Originally posted by MarkO:
Originally posted by BOFH:
I think part of the reason healthcare prices have gone up is because most people don't actually pay for their healthcare. Either they purchase insurance, or the government pays for their healthcare.

Very few people actually pay the bill themselves, so the prices are inflated.

Not to mention cost shifting in healthcare, the costs to pay for those who don't have insurance are shifted to those who do.

That also drives up costs



Hmmm. It would be interesting to see some numbers on the numbers of those with private/govt/no insurance.




Here you go: Straight from my office:
Home Oxygen Therapy:
List Price: $425.00/month
Medicare Allowable for Kansas Residents: $222.69 (Of which Medicare pays 80%, the customer, or their supplemental insurance is responsible for the remaining 20%)
Kansas Medicaid Allowable: $220.69-taken as 100% payment, unless the customer is on a spenddown program
Private insurance allowables are all different, due to contracted amounts. Out of network will pay the full List Price.
Direct Billed Patients: Dependant on income, anywhere from $425-0. Demonstrated financial need dictates the price they pay, although if they are qualified for zero, we will refer them to their local SRS office for Medicaid eligibility.

I hope that clears some things up.

BTW, My private insurance costs me $200/month thorough my employer, but I can have 75 kids and it will never go up. I'm more than happy to pay it (Except for every other Friday ). I understand that some can't do that, but there are alternatives, such as state aid programs and free/cheap health clinics.

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