5 ms·

For one, probably because these stories are the exception? I know a bunch of people will probably tell me I'm wrong and I might be (haven't used the US health s

For one, probably because these stories are the exception? I know a bunch of people will probably tell me I'm wrong and I might be (haven't used the US health system in a 3 or 4 years since I moved out) but for most people their insurance just covers it (or medicade if they're old). Otherwise most people don't want to leave their friends and family Note: not defending the horrible system. Only suggesting that most people using their company provided insurance probably don't run into these issues.

IggleSniggle 7y ago
Company provided insurance, only cost us $5k to have a healthy pregnancy followed by a healthy baby, with no special circumstances. This was the usual “negotiated” cost. Why not print $2mil for a yearly wellness check while you’re at it, and then give a generous 1.9mil discount? The whole system is absolutely positively bonkers. How much of my premium is going to professional negotiators for insurance, and how much of my hospital costs are going to professional negotiators for hospitals?
- lotsofpulp 7y ago
  Not much. Your premium is going towards paying for the $1M NICU cases where it takes extreme interventions and the $1M/month hemophilia patients. Even a population of a small state like Iowa can have problems distributing costs like that. https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2017/05/31/hemophilia-patient-costing-iowa-insurer-1-million-per-month/356179001/ https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2017/05/...
  - IggleSniggle 7y ago
    I think distributing the costs is entirely reasonable; warranted, even. That is, after all, why insurance works at all. Distributing the cost by inflating receipts is, no matter how altruistic or “necessary” you may think it to be, a fraud.
specialist 7y ago
I'm a lifelong patient. I currently have great coverage. I don't know how it's possible, but our healthcare system has been getting worse every year. Even simple stuff like refilling scripts has become Kafka Meets Keystone Kops. The insurer has interjected itself into every single transaction, second guessing everything, adding ever more hoops to jump thru. It's a wonder that we even bother with doctors any more, since the insurers apparently know better than my doctors. Things are so bad, I wouldn't even know where to start if anyone wanted to fix things. Better to just start over.

IggleSniggle 7y ago

Company provided insurance, only cost us $5k to have a healthy pregnancy followed by a healthy baby, with no special circumstances. This was the usual “negotiated” cost. Why not print $2mil for a yearly wellness check while you’re at it, and then give a generous 1.9mil discount? The whole system is absolutely positively bonkers. How much of my premium is going to professional negotiators for insurance, and how much of my hospital costs are going to professional negotiators for hospitals?

lotsofpulp 7y ago
Not much. Your premium is going towards paying for the $1M NICU cases where it takes extreme interventions and the $1M/month hemophilia patients. Even a population of a small state like Iowa can have problems distributing costs like that. https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2017/05/31/hemophilia-patient-costing-iowa-insurer-1-million-per-month/356179001/ https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2017/05/...
- IggleSniggle 7y ago
  I think distributing the costs is entirely reasonable; warranted, even. That is, after all, why insurance works at all. Distributing the cost by inflating receipts is, no matter how altruistic or “necessary” you may think it to be, a fraud.

specialist 7y ago

I'm a lifelong patient. I currently have great coverage. I don't know how it's possible, but our healthcare system has been getting worse every year. Even simple stuff like refilling scripts has become Kafka Meets Keystone Kops. The insurer has interjected itself into every single transaction, second guessing everything, adding ever more hoops to jump thru. It's a wonder that we even bother with doctors any more, since the insurers apparently know better than my doctors. Things are so bad, I wouldn't even know where to start if anyone wanted to fix things. Better to just start over.