Controlling through-the-roof medical costs

[tangerinegreen555]

So I went to the eye doctor last month. Routine 2 year check up. He is a good eye doctor and tries to provide the most recent up to date diagnostic tests...

His office got 3 new diagnostic testing machines since I was there 2 years ago. Each one cost as much as a Mercedes, and replaced older machines that cost as much as a Mercedes a few years ago...

I got retinal scans, peripheral vision scan test, retinal photos that are retained for future comparisons, special photos of inner eye blood vessels to check for macular degeneration, glaucoma checks, etc.

My insurance receipt came back with these procedures...over $900 they paid out...

This was good quality medical care... The office is compassionate to those who don't have insurance. They charge an uninsured patient $75 and they get the same tests I did. Those new diagnostic testing machines are sitting there...and the office uses them to check everyone, insurance or not, as they should...

So there's your rising medical costs...over $900 on med insurance payout for me...driving up the costs...for a simple eye check up

So, the question is...how can you improve the system/lower costs...?

Eliminate some of the diagnostic equipment?
Make the uninsured pay more (that they don't have) or refuse them service?
Tell the Dr. to charge me less...after he spent $100K on new equipment to better serve me and others?

Obviously, my medical insurance is paying for others who don't have it for whatever reason...
And doctors want the best medical equipment they can get...which is pricey
Somebody has to pay for it...what's the solution to this scenario that repeats itself in every medical field?

 

[FauxRoux]

It has been shown that in most cases the medical manufacturers have a lot to do with the obscene price hikes. Also we have a low number of doctors for out population in the US compared to many countries, that also greatly drives up the price of care.

It strikes me (and this part is really just my opinion based solely on conjecture) that something like that new equipment is the choice of the doctors office to remain relevant in their field and compete with other optometrists in your town. Its an investment that pays for itself over time. But the equipment isn't what's driving the price of medical care up.

 

[FauxRoux]

What we have in the US in the form of Obamacare was sold to us...by force...as UHC...but it is not. For it to be UHC it would need to be a set universal price, regulated to avoid taking advantage of the people by the pharmaceutical industry, which we are seeing in spades.

I'm liberal but I'm not stupid. Obama sold us out to big business on this one....one might argue it was to get our foot in the UHC door....but that might be giving him too much credit.

 

[kelly4]

In b4 UB screams racism.

 

[FauxRoux]

They put uncle Ben on timeout lol

 

[kelly4]

They put uncle Ben on timeout lol

I was talking about UncleBuck, the resident Racism Czar.

Uncle Ben should be put in timeout, he's a friggin douche.

 

[UncleBuck]

racism.

 

[UncleBuck]

woops. i meant RACISM!

 

[Elwood Diggler]

So I went to the eye doctor last month. Routine 2 year check up. He is a good eye doctor and tries to provide the most recent up to date diagnostic tests...

His office got 3 new diagnostic testing machines since I was there 2 years ago. Each one cost as much as a Mercedes, and replaced older machines that cost as much as a Mercedes a few years ago...

I got retinal scans, peripheral vision scan test, retinal photos that are retained for future comparisons, special photos of inner eye blood vessels to check for macular degeneration, glaucoma checks, etc.

My insurance receipt came back with these procedures...over $900 they paid out...

This was good quality medical care... The office is compassionate to those who don't have insurance. They charge an uninsured patient $75 and they get the same tests I did. Those new diagnostic testing machines are sitting there...and the office uses them to check everyone, insurance or not, as they should...

So there's your rising medical costs...over $900 on med insurance payout for me...driving up the costs...for a simple eye check up

So, the question is...how can you improve the system/lower costs...?

Eliminate some of the diagnostic equipment?
Make the uninsured pay more (that they don't have) or refuse them service?
Tell the Dr. to charge me less...after he spent $100K on new equipment to better serve me and others?

Obviously, my medical insurance is paying for others who don't have it for whatever reason...
And doctors want the best medical equipment they can get...which is pricey
Somebody has to pay for it...what's the solution to this scenario that repeats itself in every medical field?

single payer

 

[Rob Roy]

So I went to the eye doctor last month. Routine 2 year check up. He is a good eye doctor and tries to provide the most recent up to date diagnostic tests...

His office got 3 new diagnostic testing machines since I was there 2 years ago. Each one cost as much as a Mercedes, and replaced older machines that cost as much as a Mercedes a few years ago...

I got retinal scans, peripheral vision scan test, retinal photos that are retained for future comparisons, special photos of inner eye blood vessels to check for macular degeneration, glaucoma checks, etc.

My insurance receipt came back with these procedures...over $900 they paid out...

This was good quality medical care... The office is compassionate to those who don't have insurance. They charge an uninsured patient $75 and they get the same tests I did. Those new diagnostic testing machines are sitting there...and the office uses them to check everyone, insurance or not, as they should...

