3 ms·
Great point. Right now, doctor's have to charge twice what they expect to be reimbursed by insurance companies. So, an individual who chooses to buy health care
by grhino 16y ago
Great point. Right now, doctor's have to charge twice what they expect to be reimbursed by insurance companies. So, an individual who chooses to buy health care without a health insurance provider has to pay twice what doctor's even expect to get. I don't even think doctors get any reduction in transaction costs when dealing with large insurance companies over individual patients. In a lot of ways, it seems like doctors have to deal with the large insurance company and the individual patient.
Health insurance in the US is more like a payment plan to join a health-care purchasing group than health insurance. What's worse is that your purchasing group choice is chosen by your employer.
I think there's a serious reduction in job mobility because the US has chosen to provide tax incentives when health insurance is provided by the employer, but not when an individual purchases those.
- yummyfajitas 16y agoRight now, doctor's have to charge twice what they expect to be reimbursed by insurance companies. So, an individual who chooses to buy health care without a health insurance provider has to pay twice what doctor's even expect to get. The second does not follow from the first. What usually happens is doctors try to rip off the insurance companies as best they can (and the insurance company does the same to them), but prices magically become reasonable when you mention you don't have insurance. Doctor bill: $100 splint (her finger taped to a piece of wood), total bill $350. My uninsured mom: "This is ridiculous. You can keep it, I'll just have my son duct tape me to a dowel." Billing girl: "Oh, you don't have insurance? I'm so sorry, my mistake. It'll be $75, let me print you a correct bill." (I don't recall exact numbers, but that was the rough flavor of the interaction.)
- shareme 16y agoyour biased assumption is that under the $350 bill that the middle party that has to bill the insurer does not get paid.. Part of the bill inflation is the multiple payor billing system costs itself..non-insurance bills do not have that costs. What would bring it down instead of universal insurance universal payor billing..it was one of Mrs Clinton's HealthCare reform bullet points..form years ago..
- Retric 16y agoTalk with some private practice doctors some time. They often spend about as much time dealing with patents as they do with the insurance company. As to the initial bill, they need to inflate it because the insurance company will always try and drop the price on something. It's the same game purchasing departments at large company's play where it's easier to buy something for 75$ after the 25% discount than 500$ without a discount.
- Retric 16y agoOps, 750$