Posted on 03/27/2014 10:13:38 AM PDT by Star Traveler
The problems with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act may be masking another major change in the way health care is delivered to U.S. consumers, experts believe.
At a conference in Washington on Thursday, health care and business professionals said that theres an increasing trend in the industry toward cutting insurance companies out of the process entirely, as large, regional hospital systems move into the insurance business.
Dr. Kenneth L. Davis, CEO and president of Mount Sinai Health System, the largest health care provider in the state of New York, said that starting next year, Mt. Sinai will begin offering its own Medicare Advantage plan. It will look for other opportunities to bring premium payments directly into the hospital system, rather than filtering them through insurance companies.
Davis said he expects organizations similar to his to move in the same direction. Inevitably the large systems are going to move to take part of the premium dollar, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at thefiscaltimes.com ...
Its a complicated issue and many of the players do not have our best interest in mind.
..Because fraudulent hospital billing practices, to recoup losses due to society’s freeloaders, have absolutely nothing to do with it...
Never said they didn’t. The 1986 EMTALA screwed hospitals and us.
I may have a personal bias, since my insurance company (AETNA) was outstanding for the years my child was fighting for her life.
Had to squabble with the hospital to get itemized billing...and when I wanted records, I had to fight to get them.
When the first question out of their mouths is “Do you want the bills and records for a lawyer?”, you know something is messed up.
I guess that was my mind jumping to conclusions...it is being cut ( a bunch) figured that like Tricare it would just go away in another couple of years
I would have said, “Yes. Since such a smart-assed reply as that suggests you are trying to hide something.”
You nailed it!
As long as they don’t get s bill in the mail, most people dont give a FF.
You would be shocked and amazed at what hospitals stick onto a bill, knowing YOU will never look.
Then go to your doctor, but don’t stop those who are able to buy their own medicine. You didn’t used to need a doctor’s order to get prescription medicine. There are many people who know their medications.
For someone like yourself there are now apps that can track and explain your health condition and they’re coming online faster all the time. Studies show that doctors make all kinds of diagnostic and prescription errors. Technology is working to fix that. Why not make it broader and let those who can manage their own life.
What I am calling for is government as advisor, not controller. Give me a choice.
The choice should always be tween the patient and his doctor and not "the patient, the doctor, and the insurance company" (or the government).
True ...
Fortunately, that's no longer the case, under the law. You have complete access to them for your own records.
I look at every line. I just called Medicare because of two shots included in the bill that I know I never got. Medicare told me to go to the hospital, itself, and get them to correct it.
Insurance companies sure dont have our best interest in mind.
__________—
Hospitals are mega corporations and I assure you, that your best interest is not at the top of their list.
What I am saying is let the consumer rule. There are people who don’t need a doctor’s input to treat themselves. Others need a pharmacist or a nurse. Let the market dynamic decide, not government regulation.
There’s a reason for the extensive training that doctor’s have (and not insurance agents or government employees). Now, if someone wants to get the same kind of extensive training that doctors have and “be a doctor” - that’s fine.
But, I would also remind one of the saying that applies to doctors and lawyers. I’ll use the lawyer version, and paraphrase it somewhat.
“A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client.”
A person does not want be the patient who is also a FOOL!
They call it practicing medicine and doctors make mistakes all the time. Healthcare liberty will actually improve doctoring and make all that skill more valuable.
If it is a MA plan it will be highly regulated.
Kaiser is a mill, run by unions....
This is the only way that an organization like Mount Sinai can fend off single payer and government take over of their hospital.
Neither do hospital CEOs
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