So there's your rising medical costs...over $900 on med insurance payout for me...driving up the costs...for a simple eye check up

So, the question is...how can you improve the system/lower costs...?

Eliminate some of the diagnostic equipment?
Make the uninsured pay more (that they don't have) or refuse them service?
Tell the Dr. to charge me less...after he spent $100K on new equipment to better serve me and others?

Obviously, my medical insurance is paying for others who don't have it for whatever reason...
And doctors want the best medical equipment they can get...which is pricey
Somebody has to pay for it...what's the solution to this scenario that repeats itself in every medical field?

The answer = a free market

 

[UncleBuck]

The answer = a free market

no.

we have the most free market type of healthcare system right now, and we pay the most and don't cover all of our citizens.

every single other wealthy, developed nation like ours has massive government control within the healthcare sector, and they all= pay less, and they all cover their citizens universally.

literally 100% of the evidence available works against your claim. since you have zero actual evidence, all you will be able to do is to spout off about some imaginary utopia in which your stupid ideas magically work after being sprinkled with libertarian pedophile pixie dust.

spare us.

 

[kelly4]

no.

we have the most free market type of healthcare system right now, and we pay the most and don't cover all of our citizens.

every single other wealthy, developed nation like ours has massive government control within the healthcare sector, and they all= pay less, and they all cover their citizens universally.

literally 100% of the evidence available works against your claim. since you have zero actual evidence, all you will be able to do is to spout off about some imaginary utopia in which your stupid ideas magically work after being sprinkled with libertarian pedophile pixie dust.

spare us.

The Canadian I was working with today says the Canadian system sucks. So, there!

 

[anzohaze]

no.

we have the most free market type of healthcare system right now, and we pay the most and don't cover all of our citizens.

every single other wealthy, developed nation like ours has massive government control within the healthcare sector, and they all= pay less, and they all cover their citizens universally.

literally 100% of the evidence available works against your claim. since you have zero actual evidence, all you will be able to do is to spout off about some imaginary utopia in which your stupid ideas magically work after being sprinkled with libertarian pedophile pixie dust.

spare us.

Obama sucks and everything he has done sucks.

 

[Rob Roy]

no.

we have the most free market type of healthcare system right now, and we pay the most and don't cover all of our citizens.

every single other wealthy, developed nation like ours has massive government control within the healthcare sector, and they all= pay less, and they all cover their citizens universally.

literally 100% of the evidence available works against your claim. since you have zero actual evidence, all you will be able to do is to spout off about some imaginary utopia in which your stupid ideas magically work after being sprinkled with libertarian pedophile pixie dust.

spare us.

Your statement is misleading and woefully inaccurate. Your understanding of a free market is lacking.

Can you describe to me how a regulated and licensed market is also a "free market" . You can't.

In a controlled market, (the present one) wherein prohibitions and / or regulatory hurdles are baked in, prices to the consumer will not reach their natural lowest point.

I submit as evidence the cost of marijuana to a retail consumer. In a heavily regulated market, prices remain artificially high.
If marijuana were decriminalized and unregulated, the prices would be SIGNIFICANTLY less.


I didn't even have to break a sweat to put the dunce cap on you. It fits you well

 

[bu$hleaguer]

I'm trying to enroll in this garbage but it looks like the lowest per month plan for me is $230 and I get no "financial aid." That plan fucking sucks balls too and you have to pay for fucking everything. I'm going to try to go through USAA because they've been awesome to me in the past and I saw they offer health insurance now.

 

[VTMi'kmaq]

Why do physicians act like rockstars?

 

[ChesusRice]

I'm trying to enroll in this garbage but it looks like the lowest per month plan for me is $230 and I get no "financial aid." That plan fucking sucks balls too and you have to pay for fucking everything. I'm going to try to go through USAA because they've been awesome to me in the past and I saw they offer health insurance now.

230 a month?
230 a month!!!
I wish I had it so cheap.

 

[bu$hleaguer]

230 a month?
230 a month!!!
I wish I had it so cheap.

Lol Yeah it's a real deal, wish you could see it. I think it has $6000 deductable, no x rays or er stuff is included and pretty much everything is out of pocket. All it's good for is a major medical issue so I don't go bankrupt

 

[ChesusRice]

Lol Yeah it's a real deal, wish you could see it. I think it has $6000 deductable, no x rays or er stuff is included and pretty much everything is out of pocket. All it's good for is a major medical issue so I don't go bankrupt

Well our insurance is way better than that
Our deductible is 5k I think, but it does cover a lot of stuff either wholly or in part

 

[FauxRoux]

The part that scares me is even if this thing is repealed the price hikes leading up to Obamacare likely wont go down...at least not the price of medication

I mean...hopefully it will force the insurance rackets to lower prices in an attempt to compete, but for those of us like myself that are asthmatics....well....im fucked

hell...1 flowvent inhaler is $475 now