Why are healthcare/insurance cost so high?

[Woodznutz]

How so?

By posing as "healthcare" when they are really "sickness care". True health is the enemy of the "health" care system. The more sick people the better for them.

 

[dblack]

By posing as "healthcare" when they are really "sickness care". True health is the enemy of the "health" care system. The more sick people the better for them.

Not seeing the fraud. How are they lying, cheating or stealing? I'm not saying they aren't crooked, I'm just curious about your conception of fraud. It sounds like you're just saying the charge too much, and that should count as fraud. Which is silly.

 

[Woodznutz]

Not seeing the fraud. How are they lying, cheating or stealing? I'm not saying they aren't crooked, I'm just curious about your conception of fraud. It sounds like you're just saying the charge too much, and that should count as fraud. Which is silly.

The fraud is on several levels. Overcharging is just one. Posing as the guardians of health is the worst. When is the last time a patient left a doctor's office with information that would improve their health?

 

[Hafar1014]

All businesses come under the law of supply and demand.

You dont get the point. Large damage claims in crease malpractice insurance and cause defensive medicine which causes testing not needed.

 

[RedrickTheCoat]

Could it be that the cost of 10's of millions of illegal immigrants getting free healthcare has to be absorbed by the legal, law-abiding citizens of America?

Illegal immigrants do not get anywhere near the same healthcare benefits that regular working Americans get. And that applies to the working illegal immigrants that pay taxes too. So they provide cheap labor for employers, still pay tax, but don't get all the healthcare benefits of a regular citizen.Undocumented immigrants generally do not receive free healthcare, but they are eligible for limited emergency medical care.

• Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA): Any hospital ER that accepts Medicare must stabilize and treat anyone, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.
• Emergency Medicaid: Covers life-threatening emergencies and childbirth for those who qualify based on income, even if undocumented.
• Community health centers / federally qualified health centers (FQHCs): These clinics provide primary care on a sliding-scale fee, often heavily subsidized. Many undocumented immigrants rely on these.
• Some state/local programs: A few states (e.g., California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington, Oregon) provide broader Medicaid-like coverage to undocumented children, pregnant women, or in some cases, all low-income adults.

For the record, I am against illegal immigration in general, but I don't think it's the cause of why health insurance is so expensive.

IMO universal healthcare (for legal citizens only -- or those taking legal measures to become citizens) would be better for the average person.

Having it tied to employment, and to private insurance just means it becomes yet another thing that companies are just trying to make a profit. The goal of insurance companies is to deny as many claims as they can to increase their end profit.

It is crazy that you can be paying insurance for so long, and then when you finally do need it, they can deny your claim for whatever reason.

It's like the recent situation with Ben Askren, and he was already pretty rich compared to the average person. Ben Askren is a former MMA fighter and wrestler. 40 years old and he gets a bad staph infection that turns into pneumonia and nearly dies. He was sedated for about a month and put on a ventalator for IDK how long before getting a double lung transplant which his family HAD TO FUND RAISE for because his insurance denied covering it.

'So upset'… Ben Askren's insurance not covering life-saving lung transplant leaves former UFC fighter outraged

A fund has been set up to support Askren's family with the medical costs

bloodyelbow.com

Sure the US has the best quality healthcare in the world, it's just not accessible for most people without incurring life altering costs.

 

[Dorian Mode]

Illegal immigrants do not get anywhere near the same healthcare benefits that regular working Americans get. And that applies to the working illegal immigrants that pay taxes too. So they provide cheap labor for employers, still pay tax, but don't get all the healthcare benefits of a regular citizen.Undocumented immigrants generally do not receive free healthcare, but they are eligible for limited emergency medical care.

• Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA): Any hospital ER that accepts Medicare must stabilize and treat anyone, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.
• Emergency Medicaid: Covers life-threatening emergencies and childbirth for those who qualify based on income, even if undocumented.
• Community health centers / federally qualified health centers (FQHCs): These clinics provide primary care on a sliding-scale fee, often heavily subsidized. Many undocumented immigrants rely on these.
• Some state/local programs: A few states (e.g., California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington, Oregon) provide broader Medicaid-like coverage to undocumented children, pregnant women, or in some cases, all low-income adults.

For the record, I am against illegal immigration in general, but I don't think it's the cause of why health insurance is so expensive.

IMO universal healthcare (for legal citizens only -- or those taking legal measures to become citizens) would be better for the average person.

Having it tied to employment, and to private insurance just means it becomes yet another thing that companies are just trying to make a profit. The goal of insurance companies is to deny as many claims as they can to increase their end profit.

It is crazy that you can be paying insurance for so long, and then when you finally do need it, they can deny your claim for whatever reason.

It's like the recent situation with Ben Askren, and he was already pretty rich compared to the average person. Ben Askren is a former MMA fighter and wrestler. 40 years old and he gets a bad staph infection that turns into pneumonia and nearly dies. He was sedated for about a month and put on a ventalator for IDK how long before getting a double lung transplant which his family HAD TO FUND RAISE for because his insurance denied covering it.

'So upset'… Ben Askren's insurance not covering life-saving lung transplant leaves former UFC fighter outraged

A fund has been set up to support Askren's family with the medical costs

bloodyelbow.com

Sure the US has the best quality healthcare in the world, it's just not accessible for most people without incurring life altering costs.

