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The real question is, how much does this policy cause prices to fall? That's what Trump promised, to lower the cost of healthcare, and this was one of the key
by ipspam 5y ago
The real question is, how much does this policy cause prices to fall?
That's what Trump promised, to lower the cost of healthcare, and this was one of the key pieces.
- huitzitziltzin 5y agoHealth economist here. I’m not convinced it will cause prices to decline at all. Under some circumstances it could cause them to rise (“insurer X gets how much? We want the same.” -insurer Y). It’s going to depend on the distribution of bargaining and market power among hospitals (which have aggregated into powerful systems) and insurers (which don’t seem to get all that much pushback about prices from the large firms they act for). I could be wrong but I expect the effect to at best very small. More likely around zero. Worst case it raises prices. Though I do like the policy myself bc I am interested in these prices for research purposes.
- Hydraulix989 5y agoPerhaps it will help with the uninsured by giving them negotiation power and the ability to compare prices between hopsitals, as the article mentions. Insurance companies, on the other hand, won't change their premiums -- but is healthcare expensive for someone with insurance?