3 ms·

Perhaps they should be taxed on their MSRP and not be given a tax rebate on discounts. That would encourage them to keep their published prices matched to what

by rlpb 8y ago

Perhaps they should be taxed on their MSRP and not be given a tax rebate on discounts. That would encourage them to keep their published prices matched to what they actually charge.

bradleyjg 8y ago
They aren’t taxed at all because they register as non-profits even though they act as partnerships.
mschuster91 8y ago
> Perhaps they should be taxed on their MSRP and not be given a tax rebate on discounts. That would encourage them to keep their published prices matched to what they actually charge. The problem is that as there's no mandatory insurance in the US like there is in Germany, there is a very high chance that the patient may not be able to pay the bill, and so the hospital (or practice) is stuck with the costs. Which may go into six, sometimes seven digit sums. And this loss has to be eaten somewhere... in the form of everyone else having to pay way overinflated sums. The only way to fix the US health system is to provide a national mandatory insurance for everyone which covers everything of basic healthcare, and then for the private industry they can offer insurance packages for higher-quality care (single rooms instead of shared ones, for example). Or, if that is not possible due to the insurance companies having bought off half of Congress, at the very least introduce a nationwide pricing list for medical procedures, with as few possibilities for deviation as it can be done (for example, services in the center of Manhattan can be more expensive than somewhere out in the woods because rent and staff are more expensive).
- prostoalex 8y ago
  > a nationwide pricing list for medical procedures, with as few possibilities for deviation This already exists with Medicare.
- masonic 8y ago
  mandatory insurance in the US like there is in Germany In Germany, what happens when an uninsured person shows up at an emergency room (say, a refugee claimant or illegal entry?)
  - lexs 8y ago
    Refugee/Asylum claimants are "insured" in the sense that such services are payed for under the Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz. Otherwise uninsured people will have to pay themselves or receive help from social services.
  - Faark 8y ago
    The idea is that you are always insured for essentials, so the question is to find out under whom at that time. No idea what specifically determines the insurer for someone entering the country. But coverage will begin back on entry and they will request membership payments for the entire time, even if you did not "use" that coverage. As for refugees specifically, I'd expect that to be mostly a question of whom they sign on with first. The public insurance has the same rate regardless of provider, so it wouldn't make much of a difference, and governmental support will probably pay that bill anyway.
  - mschuster91 8y ago
    > In Germany, what happens when an uninsured person shows up at an emergency room (say, a refugee claimant or illegal entry?) They get treated first, payment is worked out later.

by rlpb 8y ago

Perhaps they should be taxed on their MSRP and not be given a tax rebate on discounts. That would encourage them to keep their published prices matched to what they actually charge.

bradleyjg 8y ago

They aren’t taxed at all because they register as non-profits even though they act as partnerships.

mschuster91 8y ago

> Perhaps they should be taxed on their MSRP and not be given a tax rebate on discounts. That would encourage them to keep their published prices matched to what they actually charge. The problem is that as there's no mandatory insurance in the US like there is in Germany, there is a very high chance that the patient may not be able to pay the bill, and so the hospital (or practice) is stuck with the costs. Which may go into six, sometimes seven digit sums. And this loss has to be eaten somewhere... in the form of everyone else having to pay way overinflated sums. The only way to fix the US health system is to provide a national mandatory insurance for everyone which covers everything of basic healthcare, and then for the private industry they can offer insurance packages for higher-quality care (single rooms instead of shared ones, for example). Or, if that is not possible due to the insurance companies having bought off half of Congress, at the very least introduce a nationwide pricing list for medical procedures, with as few possibilities for deviation as it can be done (for example, services in the center of Manhattan can be more expensive than somewhere out in the woods because rent and staff are more expensive).

prostoalex 8y ago
> a nationwide pricing list for medical procedures, with as few possibilities for deviation This already exists with Medicare.
masonic 8y ago
mandatory insurance in the US like there is in Germany In Germany, what happens when an uninsured person shows up at an emergency room (say, a refugee claimant or illegal entry?)
- lexs 8y ago
  Refugee/Asylum claimants are "insured" in the sense that such services are payed for under the Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz. Otherwise uninsured people will have to pay themselves or receive help from social services.
- Faark 8y ago
  The idea is that you are always insured for essentials, so the question is to find out under whom at that time. No idea what specifically determines the insurer for someone entering the country. But coverage will begin back on entry and they will request membership payments for the entire time, even if you did not "use" that coverage. As for refugees specifically, I'd expect that to be mostly a question of whom they sign on with first. The public insurance has the same rate regardless of provider, so it wouldn't make much of a difference, and governmental support will probably pay that bill anyway.
- mschuster91 8y ago
  > In Germany, what happens when an uninsured person shows up at an emergency room (say, a refugee claimant or illegal entry?) They get treated first, payment is worked out later.