111–120 of 311 posts
This is one thing Trump is doing that should get broad support. It probably won’t though, because some people are physically incapable of agreeing with him.
I would be very happy to be wrong about this.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is it illegal to write “we will bill your insurance for procedure codes x y z for your visit”? They don’t need to tell you the cost, but they know what they’re going to charge you beforehand. They should be able to tell you the codes so you can give it t your insurance company to find out how much it will cost. The reason healthcare providers don’t give out codes for known predictable procedures is it would enable cu…
HIPPA and privacy laws. Communications have to be secure.
While publishing the negotiated prices for each procedure code would be interesting, I don't see how it would change much since it wouldn't necessarily be the price they would actually charge me, and it wouldn't help me know beforehand what sort of add-on procedure codes/bills were going to be part of my care. The policy I would like to see is that patients should only be legally liable for costs that they sign off o…
IMHO, it's kind of nuts they are even starting out with this argument.
The previous administration had a similar effort that failed. I hope that this effort is successful. >"For instance, it could allow one provider to follow and match the prices of the other provider (like two gas stations across the street from one another who face no other competition)," Garmon said. I understand this argument, but I think they underrate how much people are willing to shop around when they actually h…
It is only emergency rooms where I don't get a choice - if you need an emergency room close is important.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is it illegal to write “we will bill your insurance for procedure codes x y z for your visit”? They don’t need to tell you the cost, but they know what they’re going to charge you beforehand. They should be able to tell you the codes so you can give it t your insurance company to find out how much it will cost. The reason healthcare providers don’t give out codes for known predictable procedures is it would enable cu…
HIPPA and privacy laws. Communications have to be secure.
I don't think anyone who has had to pay hospital bills would agree with the hospital lobby's decision to fight this. The article's title makes it give the impression this is okay because, orange man bad, however regardless of the party pushing for transparency it is something everyone would benefit from (other than the heal care industry/insurance company's profits).
I thoroughly dislike the bad orange man, but I will save my strongest words for a more appropriate forum. That said, just because you may dislike someone doesn't mean that you have to opposed everything they do. I do agree with this push for price transparency.
I spent 45 minutes at the hospital where I was to get a lab test done, trying to get a quote for said test. Prescribing doctor didn't know the cost. Lab tech didn't know. Billing department told me I needed a procedure code. Lab tech who was ready to draw blood couldn't tell me the needed code even after spending five minutes at a computer looking for it. Prescribing doctor gave me the code. Called back billing. They…
From a Bogleheads topic titled “How to Minimize Your Emergency Care Expenses”: > Fifth, nobody you interact with at the hospital at the time of your visit has any idea how much anything costs. Part of that is the whole price transparency thing. Those who know the price don't want the front line workers to know it. Part of it is the fact that there are so many moving parts. Medicine gets inappropriately compared to av…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's because it's illegal.
Is it illegal to write “we will bill your insurance for procedure codes x y z for your visit”? They don’t need to tell you the cost, but they know what they’re going to charge you beforehand. They should be able to tell you the codes so you can give it t your insurance company to find out how much it will cost. The reason healthcare providers don’t give out codes for known predictable procedures is it would enable cu…
Of course doctors and hospitals don't want price transparency. That would create pricing competition, which would drive down consumer prices, lower profit margins, and force them to become more efficient. Price transparency is one of the key elements of the highly successful Singapore healthcare system. Add in universal tax-free (or tax-deferred) Health Savings Accounts, and we could not only improve the US healthcar…
> doctors and hospitals don't want price transparency Well, I do want price transparency - IF it works the way they promise. It’s hard for me, as a programmer, not to draw parallels to every employer’s expectation that I should be able to listen to them describe a software problem and quote them a timeframe on the spot (which, of course, they’ll then try to “negotiate” down). On the one hand, as a non-medical-profess…
The cost of the X-ray machine is known. The cost of collecting X-rays can be calculated deterministically.
The only thing similar to programming is trying to diagnose a rare disease or tricky condition. But for run-of-the-mill deterministic procedures, the cost should absolutely be known.