Is that what the insurance company actually paid out to the hospital and doctors or were they merely inflated charges?
I was checking prices on liposuction this week. For removal of abdominal fat the price was $3,000. Is this less that much less complicated than gallbladder removal?
With higher deductibles and fair pricing ( privately paying patients should not be charged more than those with insurance or Medicaid) the prices would go down.
Personally, I would prefer to pay for a high deductibles insurance for my employees and myself and add something on a monthly basis to a medical savings account. With more people using their own money to pay for large portions of their health costs the prices should come down.
It irritates me no end that we are prohibited by law in my state from buying high deductibles insurance.
You are correct in wanting a Health Savings Account for your employees. They usually pay all preventive care with no deductible OR co-pay. Also, nearly all insurers include very nice wellness programs, that now focus on increasing employee productivity and reducing absentism (where the real savings are for most businesses).
I’m looking into the issue of the charges for that client. It sounds like the cash, non-discounted price, but I’m not sure. I was amazed at the cost, but it likely had been done orthoscopically, and perhaps with the assistance of a new surgical robot.
In any case, the woman, who has small children and had been very sick for weeks, was out on a 20 mile bike ride with her spouse by the next weekend.
There are literally miracles going on in American medicine now. Stats about ROI vs. costs just do not tell the story.
Obama is using examples that were out of date and discredited 20 to 30 years ago (tonsils, etc.). It points out that he has NO IDEA what he’s talking about, and neither do his advisors.