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From: hrubin@odds.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin)
Newsgroups: alt.cancer.support, alt.support.diabetes, fidonet.diabetes,
 misc.health.diabetes, talk.politics.medicine
Subject: Re: Single Payer Universal Health Care
Date: 26 May 2004 16:56:08 -0500
Organization: Purdue University Statistics Department
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References: 
 
  
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In article ,
Ted Rosenberg   wrote:

			....................

>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 !!!

In a libertarian society, the consequences for making false 
statements are considerable for the person making them, NOT
the corporation.  If higher-ups order it, they are responsible.
No passing the buck to the company.

Also, to prevent some of the abuses you state, it should
be illegal at any time to ask about the kind, if any, of 
insurance coverage.  Provide the tax advantages now had
by insurance plans by MSAs, and make people responsible.
The one who pays his own bills should not be penalized.

>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"

See my earlier statements.  We need individual responsibility,
and real competition.  
-- 
This address is for information only.  I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University
hrubin@stat.purdue.edu         Phone: (765)494-6054   FAX: (765)494-0558