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Vanity question--Hospital Funding?

Posted on 03/14/2017 11:52:10 AM PDT by Cedar

Would the concept St. Jude Hospital uses for their funding work for the entire country? They are funded 75% by private donations (see link).

There are around 6,000 hospitals (google search) in the U.S. Is it possible they could be funded through private donations (super rich people along with average Joes)?

I am not good with financial realities (except my own checkbook), so I'm throwing this idea out here to see if possible. FReepers are smart people.

There are some free clinics already in the U.S. which are functioning through donations. Maybe the entire healthcare system could exist through private donations at no cost to the patients (like St. Jude Hospital) and bring an end to Obamacare.

Surely Buffett, Gates, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Waltons, etc., along with average Americans could make this work...yes?

St. Jude Hospital link: https://www.stjude.org/about-st-jude/unique-operating-model.html


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: duh; no
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To: sagar
How about letting the MARKET decide how much hospitals charge? You need cancer care? Well, HospitalA charges $x and HospitalB charges $y. In another State, HospitalC charges $u and the overseas HospitalD charges $w. You also have option of NOT going to the hospital, which costs exactly $0. The CHOICE is yours, not the gubmint’s. PRO CHOICE. What a concept.

Hey! You're talking like a conservative. Are we allowed to td that anymore when healthcare's involved? /s

21 posted on 03/14/2017 1:10:23 PM PDT by pgkdan (The Silent Majority Stands With TRUMP!)
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To: Robert DeLong
"No helicopter service for you folks?"

They might be better off at least financially without a medical bird. $25,000 plus bills for a 15 minute ride are not uncommon. For profit aeromedical services are among the biggest blood suckers around.

22 posted on 03/14/2017 1:55:21 PM PDT by buckalfa (I am deplorable.)
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To: sagar

People working lower-wage jobs could not afford a hospital. My plan would still have no government involvement at all but provide healthcare for all at no cost to the patient. People could choose to go for medical care or not, so there is your “pro-choice” you speak of.

Totally funded by private donations, so no one needs Medicare, Medicaid, or medical insurance. And no Obamacare.

All the comments are so interesting, thanks again, everyone, for your thoughts.


23 posted on 03/14/2017 7:12:38 PM PDT by Cedar
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To: Cedar

I can tell you that St. Jude’s hospitals do not pass along any cost reductions to people paying cash or with insurance. In 2009 I was taken to St.Jude’s hospital ER thinking I was having a heart attack. After ten minutes with a doctor and 4 hours of monitoring my heartbeat, they told me it was just a muscle spasm/cramp in my pectorals and the bill was over $8,000.


24 posted on 03/14/2017 10:41:43 PM PDT by Kellis91789 (We hope for a bloodless revolution, but revolution is still the goal.)
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To: Kellis91789

St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis does not have an ER. It functions as a hospital for children with serious diseases and specifically states in its material that it does not have an ER. All treatment for the children is provided totally free of charge, and even the parent’s travel cost and lodging is covered by the hospital.

Your experience must have been with a different hospital besides the one I referred to in my post. But thanks for your comments...it goes to show that medical charges can be outrageous. And definitely glad you were ok!


25 posted on 03/15/2017 9:22:23 AM PDT by Cedar
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To: Cedar

The Children’s Research Hospital is just one part of the St. Jude/St.Joseph medical organization. Based on my experience, they are soaking people who have insurance to underwrite the charity cases.

Thanks for the kind thoughts. After this one scare caused my insurance to jump from $4K/yr to $9K/yr (I turned 45) I had to drop it. I’ve been uninsured ever since 2010 and paid cash last time at my Primary Care which is also St. Jude Health where a 15 minute office visit for a chest cold was $120 cash, instead of the $190 they would have charged me when I had insurance. I guess it shows what they consider the cost is of billing insurance companies.


26 posted on 03/15/2017 7:52:30 PM PDT by Kellis91789 (We hope for a bloodless revolution, but revolution is still the goal.)
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To: AppyPappy

Yes true. And when people starting suing,and juries awarding tons of cash payouts, malpratice insurance.


27 posted on 03/15/2017 7:58:06 PM PDT by Twink
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To: AppyPappy

Yes true. And when people starting suing,and juries awarding tons of cash payouts, malpractice insurance.


28 posted on 03/15/2017 7:58:22 PM PDT by Twink
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