I think different states have different policies regarding healthcare for illegal immigrants. Wile I don't think they get full benefits, there are states that will even pay for trans surgery. For the record, I too am a firm believer of UHC like they do in Canada and most of Europe. But the obscene corruption of the American government makes me think that I wouldn't want the government managing my healthcare. First we need to get rid of all the corruption, and then all the money that will liberate can easily give America the best free healthcare in the world. And probably the best free college in the world. And probably many other social benefits.

 

[Woodznutz]

Sure the US has the best quality healthcare in the world, it's just not accessible for most people without incurring life altering costs.

Very true.

Here are some key statistics on medical bankruptcy in the U.S.:

• Approximately 530,000 Americans file for bankruptcy each year due to medical bills.
  
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• Over 66.5% of bankruptcies in the U.S. are tied to medical debt.
  
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• The average medical bill for a hospital stay in the U.S. costs about $5,220 per day.
  
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• One in every 10 Americans has outstanding medical debt.
  
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• 72% of all medical debt in the U.S. comes from one-time medical issues.
  https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=8c2d...pY2FsLWJhbmtydXB0Y2llcy1zdGF0aXN0aWNzLw&ntb=1

This is just one phase of the transfer of wealth from the working sector to the medical sector. Production and wage losses due to illness or injury top $200Billion annually. These losses are of no concern to the medical industry as these sick and injured people are their bread and butter.

 

[Greenbeard]

Good points.

Yes, sectors of the economy that experience less productivity growth than average (e.g., services, like health care) will get relatively more expensive over time. Stuff gets cheaper, people get more expensive.

 

[justoffal]

Could it be that the cost of 10's of millions of illegal immigrants getting free healthcare has to be absorbed by the legal, law-abiding citizens of America?

Big factor

 

[Seymour Flops]

Part of the problem is seeking equality in health care.

When buying cars, some folks can afford a Cadillac Celestiq, some must settle for a Ford Focus, or even a used Ford Fiesta. The Fords are perfectly serviceable vehicles to get one from point A to point B. So no one talks about forcing car purchasers to pay for their Cadillacs and also kick in so everyone else can have a Cadillac.

Health insurance also has different levels of cost and value.

A college student needs neither the Cadillac of cars, nor the Cadillac of heath insurance policies. Something that covers catestrophic and unexpected health crises with a reasonable deductable for treatments for cold and flu is fine. A family on welfare, or with one parent, or one working parent, will likely not be able to afford a Cadillac car or health plan. But they can get a perfectly good policy that covers both primary care and catestrophic care, with reasonable deductables and limits.

Somehow we have gotten it into our heads that all insurance policies must be Cadillacs and that if college students and entry level job holding heads of households cannot affort them, those who can afford them must be required to pay extra for their Cadillacs so everyone can have one.

Those of us who could afford a Dodge Ram also have to pay for Cadillac-quality healthcare, whether we want it or not, as well as Cadillac care for "everyone."

 

[Greenbeard]

Part of the problem is seeking equality in health care.

When buying cars, some folks can afford a Cadillac Celestiq, some must settle for a Ford Focus, or even a used Ford Fiesta. The Fords are perfectly serviceable vehicles to get one from point A to point B. So no one talks about forcing car purchasers to pay for their Cadillacs and also kick in so everyone else can have a Cadillac.

The Cadillac analogy works better for health care providers since their prices tend to drive overall costs. People with broad network policies can generally go to "Cadillac" priced providers for the same out-of-pocket exposure as Ford Fiesta providers, which raises premium costs for everyone in their pool.

Three Miles and $400 Apart: Hospital Prices Vary Wildly Even in the Same City

Meet “Alex,” our hypothetical patient. Alex was hurt in an accident and went to the Massachusetts General Hospital emergency room. The hospital's rate for the level-four ER visit is $946, the price negotiated by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for Alex’s preferred-provider organization plan.

Other plans pay more—or less—for the same visit. Alex will owe only a portion of the cost out-of-pocket. Alex’s employer covers most of it.

If Alex had gone to another Boston hospital, the price of that visit might have been far less. At Carney Hospital, the rate for Alex’s plan would be $548. At Boston Medical Center, $577.

Alex’s plan is still getting a better deal than many others. If Alex had a PPO from Aetna, that visit to Massachusetts General’s ER would have cost $2,170, rather than $946—more than twice as much.

It’s not clear that patients or employers are getting what they pay for. In the case of Alex’s ER visit, Massachusetts General had the highest quality rating from the Medicare program, with five stars. But so did Mount Auburn Hospital, where the price of Alex’s ER visit would have been $467—less than half the rate at the high-profile academic center. Medicare ratings look broadly at areas like mortality and safety across an entire hospital, not specifically ERs.

 

[he just circle K]

There might be another reason? Other countries accept as many or more immigrnats and still do much better at providing health care for all their people at a lower cost.

do they?

 

[davebb]

Treating sick people who can't earn money to pay you? How do people think this is some kind of business model?

 

[Captain Caveman]

Simple supply and demand. Large numbers of sick and injured people with too few medical personnel to care for them.

Too many politicians profit from your healthcare system.

 

[dblack]

Too many politicians profit from your healthcare system.

Well then clearly the solution is to give them even more power over our health care.