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Here's another odd fact to consider:
Medical cost have been skyrocketing, except in areas where there is no 3rd party pay, and each person pays their own bill.
For example, the real cost of plastic surgery (adjusted for inflation) has fell over the last two decades.
It seems like only the 3rd party pay medical treatements have been increasing faster than inflation, but when people pay for it themselves it beats inflation. Why Health Costs Are Still Rising | NCPA
I once again would point out the website of the innovative oklahoma hospital that puts all prices online and only takes cash, casher's checks or credit cards. No insurance. The prices are actually pretty affordable.
Total price to have a pacemaker installed - $7,600.
Heart bypass surgery - $10,700
etc,
The prices listed includes the the facility fee, surgeon’s fee, and anesthesiologist’s fee.
Check it out, it's pretty interesting how low the cost are. It's a new hospital and I haven't heard of any complaints about the quality of service. The prices are really low.
This is a surgical medical practice in Oklahoma that appears to have been designed to appeal to a niche market, uninsured with cash. I strongly suspect that the fees charged are likely higher than what insurers would pay them, if they were in network.
These fees are for out patient surgery. If hospitalization is required, those costs are above and beyond the stated fees. Better hope one has a substantial available balance to cover that.
As for plastic surgery........ There are substantially more providers than there are consumers in greater metropolitan areas. The increasing popularity of " injectables" has caused consumers who might otherwise have "gone under the knife" to delay or not.
The economy also has had an impact. People used their home equity to live beyond their means and that included nipping and tucking.
Last edited by middle-aged mom; 04-06-2014 at 04:35 PM..
Proof? I would like to see a source for these claims.
Have you been to a doctor lately? Or had to check into a hospital recently?
The first thing (and I mean the first thing) they ask about is your health insurance. I've been a patient at my GP for years and they still always ask.
If it helps I know the ER just has to get you stable...not long term treatment.
My MIL had cancer.
One of her pills was $10,000 each.....she took one every six days.
She had great insurance but, still got some help from the cancer society.
I am sorry for your Mother in Law. That is a terrible tragedy and I will pray for you. Also I am not doubting your honesty, I just want to see some actual hard evidence for the claims that those espousing socialized medicine are talking about. From my own personal experience, I have been fortunate enough to not have any major medical problems. I'm very blessed to be healthy. However I do know several people without insurance and they have all received care just fine without any problems.
In a kind of perverse way, I sort of hope they go through with this because it will demonstrate to everyone else how expensive and detrimental to the middle class fully socialized healthcare is. The next time the Democrats have a near total lock on the Federal government people will be able to point to Vermont and say "let's not do that."
Well the leaders are getting cold feet.
They still haven't come up with their "official" financing plan and keep putting it off.
They say they are looking for alternative funding sources.
Vermont missed 2 deadlines to produce a funding plan and just got another date set for next year.
Have you been to a doctor lately? Or had to check into a hospital recently?
The first thing (and I mean the first thing) they ask about is your health insurance. I've been a patient at my GP for years and they still always ask.
Yes, because we haven't yet found a way to make doctors and nurses work for free.
Hospital have to have a certain amount of paying customers to cover all the deadbeats coming for free health care. If you don't have insurance then how do they give the free healthcare to the next guy who expects not to pay?
She is on Medicaid and a couple other programs. I am not against welfare programs existing, I am against people making a career off of them. There are plenty of ways for people to receive help, my nephew had really bad food allergies and my sister had no insurance, he was treated just fine for his problems.
The best way to fix this problem is simple. First off realize that we have an insurance problem, NOT a healthcare problem. There is a big difference and the Government should not be involved with people's healthcare. Secondly insurance is a product, and like all products competition is the key to driving down prices. Allow people to buy across state lines and you will see the insurance rates drop, Obamacare does not do this because it does not create competition. It has only created a Government mob scheme that sky rockets people's premiums.
If people want a public option than allow the Government to create a pool system for those who want it. But let it be an OPTION! Don't try to force everyone on it. If those who would rather not trust the Government and go with private insurance which has been made dirt cheap thanks to the power of free market competition than allow us to do so. Those who still can't afford insurance can use the Government system if they choose to. It would be the ultimate competitive market, most of the Civilized Nations are already going this route, including Canada and those in Europe.
Ah, Medicaid. And the other programs?
I think the state line idea has been tried before with no takers. Specifically, Georgia a few years ago. A couple of other states as well.
Private health insurance has been made dirt cheap? Where? Real insurance, no scams.
Have you been to a doctor lately? Or had to check into a hospital recently?
The first thing (and I mean the first thing) they ask about is your health insurance. I've been a patient at my GP for years and they still always ask.
No. I have not seen a Doctor or visited a hospital since about 2008 when I turned 18 and lost my insurance and got that ear infection. The very attractive asian lady nurse did ask me for my insurance, I said I didn't have any. She said "okay" and took my weight and measurements and had me wait in the room for about 5-10 minutes and the Doctor came to see me. He told me that I had swimmers ear, gave me some IB-Profen and some other medicine, and sent me out. When I went to checkout the very attractive asian nurse lady worked out a payment plan where I only had to pay about $10 a month for my roughly $400 bill. That was definitely very high but I ended up paying the bill off sooner.
I know other people who had their bill "written off" where a portion of it was removed or the balance was just dropped all together. I don't know why they didn't do that with me though.
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