't afford is on the plan and the plan is partially subsidized by the govt and require others who can afford forced to pick up the tab. The people can then chose not to be insured and the insurance companies can no longer keep those plans.
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