The Hospitals That Overcharge Patients by 1000 Percent

[pnutts]

The title says it all  http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/06/hospitals-that-charge-1000-more-than-they-should/395099/

[trottigy]

 

 

On average, all U.S. hospitals charged patients (or their insurers) 3.4 times what the federal government thinks these procedures cost. “In other words, when the hospital incurs $100 of Medicare-allowable costs, the hospital charges $340,” explain the authors, Ge Bai of Washington and Lee University and Gerard F. Anderson of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The ratio of hospital charges to costs has only increased over time: In 1984, it was just 1.35, but by 2011, it was 3.3.

 

 

Sorry Florida  

 

 

 

Overall, three-quarters of the hospitals on the highest-markup list are in the South, and 40 percent of them are in Florida.

 

[Dustparticle]

The title says it all  http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/06/hospitals-that-charge-1000-more-than-they-should/395099/

They can charge at any price they want too and there is no government regulation over this.

[E_B]

And the cost of a particular procedure can very greatly from one hospital to another.  I know someone who had some tests done in the ER overnight (MRI, EKGs, etc.), and his hospital bill in the city was over $20,000-- where his father, who lived in a fairly rural area in the Midwest, had three heart stents put in (much more invasive and complicated, and his bill was only about $10,000.

[zoebarry]

i don't understand why this is news.....we've know it already for years.

 

The "health care" industry is notoriously corrupt.

[CHecker]

In my terminology I call it legalized extortion. I have Kaiser Ins. and am very far from Kaiser facilities so I'm uninsured when I go to a local hospital or doctor. And It's amazing how reasonable they can be when you tell them to be careful of the money, because I can't pay for unnecessary stuff. I can walk out with a much smaller bill.

I still hate going to the doctor and do so begrudgingly. Naturopathic or chiropractic.

[pnutts]

There are advantages to paying a lot more in taxes such as in Canada. We have universal long wait health care.   but if we live long enough , our doctor & surgery bills are covered   Medication - maybe

[Ahuvah]

In New Zealand, NZ residents get free health care when they go into public hospitals - we never get bills when we are released from hospital. (They tried it once and it just didn't work as most don't have insurance that covers public healthcare because it hasn't been necessary). We still pay though for private care, and some specialists especially if we don't want to risk being part of the 'waiting list' system , which people have died because of having to wait too long for a necessary operation. We also pay most of our doctors fees and prescription fees - but that too can vary based on income.

 

I think NZ looks after their people very well - in fact possibly too well, as there are some who don't'need to be so dependent on the gov. but it is what it is.