[ml/nj]

Please don't change my words.

I grew up in a time where almost no one had health insurance. People weren't dying in the streets. Office visits were $5, and (late lamented) house calls were $7. (Maybe $50 and $70 respectively today with all the money the government has printed in the interim.) The BS is that the technology advances have diven the price up. But try to think of another technology based field (e.g. TV's, computers, air fare) where real prices have increased. (One of my first Rush calls was about this.)

ML/NJ

[cooldog]

A large part of the problem for uninsured folks is the astronomical difference between the retail and wholesale cost of healthcare. This is an issue that's been on my mind for a couple of years ... ever since I noticed that the routine blood tests that I just had would have cost me FIVE TIMES the rate that the insurance company had negotiated.

That's not only wrong, it is, I would wager, economically counter-productive for the companies charging that much. I would LOVE to see the figures on how many of these $200+ bills they end up writing off, versus how many would go unpaid if they charged the same $40 that they charge Aetna.

The only thing that's kept me from calling the local pols to give them the all-time winning issue and solution is that I cannot think of a solution that doesn't involve yet another huge bureaucracy.

The gist of it needs to be, "You may not charge anyone in excess of 50% of the *lowest* rate that you charge someone else for the same service."

Pick your number ... 50% or 100%, or whatever, but 500% ... well ... there ought to be a law!

I can't BELIEVE I JUST SAID THAT!!!!

Oh, well ....