Part of the inflated costs is the need for hospitals to get payment from those who can pay to cover illegal immigrants, as well as under-payments for Medicare and Medicaid.
Exactly. Hospital emergency rooms must treat people who cannot and will not pay.
Back in 1989 I had a college professor who was in a horrendous accident and nearly died from 3rd degree burns over 40% of his body. He told us the story of Dawn dishsoap. The hospital had to clean his wounds twice a day with Dawn. His wife found out that they were charging more than $200 per bottle and were opening a new bottle each time the cleaned him. She went to the store and bought a case for (at the time) 50 cents each and had them use that.
Three years later I was in the hospital with my c-section. They took my temperature with each meal. A new thermometer would be used and they’d throw it out with each meal. This happened three times a day.
I found out that they were charging $600 PER THERMOMETER. My mother went to the store and bought me my own for a dollar. We used that once I protested.
Over the years, I’ve called the insurance company to complain about over charges like this and they just do not CARE.
They’ve been doing this for decades. It’s the system and nobody gives a crap.
This has nothing to do with illegals. This is about insurance companies.
And government regulations. And most of this “$30 for an aspirin” crap is just that.
Since most of the coverage is now through government (health insurance should be as easy to get as car insurance. Or in reverse, think of how messed up car insurance would be in it was like health insurance) they pad the bills that then get whittled down by the insurance companies and even Medicare/Medicaid.
It’s not a scam, it’s free people always figuring out a way around stupid government policies created by the masterminds.
Not just illegals but people with no insurance, no incomes and no way to collect from them. Others with incomes who just don't want to pay..........
And look at the number of trained medical personnel in a typical hospital emergency room that have to get paid and the cost of the medical equipment that goes along with saving lives.........
Yup-The ER is THEIR family doctor.
They don’t pay so OUR bill is padded to cover the losses