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From: Ted Rosenberg 
Newsgroups: alt.cancer.support, alt.support.diabetes, fidonet.diabetes,
 misc.health.diabetes, talk.politics.medicine
Subject: Re: Single Payer Universal Health Care
Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 23:05:56 -0400
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One of the problems of the health care system is that it is not even 
vaguely a free market. Most health care providers will not provide 
prices for  comparison shopping, and, if they do say anything, it is 
usually false.  They are also not consistent.

I helped my wife do research a few years ago for an article about the 
difficulties of health care shopping.  It was on one simple test, most 
hospitals flatly refused to quote a cost "it's covered by your 
insurance" "come in, have the test, and THEN we will discuss payment".

Two hospitals just flatly lied "we can't quote because we don't know how 
much dye the test will use for each individual " (NONE, the test doesn't 
use dye).  The remainder quoted prices ranging from $200 to $1,800, of 
course, for insurance companies, it would be about $120 from all of them !!!

When the article ran, she got indignant letters from hospitals, but fan 
mail from doctors.  They hadn't had a CLUE that prices varied from place 
to place.

I am also battling a hospital at the moment, I need a regular blood test 
to adjust dosage of some meds.  The hospital quoted me $37/visit, - fair 
enough price, even if insurance companies would only pay $25.  BUT, they 
BILLED amounts ranging from $42.20 to $53.45, when asked why, I get a 
different answer every time I call (on the SAME bill) and they are 
annoyed that I won't pay them until they get the bill straightened.  And 
tell me to call the doctor - there IS no doctor!.  When I ask the 
pharmacologist at the lab, SHE says "that isn't right, you should call 
billing"

Proconsul wrote:

> "Jonathan Smith"  wrote in message
> news:fbcaefd.0405251201.368ec76@posting.google.com...
> | mike gray  wrote in message
> news:...
> | > Skeptic wrote:
> | >
> | > >>
> | > >> With single payer, you've always had the coverage, so how can there
> be a
> | >  pre-existing
> | > >> condition?
> | > >
> | > > Will all coverage be equal?  Will there be levels of coverage?  Will
> there
> | > > be coinsurance?
> | >
> | > One of the barriers to universal health care is the leveling of
> | > coverage. For the uninsured and underinsured, that's great news, but for
> | > union members, government employees, and employees of generous companies
> | > it will be a huge loss.
> | >
> | > All proposals to date have permitted coinsurance,
> |
> | Which proposals are those?  Kerry's?  Kucinich?
> |
> | > primarily to satisfy
> | > the groups that now have Cadillac plans: their employers could offer
> | > group "gap" coinsurance. The result is a two-tiered system, those with
> | > basic benefits and those with enhanced benefits, but more equitable that
> | > the current system.
> |
> | Hardly more equitable.  Reminiscent of Orwell's Animal Farm - all
> | animals are equal, some are just more equal than otehrs.
> |
> | Want to know what they call private supplemental insurance in the UK?
> | Queue jumping insurance.
> |
> | The only reasonable proposal is the PPI version - allowing (mandating)
> | access to private insurance for anyone and everyone.  Using tax
> | credits and incentives, not income redistribution.  Making individuals
> | responsible, in partnership with their employers, to get affordable
> | coverage that meets THEIR needs.
> 
> IF such a system as you propose were to be put into effect, it would
> certainly be infinitely better than the current socialist model and it
> wouldn't be "single payer" any longer.....:)
> 
> Total privatization and a competitive free market would accomplish all you
> propose and more at lower costs - and would deliver a higher quality of care
> for everyone.....
> 
> PC
> 
> 
> 
> 
> |
> | js
> 
> 

-- 
"...in addition to being foreign territory the past is, as history, a 
hall of mirrors that reflect the needs of souls observing from the present"
Glen Cook