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Originally Posted by l2ridehd
Our health care system has so many problems that adding this idea would probably cause it to collapse. There are many other things that need to get fixed first.
1. Tort reform is such a huge issue and cost drag on health care. And yes there are those that will claim it's cost it very little and that is so not true. Most doctors and Nurses spend 50% of there time documenting what they do to protect them against law suits. Requirement for needed health documentation? Less then 10% of their time. Add another 40% because of our legal system. Then add on the settlement costs.
2. User paper work for insurance reimbursement. I just can't believe how difficult that has become. I honestly believe they make it as convoluted and esoteric as possible to limit payments. It could be so simple, but they have made it so hard I give up lots of money due because it is so hard to recover.
3. Federal approval of new drugs and procedures. Cost adds on such a significant amount to our drug cost. Just check the price any US drug vs the exact same drug from another country. Anywhere from 100 to 400 times more expensive here. That is just crazy.
There are so many more easy to solve problems, but fix just these 3 and health care cost would be cut in half.
Single payer does nothing to solve these issues and just creates another ballooning government program to continue to drive up the cost. Today more people work in administering health care then work actually doing health care. That would just increase that problem.
And is one more step to socialism. We need to go in the exact opposite direction.
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I lean toward your ideas but imagine this headline and the back lash that would follow: "Congress repeals Medicare. Goes to a full open Market System".
Many years ago I asked my family Doctor about his insurance costs. There was a debate then in Congress about Health Care costs. His practice was a group of 4 doctors and not affiliated with any healthcare group. His response was: "We have to see 300 patients per month total between all the Doctors just to cover the Malpractice Insurance Premium for the Business". This was not counting the staff, building, equipment, supplies, and their salaries.
I also hear you on the medical coding. Its meant to confuse. I remember when you went to the doctor, got out your check book, paid him, then sent the bill to the Insurance for your reimbursement of the cost. No big medical financial firm processing claims. Now its so complicated doctors employ a dedicated person just to interface with the business processing the claim. Or its sent to some outfit located far away with hundreds of people that do nothing but process insurance claims. Coded, denied, then re-coded, again, and again. What a waste of time and money. Not to mention by the time you get an invoice you can't even remember what it was all about in the first place.
I was one of the lucky ones. I had Medical Insurance through my employer until Medicare. Even after that they provided a secondary Insurance and Drug program. However after last year they put us into an Advantage Plan. Now the costs charged to Medicare is unavailable. They bill Medicare and I have no idea what they bill them for and how much. Medicare just says contact them for details. The advantage plan provides nothing about who paid what. You get what the Doctor charged, what the plan paid, and what you may owe. NO room for fraud there.