Compare Doctors Without Health Insurance

[bamitchell54]

I do not have health insurance and am looking for a doctor. Is there a way to compare doctor pricing short of having to call each one individually and ask what each charges?

 

[The Professor]

I do not have health insurance and am looking for a doctor. Is there a way to compare doctor pricing short of having to call each one individually and ask what each charges?

Well, as far as I know they don't list their prices in the Yellow Pages or on the Internet, so.......

 

[bamitchell54]

But isn't that just the point? That they don't advertise in an apparent manner and don't you get the feeling that they should? Given how fast technology moves these days and the aforementioned feeling, I don't think it's a question deserving of such a dismissive, snotty tone.

 

[koshergrl]

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all treatment...each person has different needs when it comes to procedures so really the only way to get a quote is to...get a quote.

 

[bamitchell54]

@koshergirl, I don't accept this argument. When buying a car, most people will qualify for different financing or negotiate in different ways and end op paying slightly different prices in the end, but Kelley Blue Book still manages to advertise an approximate value for each vehicle.

Furthermore, this is not an answer to my question. If you'd like to argue, please start a different thread.

 

[uscitizen]

Capitalism does not like informed consumers.

 

[bamitchell54]

@uscitizen, also untrue. The informed customer is the motive force directing progress in a competitive market. If you meant to say that groups that have a professional monopoly do not like informed customers, I might agree with you.

But again, if you do not have an answer to my question, do not post here.

 

[dblack]

@uscitizen, also untrue. The informed customer is the motive force directing progress in a competitive market. If you meant to say that groups that have a professional monopoly do not like informed customers, I might agree with you.

Indeed. Doctors, through the their professional monopoly and its control of the regulatory apparatus, have managed to virtually eliminate competitive pricing pressure. They've "groomed" a compliant customer base and convinced them that it's somehow beneath human dignity to ask how much their services cost. They've promoted, and are now enlisting the power of the compulsory state to mandate, an irrational financing scheme (comprehensive health insurance) that puts them at the tip of an ever-growing pyramid scheme.

It's the perfect scam. Everyone involved makes a "killing", the doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, etc... Everyone except for taxpayers and health care consumers, who are slowing being drained of life for the power and wealth of the ruling elite.

 

[koshergrl]

@koshergirl, I don't accept this argument. When buying a car, most people will qualify for different financing or negotiate in different ways and end op paying slightly different prices in the end, but Kelley Blue Book still manages to advertise an approximate value for each vehicle.

Furthermore, this is not an answer to my question. If you'd like to argue, please start a different thread.

You asked if there was price listing for doctors, lol.

Easy answer...nope.

Little more complex...hell nope. Unless you're talking about specific elective procedures.

 

[koshergrl]

And dumbfuck, you don't control who posts here.

 

[The Professor]

But isn't that just the point? That they don't advertise in an apparent manner and don't you get the feeling that they should? Given how fast technology moves these days and the aforementioned feeling, I don't think it's a question deserving of such a dismissive, snotty tone.

I apologize for seeming to be uncaring. However, what I said was true. Although there should be some type of comparative price information available, it just isn't. If you want to know how much a doctor will charge, you will have to contact that doctor. A phone call will probably not suffice (I tried it a couple times), and you will have to make an appointment to see the doctor.

I know that some states have proposed legislation that would require doctors to post charges in their waiting rooms, but I don't know if any such legislation was actually passed. A year or so ago, the state of Florida proposed legislation requiring prices to be posted in waiting rooms, but only for those patients WITHOUT health insurance; however, I know the legislation never passed because I live in Florida and have not seen a price list in any physician's office. Here is the link regarding the proposed legislation:

Florida pushes for doctors to list prices

On the plus side, doctors will generally charge less for those who have no insurance. In his book Rollback, Thomas E. Woods, Jr., described what happened when an engineer wanted to have a small epidermoid cyst removed from his back. The first physician he visited dealt primarily with insured patients and he was given a quote of $700 for an operation which would take 15-20 minutes and which would be performed by a physician's assistant. He then went to another medical practice, Country Doctor, which dealt mostly with uninsured patients. He was able to have the procedure done by an actual physician for less than $50 (pp. 20, 21).

Again, I apologize for appearing shallow and, as you put it, dismissive and snotty. I hope I have given you a bit of useful information.

Have a good day.

 

[uscitizen]

The price should be the same for all.

 

[dblack]

The price should be the same for all.

Why?

 

[bamitchell54]

@The Professor, thank you for your references. The move by Florida sounds like exactly what I was looking for. Also, in another forum, I was directed to healthcarebluebook.com, a resource describing "fair" prices for doctors and hospitals to charge (also without factoring in insurance negotiations). This seems similar to what Florida has asked its doctors to do.

