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Because people going to the emergency room are going to price shop?

rawgabbit 1y ago
Yes. Exactly, this study blames hospital consolidation for price increases. Meanwhile the American Hospital Association blames regulation. https://www.aha.org/topics/regulatory-relief https://www.aha.org/topics/regulatory-relief
- potato3732842 1y ago
  It's Spiderman pointing at Spiderman. They're all guilty. Healthcare is 17% of GDP. You literally can't do that without having a TON of people benefitting because if it were only a small number of people benefiting (e.g. "just doctors" or "just insurance companies") the politicians would have long since voted to throw them under the bus to reap the bajillion votes they'd get from everyone else.
  - jvanderbot 1y ago
    Why stop there? Misaligned incentives tied to a baby boom is at fault. Lots of people aging into health care/ problems. Rising demand + protectionism of med schools -> Higher wages and costs Increased demand for care -> More nursing demand -> More student loans for nursing schools More nurses making money and overworked -> More protectionism to save wages Regulation to try to level costs and provide uniform care for "all" -> More paperwork -> more administrators -> slower care + costlier care More costs -> More insurance premiums, more medicare/medicaid budget required Consolidation -> higher profits + less overhead. ("one system") Huge insurance companies, huge care providers, and gobs of nurses -> Voting sway Voting sway -> Legislators try to work "within" the system
- FireBeyond 1y ago
  Maybe they could lobby to rescind Certificates of Need, which are, at their most cynical, asking hospitals in the area if they'd be affected by having more competition in their area (ostensibly so they don't to shut down beds due to reduced revenue). I say cynical, but the original lobbyists for Certificates of Need were checks notes hospital owners...
toast0 1y ago
Hospital admissions are a mix of ER referals and less urgent matters. There are a lot of hospital procedures where you can shop for price, (perceived) quality, or other factors. Otoh, it's often very hard to price shop, because it's difficult (often nearly impossible) to get an estimate for medical care when insurance may be involved. If you need your car repaired, you can get estimates and in many jurisdictions the mechanic needs consent to go beyond the estimate. If you want a cosmetic procedure that's never covered by insurance, you cam get an estimate that will be accurate unless there's complications (and if they're likely, you may get contingent estimates for likely options). If you need a covered medical procedure, good luck; chances are you won't know what it cost until 6-9 months after.

Yes. Exactly, this study blames hospital consolidation for price increases. Meanwhile the American Hospital Association blames regulation. https://www.aha.org/topics/regulatory-relief https://www.aha.org/topics/regulatory-relief

potato3732842 1y ago
It's Spiderman pointing at Spiderman. They're all guilty. Healthcare is 17% of GDP. You literally can't do that without having a TON of people benefitting because if it were only a small number of people benefiting (e.g. "just doctors" or "just insurance companies") the politicians would have long since voted to throw them under the bus to reap the bajillion votes they'd get from everyone else.
- jvanderbot 1y ago
  Why stop there? Misaligned incentives tied to a baby boom is at fault. Lots of people aging into health care/ problems. Rising demand + protectionism of med schools -> Higher wages and costs Increased demand for care -> More nursing demand -> More student loans for nursing schools More nurses making money and overworked -> More protectionism to save wages Regulation to try to level costs and provide uniform care for "all" -> More paperwork -> more administrators -> slower care + costlier care More costs -> More insurance premiums, more medicare/medicaid budget required Consolidation -> higher profits + less overhead. ("one system") Huge insurance companies, huge care providers, and gobs of nurses -> Voting sway Voting sway -> Legislators try to work "within" the system
FireBeyond 1y ago
Maybe they could lobby to rescind Certificates of Need, which are, at their most cynical, asking hospitals in the area if they'd be affected by having more competition in their area (ostensibly so they don't to shut down beds due to reduced revenue). I say cynical, but the original lobbyists for Certificates of Need were checks notes hospital owners...

toast0 1y ago

Hospital admissions are a mix of ER referals and less urgent matters. There are a lot of hospital procedures where you can shop for price, (perceived) quality, or other factors. Otoh, it's often very hard to price shop, because it's difficult (often nearly impossible) to get an estimate for medical care when insurance may be involved. If you need your car repaired, you can get estimates and in many jurisdictions the mechanic needs consent to go beyond the estimate. If you want a cosmetic procedure that's never covered by insurance, you cam get an estimate that will be accurate unless there's complications (and if they're likely, you may get contingent estimates for likely options). If you need a covered medical procedure, good luck; chances are you won't know what it cost until 6-9 months after.