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The current situation isn't like a mechanic at all. If a mechanic tells me I need some work done, I can call various mechanics and ask what they would charge to
by rgbrenner 10y ago
The current situation isn't like a mechanic at all. If a mechanic tells me I need some work done, I can call various mechanics and ask what they would charge to do that, and they'll tell me.
If you try that with a hospital, they'll tell you no. Go ahead and try asking your doctor what something will cost.
If I could ask for a price up front, then people who aren't in an emergency could shop around. That would force hospitals to actually compete, which would normally mean most providers would be within a range of the average market price.
So when an emergency does occur and you were taken to a random hospital, chances are that hospital would have prices close to the market price.
- sjg007 10y agoRight now you shop at the copay level as a function of insurance. PPOs were a great scam to force coinsurance onto the masses.
- zzalpha 10y agoMy comment about mechanics was specifically with regards to information asymmetry. That is, 99% of people do not know enough about cars to determine if they are being fleeced. Now imagine dealing with the human body. Information symmetry leads to market failures: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_asymmetry https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_asymmetry
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- WalterBright 10y ago> If you try that with a hospital, they'll tell you no. Go ahead and try asking your doctor what something will cost. My experience is they will tell you, and you can ask for a better price, and I've always gotten one. The idea that one cannot negotiate with the hospital, the doctor, and the dentist is just incorrect. Try it next time.
- sjg007 10y agoI've noticed that insurance pays at most 50% less, in many cases much less than that. And the medical provider accepts it.
- pwinnski 10y agoYour experience is literally unbelievable to me. I don't doubt you, I just cannot believe there isn't more to the story. In another comment you seemed to indicate that you are perhaps uninsured and paying cash for everything? That would go a long way toward explaining why you have experiences that run dramatically counter to almost everyone else on this thread. It also seems like important information to be included, if so.
- WalterBright 10y agoI am insured. You can opt to be billed by the provider, and submit the claim yourself. If you're unsure how this works, read the contract you have with your insurer, or call them on the phone. They may also be able to give you advice on negotiating for lower bills - after all, that lowers their cost as well. I have a high deductible, so usually wind up paying the entire bill out of pocket. There's no reason to go through the insurer for that.
- pimlottc 10y agoIn general, doctors find the system as bewildering as you do. They might be able to give you a ballpark figure but you'll need someone in the billing department for a hard figure (if you can get one at all). Although they will still likely need an exact billing code for the procedure first.