U.S. Hospitals - too expensive?

[Iormlund]

We really need an NHS. It's too late for anything else; Just nationalize everything.

You don't have to nationalize "everything".  The Canadian model, for example, still has privately run hospitals and clinics.  It's just that there is only one insurer - the national government.

That sounds potentially inefficient though, won't they still charge crazy prices only this time its the government paying the bill?

As far as I know in those cases the single payer, having all negotiating power, either fixes the prices for each procedure/treatment or pays a fixed yearly amount for each potential "customer".

Problem is both avenues are liable to create perverse incentives. The first as BB mentioned tends to make healthcare more expensive as unneeded measures are undertaken. The second means care suffers as only the bare minimum is given.

[Admiral Yi]

On a related note, the FBI estimates the federal government is being bilked out of $70 to $240 billion a year in health care related frauds.

[KRonn]

On a related note, the FBI estimates the federal government is being bilked out of $70 to $240 billion a year in health care related frauds.

Yeah, lots of fraud, huge numbers, not small stuff. I think I've seen estimates of over 100 billion fraud in Medicare. Lots of doctors and clinics get nailed in fraud cases. Kind of alarming that the govt can't seem to clean things up so well. That kind of money would go a long way to needed causes in health care.

[Iormlund]

That's nuts.

You should outsource your healthcare policy to us. We'll get half what you save. Crisis over.

[Admiral Yi]

I agree that's nuts.  That's a lot of fucking coin.

[CountDeMoney]

That would have regulatory stuff involved.  Bad move.

[Barrister]

We really need an NHS. It's too late for anything else; Just nationalize everything.

You don't have to nationalize "everything".  The Canadian model, for example, still has privately run hospitals and clinics.  It's just that there is only one insurer - the national government.

That sounds potentially inefficient though, won't they still charge crazy prices only this time its the government paying the bill?

Well when the government is the only client for at least 99% of your work they can pretty much set their price.

[Razgovory]

On a related note, the FBI estimates the federal government is being bilked out of $70 to $240 billion a year in health care related frauds.

70 bucks isn't so bad, but the 240 billion could be fairly hefty.

[Eddie Teach]

 

[The Minsky Moment]

FBI website says the cost to the "country" is 80 billion. That includes public and private.  No explanation of how number is derived.

[grumbler]

This is the reason I wouldn't visit America, have an accident and despite medical travel insurance, risk ending up in some administrative BS that leave you with a big bill or possible compromised treatment because of uncertainty of who's paying.    

So what you are saying is that American health insurance is costly enough to keep out the bums?  Maybe it is worth the price, then.

[grumbler]

The Death Panel thing in the US was about something different.  There was a provision in one of the Obamacare bills permitting reimbursement to terminally ill patients for end-of-life care counseling sessions.  It had nothing to do with scope of coverage decisions.  if kept in the bill it would have actually expanded the scope of covered services.

Actually I believe it was a smidge more sinister than that; doctors were to receive a bonus for each end of life session they conducted.

No, no conflict there. 

Exactly.  Why kill off the goose that lays the golden egg?  If you convince the NOK to keep the vegetable alive, you can have many more counselling sessions; allow them to do the decent thing, and the stream of counselling sessions dries up.

[mongers]

This is the reason I wouldn't visit America, have an accident and despite medical travel insurance, risk ending up in some administrative BS that leave you with a big bill or possible compromised treatment because of uncertainty of who's paying.    

So what you are saying is that American health insurance is costly enough to keep out the bums?  Maybe it is worth the price, then.

Nowadays you're really not trying hard enough to entertain me.

One thread of yours I fondly remember, was the one about the woman who was having problems with her husband or whatever, and you were providing a shoulder to cry on/hoping to see here; man did I laugh my ass off, at your pathetic display over that.

[grumbler]

Nowadays you're really not trying hard enough to entertain me.

Maybe the purpose of people in the world isn't just to entertain you?

One thread of yours I fondly remember, was the one about the woman who was having problems with her husband or whatever, and you were providing a shoulder to cry on/hoping to see here; man did I laugh my ass off, at your pathetic display over that.

It is kind of sad to see what delusions you come up with when you are off your meds.  The only one you embarrass with these kinds of stories about supposedly "pathetic" behavior of others in some vague thread (that is lost to time anyway) is you. 

[CountDeMoney]

Mongers just wistfully pines for a time when there was a kindler, gentler grumbler.

Unfortunately, we've invented the light bulb since then.