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To be fair, when you see these giant corporations buy up every private medical practice from one side of the state to the other it’s hard not to see them as evi

To be fair, when you see these giant corporations buy up every private medical practice from one side of the state to the other it’s hard not to see them as evil and profit seeking. When you walk into the lobby of the hospital and it’s guilded with marble floors, vaulted ceilings, and chandeliers with large spacious “offices” for the billing departments, it’s hard not to see them as evil and profit seeking. When you can’t get a straight answer out of anyone at the facility regarding cost of a simple procedure, it’s hard not to see them as evil and profit seeking. When you see the executives of these hospitals wining and dining with the insurance executives then suddenly next year your premiums and deductibles get raised, it’s hard not to see them as evil and profit seeking. Do I think that all medical professionals are evil and profit seeking? No. Do I think that many of them are content to live under an umbrella of plausible deniability as long as their paychecks increase? Absolutely.

duffpkg 3y ago
I want to be clear that I agree there are significant problems. I understand this commonly held perception but more than 29 states make it outright illegal for a regular for-profit corporation to own anything which engages in the practice of medicine. Look up "corporate practice of medicine" laws. That isn't to say there aren't problems. As a former hospital executive I can tell you first hand there is no love lost between hospital systems and insurers. A lot of hospital systems operate with a level of incompetence and dysfunction that it is truly difficult for regular people to appreciate. In many many cases a medical provider may not have a clear picture or be able to get a clear picture of what they will actually be compensated by your insurance for a given procedure. I understand that sounds crazy but it's a real thing. Competent organizations handle that situation a lot better than incompetent ones.

duffpkg 3y ago

I want to be clear that I agree there are significant problems. I understand this commonly held perception but more than 29 states make it outright illegal for a regular for-profit corporation to own anything which engages in the practice of medicine. Look up "corporate practice of medicine" laws. That isn't to say there aren't problems. As a former hospital executive I can tell you first hand there is no love lost between hospital systems and insurers. A lot of hospital systems operate with a level of incompetence and dysfunction that it is truly difficult for regular people to appreciate. In many many cases a medical provider may not have a clear picture or be able to get a clear picture of what they will actually be compensated by your insurance for a given procedure. I understand that sounds crazy but it's a real thing. Competent organizations handle that situation a lot better than incompetent ones.