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YOu know when I go to McDonald's, In n Out, Burger King, Burgermaster, 5 Guys, etc, they all have different prices. Why would hospitals be any different. Do you see any private hospitals posting huge profit margins? They charge what they want. don't like it? Go somewhere else.
Collusion makes sure your choices are severely limited. Again, you are arguing for mainstream con/Rep "free market" which is in reality a colluded monopoly.
Emergency care can't be negotiated. I can't help where they take me after a tree falls on my head.
There are people who actually pay their 20%. If we didn't have to pay for insurance then this would be moot.
Do yourself a favor:
The next time you're sitting in the hospital having a heart attack and the doctor comes in to see you ask him his fee up front and if he'll wait outside while you call around to get a better quote from the hospital/doctor in the next town over.
The point he made was those who pay 20% have some sort of insurance which does not pay those prices ;they pay a contracted or Medicare a set price. Patients pay 20% (if that is their policy terms) of those price; not what you got which are like retail price. Provider doctors and hospitals bill separately by the way.
Collusion makes sure your choices are severely limited. Again, you are arguing for mainstream con/Rep "free market" which is in reality a colluded monopoly.
Emergency care can't be negotiated. I can't help where they take me after a tree falls on my head.
Yes...it can.
Negotiate the bill.....after.
Not long ago a friend got a chunk of meat stuck in his thoat......no insurance.
The bill al total was about $5000......I got them down to $1800......the doctor was really good about dropping her bill down.
The latest data about hospital charges came out last week. In our area, which has ten hospitals the charges for the same procedure varies greatly. In one case a heart procedure was $ 73,000.00 more than the exact same work thirty miles away. There is no rhyme nor reason as to what hospitals charge. This data was for 2012 and I think we lay people should track these reports and write letters to the editor and let the health care crooks know that we are watching and that one day we will find a way to stop their run away thievery.
Charges are one thing. actual prices paid are totally another.
Hospitals keep charges high knowing along that they won't be collecting that high charge.
At the end of the year they can then show all their 'write offs'.
Only a truly rich uninsured patient crawling out from under a rock hiding for the last 50 years would pay the full charge.
YOu know when I go to McDonald's, In n Out, Burger King, Burgermaster, 5 Guys, etc, they all have different prices. Why would hospitals be any different. Do you see any private hospitals posting huge profit margins? They charge what they want. don't like it? Go somewhere else.
And certainly some patients might be able to do this if there are sensible local choices.
But many patients don't have the luxury of multiple choices if they are geographically or functionally isolated. Or their doc only goes to one hospital.
And if it's a true emergency, they are generally stuck at the closest one. And then at whatever charge or price.
Charges are one thing. actual prices paid are totally another.
Hospitals keep charges high knowing along that they won't be collecting that high charge.
At the end of the year they can then show all their 'write offs'.
Only a truly rich uninsured patient crawling out from under a rock hiding for the last 50 years would pay the full charge.
It depends on how they file.....for the patient.
Self employed using a schedule C has 100% write off
And it can be directly linked to our asinine system of "insurance," which is a concept that will inflate prices in EVERY case. Get rid of that and all the other middlemen, and you would see prices go down to a competitive level that real people in the real world can afford. Those companies in the medical establishment who could not become competitive would simply go the way of the dinosaur.
Those with disease or serious risk like most any senior needs the security of HC coverage.
What should they do?
And certainly some patients might be able to do this if there are sensible local choices.
But many patients don't have the luxury of multiple choices if they are geographically or functionally isolated. Or their doc only goes to one hospital.
And if it's a true emergency, they are generally stuck at the closest one. And then at whatever charge or price.
Go to any Fast food place and ask "How much for a burger and you will get a exact price.
Go to most doctors and ask how much will this procedure cost and you will get a song and dance - ending with - I can't tell you. But even when they try, the ones I have asked have been off by at least a factor of ten.
All of our local hospitals right now has hiring freezes.
I have a friend that has been a RN for 18 years.....she is concerned about her job.....not today....down the road.
Our local hospital anticipates a 3-5% bump in revenues due to ACA and AZ Medicaid expansion. Simply from less no paying patients. As I profit share I hope they're right!
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we will find a way to stop their run away thievery.
