4 ms·

Idea: yelp for hospitals. With list all prices and fees. Not that this will solve the problem but it's better than finding out you owe $3k a week later.

BrainInAJar 9y ago
Better idea: single payer healthcare
elicash 9y ago
Relevant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tct38KwROdw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tct38KwROdw The "existing legislation and regulation" section is pretty interesting for wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chargemaster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chargemaster
- dqv 9y ago
  That's really cool. I think of California as "legislation heavy" - sometimes that carries a negative connotation. But in this case, it's positive. The hospitals really do have to post their chargemasters online! https://www.oshpd.ca.gov/Chargemaster/default.aspx https://www.oshpd.ca.gov/Chargemaster/default.aspx
wyldfire 9y ago
I like the concept in general but it's infeasible here in the US for a third party to survey prices and post results. Insurance plans renegotiate individual prices with providers, and each plan decides on coverage. The only way it could change would be if providers (and insurers) were to do it on their own, but they have no motivation to do so. I think only regulation or a seriously disruptive/innovative competitive force could do this.
- tedunangst 9y ago
  Hospitals should be required to post price sheets. If they take a dozen insurance plans with negotiated prices, then they post a dozen price lists. There's no way this should be secret.
  - refurb 9y ago
    They already do, they are called chargemasters. However, they don't post the negotiated price lists since they have hundreds of contracts and thus hundreds of lists.
  - hathawsh 9y ago
    Check this out: https://www.oshpd.ca.gov/chargemaster/default.aspx https://www.oshpd.ca.gov/chargemaster/default.aspx You can download chargemasters for many (most?) California hospitals, over the past 10 years, in Excel format. I downloaded one sample and it has a list of 3700 prices, some of which are as high as $84,000. I'm really happy to discover this resource exists, but is anyone republishing the prices in a format consumers can work with? These sheets need UX design.
smacktoward 9y ago
If you seriously require the services of an ER, you're not going to be in a position where you want to spend time comparison shopping.

BrainInAJar 9y ago

Better idea: single payer healthcare

elicash 9y ago

Relevant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tct38KwROdw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tct38KwROdw The "existing legislation and regulation" section is pretty interesting for wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chargemaster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chargemaster

dqv 9y ago
That's really cool. I think of California as "legislation heavy" - sometimes that carries a negative connotation. But in this case, it's positive. The hospitals really do have to post their chargemasters online! https://www.oshpd.ca.gov/Chargemaster/default.aspx https://www.oshpd.ca.gov/Chargemaster/default.aspx

wyldfire 9y ago

I like the concept in general but it's infeasible here in the US for a third party to survey prices and post results. Insurance plans renegotiate individual prices with providers, and each plan decides on coverage. The only way it could change would be if providers (and insurers) were to do it on their own, but they have no motivation to do so. I think only regulation or a seriously disruptive/innovative competitive force could do this.

tedunangst 9y ago
Hospitals should be required to post price sheets. If they take a dozen insurance plans with negotiated prices, then they post a dozen price lists. There's no way this should be secret.
- refurb 9y ago
  They already do, they are called chargemasters. However, they don't post the negotiated price lists since they have hundreds of contracts and thus hundreds of lists.
- hathawsh 9y ago
  Check this out: https://www.oshpd.ca.gov/chargemaster/default.aspx https://www.oshpd.ca.gov/chargemaster/default.aspx You can download chargemasters for many (most?) California hospitals, over the past 10 years, in Excel format. I downloaded one sample and it has a list of 3700 prices, some of which are as high as $84,000. I'm really happy to discover this resource exists, but is anyone republishing the prices in a format consumers can work with? These sheets need UX design.

smacktoward 9y ago

If you seriously require the services of an ER, you're not going to be in a position where you want to spend time comparison shopping.