Comments on: LASIK http://projectmultiplexer.com/2009/11/03/lasik/ Ramblings in a State of Insanity Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:30:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: zenith http://projectmultiplexer.com/2009/11/03/lasik/comment-page-1/#comment-191 zenith Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:26:33 +0000 http://projectmultiplexer.com/?p=207#comment-191 The doctors and hospitals start with a very high price for a procedure. Then they go to the insurance company and the insurance company says, "I will pay X." Then the hospital comes between the insurance and their price and they bill you for the rest. If you're a poor sucker without insurance, you get that initial hospital quote and pay the massively inflated price for the procedure. They try to monetize and squeeze people who have no money. If we just had basic price discovery for procedures we won't all be horribly overcharged. But we wouldn't need insurance companies (except catastrophic insurance) either. So no one wants that because we love keeping the worthless middleman around! The doctors and hospitals start with a very high price for a procedure. Then they go to the insurance company and the insurance company says, “I will pay X.” Then the hospital comes between the insurance and their price and they bill you for the rest. If you’re a poor sucker without insurance, you get that initial hospital quote and pay the massively inflated price for the procedure. They try to monetize and squeeze people who have no money.

If we just had basic price discovery for procedures we won’t all be horribly overcharged. But we wouldn’t need insurance companies (except catastrophic insurance) either. So no one wants that because we love keeping the worthless middleman around!

]]> By: Sandy http://projectmultiplexer.com/2009/11/03/lasik/comment-page-1/#comment-190 Sandy Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:18:04 +0000 http://projectmultiplexer.com/?p=207#comment-190 Great compare-and-contrast. I especially liked "the prices for procedures are just made up fictions". I've found some doctors charge _more_ if you pay cash, rather than going through insurance, because insurance 'bargained them down'. Yet other, more sane doctors, charge you less if you pay cash because you save them time and paperwork. Short answer: even doctors don't like the system. Unfortunately, medical insurance is more akin to a gated community, or a hotel that forces you to use room service, than an actuarial service. Good luck with your health! Sandy Great compare-and-contrast. I especially liked “the prices for procedures are just made up fictions”. I’ve found some doctors charge _more_ if you pay cash, rather than going through insurance, because insurance ‘bargained them down’. Yet other, more sane doctors, charge you less if you pay cash because you save them time and paperwork. Short answer: even doctors don’t like the system.

Unfortunately, medical insurance is more akin to a gated community, or a hotel that forces you to use room service, than an actuarial service.

Good luck with your health!
Sandy

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