Private insurance blows cause we're all basically required to have it but it's worse than a tax because we barely ever know how much we owe.
And as the other poster said, you always have the right to refuse treatment, up to your death if you like (unless it is some kind of involuntary commitment where you are put there because you are supposedly dangerous). Many terminally ill people choose to go this way.
Seriouy doesn‘t your hair stand up in horror when you re-read this?!
„You can always choose to die when you can‘t afford treatment“. WTF?!
Prices should be publicized, I agree, but you can ask to get something pre-authorized. It just takes longer.
>why can I not tell them no I dont an unnecessary x-ray
You can ask your doctor why you need an x-ray, why they deem it necessary, and refuse if you like
>and why am I not told cost owed by me until after the procedure only to find out it's just an absurd amount of money
Again, you can ask for pre-auth.
You can’t base a system on the “free market” then prevent consumers from having pricing information.
It certainly wouldn’t fix everything in the US, but it would be a huge help.
To be honest, I’m not sure why hospitals in the US haven’t taken the lead on this. If I had a choice between two hospital of similar quality, but one provided price transparency and maybe even a price guarantee (your procedure will cost $X, guaranteed), I would certainly go to that hospital.
Even then though, making prices transparent wouldn’t address the primary scenario that results in personal bankruptcy, which is emergency care. You can’t exactly shop around for the cheapest ER facility if you’re bleeding from a gunshot wound.
In a non-emergency situation, you can certainly try to read up on your own, but the medical literature is not always easy to interpret. A friend of mine asked for advice after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Despite having a PhD in neuroscience and working as a researcher in a PD Center of Excellence, I had a really hard time making a recommendation. (Neuro conditions are particularly hard, but this is also possibly the best-case match with my experience).
He readily admitted that the hospital has a very poor grasp on their own costs. At a high-level, they just charge as much as they can - sometimes they lose money, sometimes they make a 90% profit. They pool it all together (usually by line of business) and hope it all works out as a profit.
That’s why specialized, stand alone clinics (e.g. MRI clinic) have some of the best prices. They know exactly what things cost and can make sure prices reflect it.
It gets worse, bundling those two is the epitome of conflict of interests when you find yourself the victim of the hospital's negligence and expect your insurer to act in your best interest.
Nope!