With the institution of social programs like “Single-Payer”, we aren’t solving any of our current problems. Home U.S. We are creating bigger government and creating more problems. ), “How Baby Boomers Broke America” (online), or “My generation was supposed to level the playing field; instead, we rigged it four ourselves”. What do you have to do every day to get that monthly premium?My views have changed since I originally wrote this article. We all pay more. If all you had was Walmarts you could still choose the best one possible, right? There is an epic battle going on between health care providers and insurers. For over 100 years now, they have perpetuated a system that breeds corruption and we have sat back and allowed it to happen. Finally, “if others want to spend a little extra for a better shopping experience, that is their choice”, well people could still do that with Single Payer. They may have insurance, but their employer chooses their insurance plan and it may have a payout limit or not cover a drug or treatment they need. Well, that could be good thing because maybe someone who cares more about people’s health than profits could take their place.3. Furthermore, why is no one asking why a hospital making $500 million (for example) is non-profit? “The hospitals all know the bills are fiction, or at least only a place to start the discussion, so you bargain with them,” says Katalin Goencz, a former appeals coordinator in a hospital billing department who now works as an advocate in Stamford, CT.The health care market is not a market at all. Is it working? That would be no small change.Also, to the few posters who said…”The guvmint can’t do nuthin rite!” Well, Medicare is administered pretty well (according to the vast majority of users and their friends and families {even the tea party} doesn’t want it cut}). You want a doctor with a gold plated stethoscope then bust out some cash.I disagree that we have a choice where to buy for hospital services. You talk of CEOs and how they would all run away if you capped their pay. Some will say..It is insolvent in 20 years!! The result? The free market, is in fact, what ruined the free market in health care.
@JTM316, there are many aspects of healthcare that make it next to impossible to create a truly free and competitive market, but the aspect that’s most commonly cited is this: when you are in a medical emergency, it is simply not possible for you to shop for the most cost-efficient provider of health services. 60% of the hospitals are tax exempt. Most providers participate in several networks so they can serve Aetna, Cigna, Humana, etc. They may have no insurance. Right now, how much per month do you pay for your medical care? Of course they do, but they make a lot of money (in most cases) because they are good at what they do. Home U.S. They have little choice of hospitals or the services they are billed for, even if they somehow knew the prices before they got billed for the services. Brill takes you up 99% of the way up the grueling, unexplored summit, then turns around and says, “oops, forgot the flag.”If the government (Medicare single payer) is that much more efficient and leveraged in negotiating payouts and limiting costs, I’ll sign up I think single payer is a horrible idea. I agree with you that alot of the cost increase is on the provider side (not insurer).
And even worse, we are causing the “American Dream” to die a slow and painful death.I’m all for free markets when they are truly free markets. If they’re not protected by Medicare or protected only partially by private insurance with high co-pays, they have little visibility into pricing, let alone control of it. Politics World Business Tech Health TIME Health Entertainment Science Newsfeed Living Sports History The TIME Vault Magazine Ideas TIME Labs.
We go to the closest ER. And providers are winning as they consolidate and increase their negotiation leverage. We want to put more money and more power in the hands of the federal government? It’s the burning buildings that are draining our health care resources. Small hospitals and private practices are being bought up by large non-profit hospitals, killing competition, and no one is asking why this is happening. Use Medicare’s payment to legislate that no bill for inpatient or outpatient procedures could exceed 2.2 times what Medicare would pay. It comes in many flavors. The cover story quickly started getting buzz on Twitter Thursday morning, and Brill is set to appear on “The Daily Show” and “The Charlie Rose Show" Thursday evening.
Since most hospitals function as non-profits, they must actually act like charitable organizations to enjoy the various privileges that go with it. Absurd levels more.Mr. I currently work for a major healthcare company and have seen everything you have mentioned first hand. Politics World Business Tech Health TIME Health Entertainment Science Newsfeed Living Sports History The TIME Vault Magazine Ideas TIME Labs. This would simplify things for insurance companies and individuals and save money and heartache on unrealistic overpricing practices of hospitals and clinics for everything from emergency care to medical scanning services.I think we need to think more. Honest men and women are left paying the price.This is not party line rhetoric, this is FACT: If capitalism dies, America – as the Republic that the Founding Fathers intended it to be – will cease to exist. Believe me you don’t want a socialistic system-it sucks. Continued government intervention on behalf of lobbies and special interests has hindered the free market from doing it’s job. Articles from Contributor. That’s not saying we don’t make a good amount of money, but the providers are where the large increases come from. More than 90+ percent of claims that are submitted to Medicare is automatically paid out. If you walked into Walmart and they said,Just a thought. In a truly free market, it is *competition* that drives prices down. Charging people 2 dollars for an alcohol swab that costs 2 cents is something they can get away with in the process because there is no up front bill before services. This is not a retail choice. They fly to Guadalajara for surgery. I think the last couple decades has shown us what unbalanced capitalism can do. I don’t know.