@uscitizen, the pricing scheme seems to be analogous to much of what goes on in politics today, with moderate democrats required to take ever more extreme positions in negotiations with tea party republicans. Doctors/hospitals, trying to earn as much as they can, overbill the insurance company in anticipation of hard negotiation tactics.

Though I haven't been able to find an ideal answer to my question, to say the least, it seems I've inadvertently been working on what could be a very successful business model. Can anyone think of a reason why some company couldn't collect the doctor/hospital fees of individuals and post them online?

 

[dblack]

@The Professor, thank you for your references. The move by Florida sounds like exactly what I was looking for. Also, in another forum, I was directed to healthcarebluebook.com, a resource describing "fair" prices for doctors and hospitals to charge (also without factoring in insurance negotiations). This seems similar to what Florida has asked its doctors to do.

@uscitizen, the pricing scheme seems to be analogous to much of what goes on in politics today, with moderate democrats required to take ever more extreme positions in negotiations with tea party republicans. Doctors/hospitals, trying to earn as much as they can, overbill the insurance company in anticipation of hard negotiation tactics.

Though I haven't been able to find an ideal answer to my question, to say the least, it seems I've inadvertently been working on what could be a very successful business model. Can anyone think of a reason why some company couldn't collect the doctor/hospital fees of individuals and post them online?

I've considered something like this in the past. But the frustrating thing is, there's really not much demand for it. We've created a health "market" where consumers don't really care how much their health care costs. And that's by design.

We essentially have two types of health care consumers in this country: those who are insured, and don't really care how much the health care they use costs, or those who aren't, and by-and-large have to beg for whatever health care they get - either through charity or tax-payer funded subsidies. In either case, doctors very rarely hear the question "How much will this cost?"

There are those who can, and do, pay for the bulk of their health care themselves, but they are an exceedingly small minority and growing smaller - again, by design.

 

[eflatminor]

I do not have health insurance and am looking for a doctor. Is there a way to compare doctor pricing short of having to call each one individually and ask what each charges?

The central planners do not wish to see competition in the field of medicine...or education for that matter. If doctors where to establish and promote prices, it would mean they're COMPETING for your business...and we can't have that.

Be a good little sheep and throw yourself at the mercy of the state. They know what's best for you. Heck, for all of us...

 

[bamitchell54]

@dblack, do you think that this demand will change with the implementation of the health insurance exchanges (part of the PPACA) by 2014? It seems that as healthcare becomes accessible to all citizens, it will become more of a traditional market. Consider the evolution of any luxury good that eventually becomes mainstream: the automobile is a good example. What it was first designed, only the rich could experiment with it leaving the poor to look on in awe. But as manufacturers began to innovate in a way that made the auto affordable to the masses (e.g. Ford), there developed fierce competition centered around appealing to these masses (mainly through improving the apparent price to value relationship). Do you imagine something like this could happen with healthcare?

 

[koshergrl]

The government owns the medical industry now. There's no competition. You'll get what you get, and you'll like it or pay a fine.

 

[dblack]

@dblack, do you think that this demand will change with the implementation of the health insurance exchanges (part of the PPACA) by 2014? It seems that as healthcare becomes accessible to all citizens, it will become more of a traditional market. Consider the evolution of any luxury good that eventually becomes mainstream: the automobile is a good example. What it was first designed, only the rich could experiment with it leaving the poor to look on in awe. But as manufacturers began to innovate in a way that made the auto affordable to the masses (e.g. Ford), there developed fierce competition centered around appealing to these masses (mainly through improving the apparent price to value relationship). Do you imagine something like this could happen with healthcare?

Unfortunately, I see the opposite happening. Competition among insurance companies isn't the problem. As you've pointed out, it's competition among health care providers that's missing.

As long as people aren't paying for their own health care, they won't care how much it costs, and health care prices will continue to rise. And the current reform doubles down on the prevailing assumption that the way to pay for health care is to be 'covered' with an insurance plan. Paying for routine services with insurance is just dumb. Not only is it unnecessary overhead, it's fundamentally destructive to markets because it create consumers with no direct incentive to seek out bargains.

I don't see the market dynamics for health care changing for the better until more of us are paying for more of our health care out of pocket. And our leaders seem hell bent on pushing us in the other direction.

 

[Katzndogz]

I do not have health insurance and am looking for a doctor. Is there a way to compare doctor pricing short of having to call each one individually and ask what each charges?

You might well be forced into doing your own competitive pricing. It's not the best way to decide on what doctor is competent but that's your choice. Go to a free clinic if price is your sole concern.

My doctor charges a $50.00 flat fee for every appointment without insurance, including lab fees.