3 ms·

The simple/fast solution is healthcare providers have to 1) publish costs and 2) have fixed prices regardless of purchasers. And while I support universal heal

The simple/fast solution is healthcare providers have to 1) publish costs and 2) have fixed prices regardless of purchasers. And while I support universal healthcare, this is an easy solution that falls well into capitalism (no 'socialism' here for the far right) as governments role is to create open and level playing fields for both consumer and business to promote a free market. The fact no legislator has brought forward, let alone voted through, such a simple and effective improvement shows how deep the healthcare industry is in the corridors of power. Edit: spelling

cascom 8y ago
Both of your proposed solutions are appealing - but Medicaid and Medicare create a large problem, as both programs pay way below listed rates (~10% and ~40%. Respectively) so your proposal while eloquent would create massive upheaval (perhaps well deserved) making the proposal much more radical than it seems on the surface
- Gustomaximus 8y ago
  Not an expert in this space so my comment comes with a shovel full of ignorance... So your comment implies that medicare/medicaid prices would go up? Is that true? Could the 'listed rate' drop 40%? I always hear listed rates are grossly inflated for those that dont have insurance and land in emergency etc When you see some of the inflated prices a >40% drop seems distinctly possible if a truly competitive market is created. Would that be fair?
  - cascom 8y ago
    It’s actually worse - a healthcare provider is typically paid 10%-40% of the cash pay rate for a Medicaid or Medicare patient so 60%-90% below the listed rate! I’m far from an expert as well, but my point is that a transparent everyone pays the same system is in direct conflict with the current system where certain patients pay multiples of the other patients for the exact same care/service etc.

3 ms·

The simple/fast solution is healthcare providers have to 1) publish costs and 2) have fixed prices regardless of purchasers. And while I support universal heal

by Gustomaximus 8y ago

cascom 8y ago
Both of your proposed solutions are appealing - but Medicaid and Medicare create a large problem, as both programs pay way below listed rates (~10% and ~40%. Respectively) so your proposal while eloquent would create massive upheaval (perhaps well deserved) making the proposal much more radical than it seems on the surface
- Gustomaximus 8y ago
  Not an expert in this space so my comment comes with a shovel full of ignorance... So your comment implies that medicare/medicaid prices would go up? Is that true? Could the 'listed rate' drop 40%? I always hear listed rates are grossly inflated for those that dont have insurance and land in emergency etc When you see some of the inflated prices a >40% drop seems distinctly possible if a truly competitive market is created. Would that be fair?
  - cascom 8y ago
    It’s actually worse - a healthcare provider is typically paid 10%-40% of the cash pay rate for a Medicaid or Medicare patient so 60%-90% below the listed rate! I’m far from an expert as well, but my point is that a transparent everyone pays the same system is in direct conflict with the current system where certain patients pay multiples of the other patients for the exact same care/service etc.