re: How Corrupt Is Our Healthcare System?

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The Healthcare provider gets to pick their price.

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Way to show you have no clue how the healthcare system works. I, as a provider, do nothing to pick my price, if I take insurance. The contract I sign with each insurance company says how much they will pay me for something. And, you as the patient don’t have to pay any more than is allowable by the insurance company.

For example, say I charge $2000 for a gallbladder surgery, insurance says max allowable is $1400. They will pay their portion, dependent on what your plan says. If you’ve hit your deductible and in an 80/20, they’ll pay $1120, and you’ll be on the hook for $280.

Sure, you could find another provider to look for a better price, but everyone in the region will be paid the same by insurance.

And lastly on that, everyone is charged the same exact rate, no exceptions because it is mandated by GOVERNMENT. I can’t give you a discount because we’re best friends, I can’t give you a discount because you can’t pay, I can’t give you a discount just because I like you and want to help, and I can’t barter with you.

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because we have the worst healthcare system in the world

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We may not be listed as best, but we are far, far, far away from worst. And honestly the rankings are crap, since every countries statistics are based on different metrics. Our infant death rate is higher than most, but that’s because we include many things other nations do not include. Our life expectancies are worse, but that’s because we have a severely unhealthy, sedentary, and overweight population, that refuse to go to the doctor until they’re on deaths door, refuse to take medications, or refuse to make themselves healthier.

Lastly, everyone expects a Ferrari when all they can afford is a Kia. A certain segment of the population (uneducated) expect everything done to save grandma and grandpa, when the best they’re ever going to be is lying there in bed. And we spend billions on these people to keep them alive for years. And most of these families skip town when their loved ones are ready for discharge, so they just lie there in bed, wards on the state, constantly rolling up the cost.