Re: OT: Quebec Health Care Virus


"Tad Winters" <stafford.no.spam.winters2@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Xns98DFE3D3D411Estaffordnospamwinter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Doug Phillips" <dphill46@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:1172186990.536079.208890@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

[..snip..]

A quick search will show you that:

- the per-capita spending for health care in the U.S. is nearly double
that of Canada (and Australia, and France) and more than double that
in the UK.

<rant>
IMO, government encourages health insurance. It's impossible to by long-
term catastrophic coverage only -- you must buy into a health plan which
offers you benefits for help to stop smoking (even though you don't
smoke), benefits to help you stop drug abuse (even though you don't use
drugs), benefits to allow you to pay $20 for each and every visit to your
doctor. Of course the premiums are crazy.
Let me add a little story. My wife worked at a pediatric clinic. Many
insurance companies wouldn't pay claims for months and sometimes years.
At one point, the doctors told their staff they were going to raise the
rates. One of the staff pointed out that insurance companies will only
pay up to the fixed rates and the increase would be above those rates.
The doctors said that was fine, and they had no problems billing patients
more who paid for their services the same day. So, insurance companies
get better rates and still don't pay on time.
My solution: Government doesn't involve itself in healthcare or insurance
at all. No tax breaks are allowed for employers paying insurance
premiums, i.e. it is a taxable employee benefit. People will negotiate
pricing with each doctor they wish to see and negotiate for the exact
benefits they want from an insurance policy. Doctors will provide
patients with correct diagnosis and treatment paperwork. Patients will
submit claims which they believe qualify under their insurance policy.
This would probably mean that hospitals would want to examine insurance
policies before providing some services. Also, tragically, some services
would go unprovided to those who could not pay. This also means that
illegal aliens wouldn't get free^H^H^H^H taxpayer provided healthcare.
At that point, I suppose some kind souls might provide grant money to
hospitals to be used in cases they deemed appropriate.
</rant>


You missed the other big problem in the US. If you have ever stayed in a
hospital, you have no idea how many different bills you will receive.
You'll definitely get a hospital bill, but you will also probably get a
doctors bill (possibly more than one), a lab bill, a radiology bill, etc.
On top of all that, even if the hospital is "in-network" for your insurance
company, chances are high that at least one of the other billers isn't. A
single first step would be to require that all hospitals bill for any and
all services provided while in the hospital. The current system is akin to
your car dealer replacing your tires and getting bills from the dealership
(for room (bay) usage), the mechanic who actually took your old tires off
and put the new ones on, one from the tire company for the new tires, and
one from the mechanic who mounted and balanced the new tires.

Mike Ober.


.

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