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That's not exactly encouraging.

• deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
  • damoncali 16y ago
    Sorry - I was joking. Perhaps I should have added a smiley. I get what you're saying. I also think that: 1. the medical industries/professions work very hard at discouraging price competition. 2. price competition is not sufficient to create a healthcare marketplace that works well for society. I'd like to see people without means have at least some access to medical technology/services, even at the cost of inefficiency. But that's just me. Like I said - it's a beast.
• tptacek 16y ago
  You're not encouraged that there's price competition in health care, or you don't believe that there's price competition in health care?
  • lolno 16y ago
    I don't believe it exists in a meaningful way, and I say that as somebody who paid for cancer treatment out of pocket. In emergency situations, you really just go for 'closest competent solution' and don't spend time negotiating with more distant hospitals. In non-emergency situations, you're still limited to a fairly small number of competent providers who are near your family/friends, and have the right skills. And frankly, it's not like you can get a binding estimate anyway. The only thing you know the cost of, for sure, are the procedures they've already performed. But there's no certainty about whether the "cheap" place might recommend this or that and end up deeper in your pockets than the "expensive" place. So not only is it nearly impossible to compare the costs, you're doing so while really only concerned about whether or not you'll die. I hope you're lucky enough to remain an ignorant fool who believes that there is meaningful competition in the sector. But if you aren't, you'll quickly realize that you believe some retarded bullshit.