Went to a quick care the other day because of a flu that would not go away, was seen and diagnosed with bronchitis in less than 5 minutes. The quick care billed my insurance $1,840, which they talked down to $300, and had me pay $115. What?
To be honest, it's not that hard to figure out.
The US gov't largely believes itself is ineffective and needs to be privatized and ran like a business. Private businesses are held up as beacons of innovation and efficiency without the "red tape" the gov't has due to purposefully created checks, balances and regulations.
Hence why we elected a CEO, albeit a massive failure of one, but a CEO regardless.
The medical system is really not private. It is a hybrid of a state-controlled system and a capitalistic system. Here are some ways of how the system is state-controlled:
1. Hospitals cannot be freely constructed. One must apply for a "certificate of need" to gain permission from the government to build a hospital. This is not a free market.
2. Credentialism is BAD in our medical system. There is only one group of people approved by the government to do prescribe most medications and perform most surgeries - doctors. This is not a free market and greatly increase costs. Doctors earn a median of 300k/year and are the highest paid profession in every state. This is not a free market.
3. Hospitals are legally forced to treat anyone who shows up at their door - even if they can't afford the treatment. This is not a free market.
4. Medicare/Medicaid are forced to nearly buy any drug, regardless of cost, if it could save a live. Even if a drug is 500k/year, the system is forced to buy it. This is not a free market and greatly increases costs.
No, they aren't. Medicare Part D plans are not required to cover any particular drugs, though what they choose to cover is subject to approval by CMS.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_Part_D#Plan_formulari...
If a market based solution can't work with these restrictions, then the obvious conclusion is that you have to give up on market-based healthcare, not that you have to allow anyone to prescribe medicine, or have hospitals which won't treat dying people because they can't pay.
Lack of transparent prices is one tool the system has to ensure I don't have any other option.
Which is entirely frustrating too. This only happens because employers only subsidize specific health plans, instead of letting the employee spend that money on the health plan that they deem best for themselves. Isn't that ridiculous? Why would my employer care what health insurance I get anyways, they don't know my health situation. I should be able to use the money they spend on my health insurance however I want!
Two reasons.
One is that it gives people pause before leaving for another job, as they might have to figure out new healthcare providers.
Second is that it gives larger employers the benefit of paying less for insurance, especially if their employee group consists of younger healthier white collar workers. It also helps them because businesses can pay for health insurance with pre tax dollars, which helps compete against small businesses that can’t afford to pay for health insurance for employees, whose employees have to pay for their own health insurance with after tax money.
Total bill $55k. After insurance it was $6k. We paid $250 out of pocket.
There are multiple, standalone private MRI clinics in the US that will do the same MRI for $1,500.
Really UCSF? You’re a part of the problem.