How important are your health benies??

[MakoMike]

All universal health care will do is ration medical care by the time willing to wait vs now, which is what you can afford. Think about it, if something costs you nothing you'll use as much of it as you want. Same goes for health care, if it doesn't cost you, you'll go running to the Dr. every time you sneeze (or at least a lot of people will) Look at Canada or Europe, the waiting lines are incredible. Anyone who can afford it goes to other countries, like the U.S. and India, to get medical care. Don't belive the line of crap that some politicos are selling.

[MarshCappa]

All it takes is one hospitalization to realize how expensive health care costs are. I worked in healthcare for over 14years as a Hospital Administrator and saw first hand how tough financially that industry is on all of us, hospitals included. Many hospitals run in the red year after year because of the strangle hold insurance companies place on the facilities. Not having insurance can be devasting for a patient and their family but there are plenty of programs that a patient can qualify for if they do not have insurance. I actually liked the Romney plan for MA, but I'm not sure where it stands currently.

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by MarshCappa

All it takes is one hospitalization to realize how expensive health care costs are. I worked in healthcare for over 14years as a Hospital Administrator and saw first hand how tough financially that industry is on all of us, hospitals included. Many hospitals run in the red year after year because of the strangle hold insurance companies place on the facilities. Not having insurance can be devasting for a patient and their family but there are plenty of programs that a patient can qualify for if they do not have insurance. I actually liked the Romney plan for MA, but I'm not sure where it stands currently.

So how do you justify the outrageous costs you charge?????? Was my 4 stiches and 10 min. with a Dr. really worth $1,295?? Did the tetnous shot really cost $29.95???

[MarshCappa]

Originally Posted by PaulS

So how do you justify the outrageous costs you charge?????? Was my 4 stiches and 10 min. with a Dr. really worth $1,295?? Did the tetnous shot really cost $29.95???

1st of all I don't charge you anything. 2nd of all costs are based on what insurance comapnies actually pay vs what the hospital charges. It's not a good system but it's the only way a hospital can stay in business and YES this is a business which people don't realize. Anyone running a business can appreciate time and money. Hospitals have the most overhead of any business but need to staff for anything that may walk thru the door. So in reality your stitches charge has built into it the RN, Techs, Administrative, and whatever else is involved in the process that you never see or interact with. Take a look at your EOB(explanation of beneifts) from your insurance company for that visit and you'll see what the plan actually paid to the hospital. You'll be amazed. Do you know what the hospital does with the remaining UNPAID balance? They write it off as the Contractual Allowance" Like I said it's a business and the way our current health care delivery system works in our country. I'm not saying it's right but it's reality and if hospitals don't charge the way they do they won't stay in business too long and then you'd have to drive a lot further and wait in even longer lines for your care.

[fishpoopoo]

1) the bill you get from this hospital is always inflated. little known factoid if you can't afford to pay your bill: everything is negotiable.

2) hospitals have to charge some people more to cover the costs of many people who can't afford to pay at all.

[RickBomba]

Yup, when I worked for myself I paid $79 a week for just health, just for me, my business partner paid $100 a week towards it, too, that's $720 a month just for health insurance.
Right now, through Bugaboo, I pay $22 a week for full health and dental, it's sweet...went through all sorts of crazy doctors visits this time last year...I had to pay the co pays and like another $50.
Later,
Rick

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by MarshCappa

1st of all I don't charge you anything. 2nd of all costs are based on what insurance comapnies actually pay vs what the hospital charges. It's not a good system but it's the only way a hospital can stay in business and YES this is a business which people don't realize. Anyone running a business can appreciate time and money. Hospitals have the most overhead of any business but need to staff for anything that may walk thru the door. So in reality your stitches charge has built into it the RN, Techs, Administrative, and whatever else is involved in the process that you never see or interact with. Take a look at your EOB(explanation of beneifts) from your insurance company for that visit and you'll see what the plan actually paid to the hospital. You'll be amazed. Do you know what the hospital does with the remaining UNPAID balance? They write it off as the Contractual Allowance" Like I said it's a business and the way our current health care delivery system works in our country. I'm not saying it's right but it's reality and if hospitals don't charge the way they do they won't stay in business too long and then you'd have to drive a lot further and wait in even longer lines for your care.

So I'm paying for something that I didn't use??? I agree that the hospitals have a lot of overhead but how is that the ins. co. fault?

When Pfizer stops trials on a drug and writes off $800m. do they add that cost to another drug or when Exxon stops development of a oil field, they don't add the cost to another field.

There is currently overcapacity in the medical industry and in certain areas hosptitals s/b closed (NYC wants to close 8-10 I think).

The $1295 was the from the EOB. I don't think ins. would be able to negotiate a disc. on an emerg. room service

[MarshCappa]

Originally Posted by PaulS

So I'm paying for something that I didn't use??? I agree that the hospitals have a lot of overhead but how is that the ins. co. fault?

When Pfizer stops trials on a drug and writes off $800m. do they add that cost to another drug or when Exxon stops development of a oil field, they don't add the cost to another field.

There is currently overcapacity in the medical industry and in certain areas hosptitals s/b closed (NYC wants to close 8-10 I think).

The $1295 was the from the EOB. I don't think ins. would be able to negotiate a disc. on an emerg. room service

This will be a never ending thread/debate. It's our current system and unless Canada or some other country with national health insurance invades us and puts us under their rule it will NEVER change. People way smarter than me have been trying to make it better and have made little to no progress. Just wait for EMR(Electronic Medical Record) debate/implementation. That is going to put national insurance on the back burner while they come up with a way to interface with everyone's computer systems!!!!!!!!!!!

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by MarshCappa

People way smarter than me

You could have said "People way smarter than you and I" and I wouldn't have gotten upset.