Except they can't overcharge because the government controls their main source of income. They'd be obligated to follow market rate or risk losing access to those government dollars. The only reason some hospitals and other medical facilities occasionally don't accept Medicare is that they can rely on other sources to make up for the loss. Once single payer happens, they are kind of shit out of luck.
Gas Bandit's Political Thread V: The Vampire Likes Bats
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You know, Japan has a system where the government sets the price of all medical tests and fees. They adjust the fees yearly and lower prices of tests that doctors are using to much to prevent overpricing. As a result, Japanese go to the hospital more often than people in other countries, and nearly all their hospitals are running deep in the red.
Health care systems comparison video series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkfBg8ML-gIngk82SUbTp6Og_KkYfJ6oF
Covers USA, Canada, Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Singapore, and Germany (not necessarily in that order).
Short answer: you USA guys are paying more than EVERYBODY (like 50% more) for WORSE care (Survival vs Mortality rates). And most of those other systems have lots of private stuff too. So you guys are just screwed for FAR more reasons than "single payer will save us!" or "single payer will bankrupt us!"
Covers USA, Canada, Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Singapore, and Germany (not necessarily in that order).
Short answer: you USA guys are paying more than EVERYBODY (like 50% more) for WORSE care (Survival vs Mortality rates). And most of those other systems have lots of private stuff too. So you guys are just screwed for FAR more reasons than "single payer will save us!" or "single payer will bankrupt us!"
Another short answer: Most of these systems are full of overworked, underpaid doctors with hospitals that run at a constant deficit. German doctors had protests over their situation not all that long ago.
That's quite a blanket (and not backed up) statement you made with not enough time to watch even ONE of those videos. Interesting how you basically completely ignored my points there.
I'm in pre med and I take a lot of public health classes. I've seen all these videos before.
Also this.
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Fine, I'll accept your expertise for the sake of argument, but no matter how "overworked and underpaid" doctors are, the difference is not worth 1.5x to 2.5x more money spend in the USA than any of the other countries surveyed there, for AT BEST the same results, and often worse. The problems are much much deeper, and not worth it.
I would never argue that, in your other points that the US pays more for an overall lower standard of health. It's a huge friggin problem. The thing is, these other systems, while seemingly addressing the lower-health outcome problem, run their hospitals into the ground and get doctors who feel they're underpaid and can sometimes work an extreme number of hours. Do you want doctors who don't feel they're getting properly compensated treating you?
But it's really not even the doctors that are the enemy here. Even doctors agree that hospitals and their "administrative costs" are among the biggest of problems.
Apparently the GOP used Twitter to relay information between campaign groups and outside groups who spend unlimited money. What's sadder is this isn't necessarily against the law as it is written.
This sit is never going to end, I swear.
This sit is never going to end, I swear.
If they start issuing commands via IRC, they'll be no different than malware.
--Patrick
Considering the IRS abuse, it's only a matter of time.
IMO that's insurance company BS, as she DID purchase out-of-country insurance, but then they deny her afterwards.
There may be insurance nuance as to why she still shouldn't have travelled, but still, it's also unethical to sell it to her and then say "nope, not covered!" even when she was being as honest as she knew how to be.
There may be insurance nuance as to why she still shouldn't have travelled, but still, it's also unethical to sell it to her and then say "nope, not covered!" even when she was being as honest as she knew how to be.
GasBandit
Staff member
Well, to be completely accurate, "having a premature baby with multiple complications and an extended hospital stay?"
Also, I didn't even know there was a canadian Blue Cross. I thought private insurance was illegal in Canada? Or was that the UK...
Also also, who goes on a hawaiian vacation 7 months pregnant, even if it looks like it is going well?
True, but the price is no less ridiculous.
GasBandit
Staff member
Premature babies are horrendously expensive... both the delivery and the rehab afterwards.
Not that having a full term baby with no complications is cheap.
As Eriol said, this looks like something the insurance company should be paying for. But it's a well known insurance industry tactic to blanket-deny every claim and see who comes back to fight before they actually pay out. Not that that's a good thing.
Hawaii is freaking expensive. I guess everything is pricier than the mainland. Also the price of the bill the insurance gets and the price of bill once a patient has to pay out of pocket are vastly different.
You can only buy insurance for things the government doesn't cover, or for out-of-country, as Canada doesn't pay if you go away from the country and need care.
If you try and buy insurance for things that ARE government covered (like if you want faster service by going to the USA instead of waiting in line in Canada) then THAT is illegal.
Watch that linked video I had up there about Canada's health care system and that will help. It's not exhaustive (and somewhat glosses over the horror stories IMO), but it's a start.
I wonder if Blue Cross thinks she went on vacation pregnant to have the baby on US soil, which is why they are denying coverage... I mean, lots of families from outside the US do this every day.
GasBandit
Staff member
Eh, I wouldn't think so. It was 13 weeks before term.. that'd have been a long ass vacation if everything had gone right.
It still stuns me that someone thought it'd be a good idea to take such an extensive, distant, high stress vacation when they were basically in the 3rd trimester.
GasBandit
Staff member
The rigmarole of traveling to and from Hawaii is enough to send anybody into contractions.
I was just telling my wife the other day "Honey, you know what I want to try? I want contractions. No, the pregnancy kind. Yes, I'm a man, but I hear on good authority a trip to Hawaii will help induce them in me."
(for anyone missing it,
)
GasBandit
Staff member
Go ahead and plan and execute a hawaiian vacation thenI was just telling my wife the other day "Honey, you know what I want to try? I want contractions. No, the pregnancy kind. Yes, I'm a man, but I hear on good authority a trip to Hawaii will help induce them in me."
(for anyone missing it,
Just sit on a towel while you do, in case of loss of bowel control.Pfft, I already have that as a preventive measure.Go ahead and plan and execute a hawaiian vacation then
GasBandit
Staff member
Me too, but mostly to shield vulnerable computer chairs from Texas summer ballsweat.
I admit, the blanket here is to keep me warm in the freaking freezing November weather. Seriously, WTF, it's only midway through November.
I think this is the last straw for me:
You're kidding, right? Who was howling "war on coal" while his district was still under a do not use the water order? Who was the spokeslackey for the mine owner during the Upper Big Branch disaster? Who has whored themselves out to Big Coal for the last 80 years they've had near total control of politics in this state?
A hint: they've all got that "D" by their name.
You're kidding, right? Who was howling "war on coal" while his district was still under a do not use the water order? Who was the spokeslackey for the mine owner during the Upper Big Branch disaster? Who has whored themselves out to Big Coal for the last 80 years they've had near total control of politics in this state?
A hint: they've all got that "D" by their name.
http://www.vulture.com/2014/11/chris-rock-frank-rich-in-conversation.html
Chris Rock talks politics, racism, classism, etc.
--Patrick
Chris Rock talks politics, racism, classism, etc.
An interesting read.
--Patrick