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Medical debt already isn't really subject to usual incentives because people rather not die.
by noobermin 2y ago
Medical debt already isn't really subject to usual incentives because people rather not die.
- parineum 2y agoPeople that help you not die want your business. Why isn't there a competitive market pushing prices down?
- duskwuff 2y agoBecause people who are dying are in no position to shop around.
- swagasaurus-rex 2y agoPrice transparency can still help the rest of us
- austhrow743 2y agoThis would make sense as the answer if there were sky high prices for time sensitive things but much lower for things that don't need to be done right now. My impression of US health care is everything involving a hospital being expensive.
- aodonnell2536 2y agoI suppose it is subjective, but I consider about any health problem requiring a professional time sensitive. Time lost potentially leads to damage of one’s most irreplaceable asset.
- throwAGIway 2y agoI am visiting a hospital every 2-4 weeks for years now. There is a very tiny minority of dying people. Those should of course get every regulation and help they need. Many visitors are actually coming to shop around - meet the doctor, hear their plan, compare with others and then decide.
- buffington 2y agoShop around? In the US, that's not really a thing. Your choices are very much restricted by the health insurance you have. Some health insurance plans are better. Mine is pretty good by US standards, and it still has all sorts of restrictions on what's covered, and by which health care facility. Even with my insurance, I would go bankrupt if I was at a US hospital every 2-4 weeks for years.
- throwAGIway 2y agoI'm not in the US, I live in Europe and health insurance is a personal thing completely unrelated to an employer. But my treatment isn't covered at all because it's not immediately life threatening and not the cheapest most traditional treatment option - a big issue with the EU systems is that it's either the regulated but usually pretty bad option, or 100% out of pocket (and the prices are not very different from what an US hospital bills). I can't just submit an invoice and get at least part of it covered. In my case I'd have problems even if I used the regulated option because there isn't an official code for my illness - it exists but only for children. I wouldn't be able to function if I didn't go and I'm sure there's plenty of people like that in the US too... And yes, I'd go bankrupt if I didn't work in software for US company. Sucks to be poor - regardless of which continent.
- exe34 2y agoi thought the prices were made up after the procedure? I'm not in the us, this is the impression I get from reading about it online.
- Izkata 2y agoThere isn't a competitive market, there's a shortage of doctors and healthcare workers.