Khashoggi’s Ghost

Health insurance makes hospital care more expensive

The price that a hospital charges a cash-paying patient is often lower than the negotiated price that a commercial insurance plan would pay.

Health-care prices rise because most Americans have insurance. If everyone had grocery insurance, food prices would skyrocket, too. Health insurance coverage has led to high costs and suboptimal health outcomes. Remove the middlemen for routine services, and prices will fall.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/04/11/hospital-prices-health-insurance-high-costs/

Health insurance makes many kinds of hospital care more expensive

When insurers negotiate high hospital prices, employers and beneficiaries bear the cost in the form of higher premiums.

The Washington Post
Apr 12, 2023 at 3:15amWeb
Show threadStop-the-MAGAss-ReichApr 12, 2023

@UROCKlive1

"After intense lobbying by insurers"

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/31/health/medicare-overbilling-insurance.html

Medicare Delays a Full Crackdown on Private Health Plans

After intense lobbying by insurers, U.S. health officials say changes to reduce overbilling in Medicare Advantage will be phased in over three years.

The New York Times
Show threadMattApr 12, 2023
@UROCKlive1 health insurers are parasitic middlemen that provide no value whatsoever
Show threadJim ReaApr 12, 2023
@UROCKlive1 The problem with this take is, routine services are only a small portion of overall healthcare expenditures. Nothing that happens in a hospital is routine.
Show threadHHApr 12, 2023
@UROCKlive1 Time for single payer system.
Show threadShannon ClarkApr 12, 2023

@UROCKlive1 @donmelton this is true even if you have insurance.

I had a few day stay at a hospital years ago (during the pandemic) for something unavoidable and an emergency (not COVID) when I was discharged the hospital offered me a 20% discount on what they estimated my co-pay would be if I could pay them within 48hrs (even gave a refund if my insurance covered more than they estimated)

I could pay them so I did. But someone without cash/available credit would have owed 20% more w/insurance

Show threadKhashoggi’s GhostApr 14, 2023
@Rycaut @donmelton Wow. This is good to know. I have some tests coming up.