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What Happens When a Healthcare Startup Leaves You With the Bill

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Re: What Happens When a Healthcare Startup Leaves You With the Bill

#31

Post by r0m4n0 »

joshfraser wrote: post #23

The problem with insurance companies is that they are fundamentally conflicted. As for-profit businesses they have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize profits. Unfortunately the only way to maximize profits is to decline coverage. The problem with Obamacare is that it does nothing to fix this problem. Who wants to be the guy responsible for that many lost jobs?? So, instead they propped up the insurance companies…

https://www.blueshieldca.com/bsca/about-blue-shield/health-r...

One of california's largest health insurance companies is a not for profit and doesn't stockpile money. why is healthcare still expensive?

Re: What Happens When a Healthcare Startup Leaves You With the Bill

#32

Post by jackgavigan »

There is, sometimes, a tendency on the part of young, ambitious entrepreneurs, to be overly optimistic and assume that they can gatecrash an industry they know nothing about, set up a slick website and disrupt the big, bloated, uncool incumbents.

Sometimes that works out but I believe that a new entrants chances of success are a lot higher if they have somebody on board who is actually familiar with the industry sector they're trying to disrupt.

None of Oscar's founders have worked in health insurance previously. They come from tech entrepreneur/VC, consulting and technology backgrounds.

Edit: Here's a good example of where some industry expertise might have been useful: "..it was a design decision to limit the information presented to hospital's on what is covered in detail (like in­house labs)."

There's currently a big trend in design towards making things simple. But there's a difference between making stuff simple and dumbing it down. Sometimes, stuff looks complicated because it's complicated.

Re: What Happens When a Healthcare Startup Leaves You With the Bill

#33

Post by k-mcgrady »

jnardiello wrote: post #29

From the Oscar front page: "Free doctor visits via phone". WTF is this? How can a doctor visit by phone? All this story is just a smell on how deeply broken the entire US health system is (together with all the healthcare-systems of 3rd world countries).

I could see this being really useful. There are many times I have needed questions answered by the doctor (e.g. I've been diagnosed with x - can I still do y safely) and the only way is with an appointment which wastes both our time. I wish my local GP would set aside 1 hour per day to answers questions via email or phone. It would make things much more efficient.

Re: What Happens When a Healthcare Startup Leaves You With the Bill

#34

Post by ceejayoz »

r0m4n0 wrote: post #31
joshfraser wrote: post #23

The problem with insurance companies is that they are fundamentally conflicted. As for-profit businesses they have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize profits. Unfortunately the only way to maximize profits is to decline coverage. The problem with Obamacare is that it does nothing to fix this problem. Who wants to be the guy responsible for that many lost jobs?? So, instead they propped up the insurance companies…

https://www.blueshieldca.com/bsca/about-blue-shield/health-r... One of california's largest health insurance companies is a not for profit and doesn't stockpile money. why is healthcare still expensive?

Remember that that pledge can be fulfilled by increasing employee (i.e. CEO) salaries, nicer buildings for the company, etc. That's what's happened at our local BCBS affiliate.

Re: What Happens When a Healthcare Startup Leaves You With the Bill

#35

Post by joshfraser »

r0m4n0 wrote: post #31
joshfraser wrote: post #23

The problem with insurance companies is that they are fundamentally conflicted. As for-profit businesses they have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize profits. Unfortunately the only way to maximize profits is to decline coverage. The problem with Obamacare is that it does nothing to fix this problem. Who wants to be the guy responsible for that many lost jobs?? So, instead they propped up the insurance companies…

https://www.blueshieldca.com/bsca/about-blue-shield/health-r... One of california's largest health insurance companies is a not for profit and doesn't stockpile money. why is healthcare still expensive?

Doctors would say health care is expensive because of the threat of lawsuits which forces them to carry expensive insurance. It's easier for hospitals to price gouge when they're billing a faceless corporation instead of an individual.

Re: What Happens When a Healthcare Startup Leaves You With the Bill

#36

Post by jrochkind1 »

michaelochurch wrote: post #18
minimaxir wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that Valleywag shouldn't be banned on the basis that they often contribute unique articles not discussed by other tech outlets. (e.g. http://valleywag.gawker.com/the-laundry-quarters-startup-is-... ) Although to be fair, there are a few "rich people in tech suck because they're rich" articles which are more hostile.

Although to be fair, there are a few "rich people in tech suck because they're rich" articles which are more hostile. Not because they're rich, but because they've departed so far from the founding values of technology. Picking on the average "Google bus" rider is mean-spirited and pointless, but the "leaders" of private-sector technology really are rapacious assholes. This sector of the economy really is run by horr…

I'm curious what you think "the founding values of technology" are, and when they were established (the founding of "technology"? Like the wheel? Or just transistor-based technology?), and by whom/what.

Re: What Happens When a Healthcare Startup Leaves You With the Bill

#37

Post by lotharbot »

jnardiello wrote: post #29

From the Oscar front page: "Free doctor visits via phone". WTF is this? How can a doctor visit by phone? All this story is just a smell on how deeply broken the entire US health system is (together with all the healthcare-systems of 3rd world countries).

This was part of the coverage I had with QLiance in Seattle. I could send an e-mail or call my doctor on the phone and get a prompt response.

At one point we went from "noticed problem" to "discussed via e-mail" to "at the clinic being treated" in an hour. Other times, we'd notice a problem and solve it entirely via e-mail or phone, and save the clinic visit entirely.

Re: What Happens When a Healthcare Startup Leaves You With the Bill

#38

Post by cryoshon »

kjjw wrote: post #24

"So I went to my new Oscar-­approved doctor, who recommended routine blood work. The hospital called up Oscar and Oscar's operations department assured both the in-­hospital labs and administrators that this blood work would be covered by my plan so we went ahead with it." Urgh American health care is just so weird . It makes my skin crawl.

If by weird you mean terrible and dehumanizing, you're entirely right.

It's designed to rape the most money away from sick people while providing them just enough care to keep them alive and needing more care, and thus spending more money. It's also designed to be extremely expensive even for those who are healthy by artificially inflating the costs of routine stay-well procedures and testing on top of the ridiculous monthly fees.

And you can forget preventative medicine or any cutting edge treatments unless you're flush with cash.

Re: What Happens When a Healthcare Startup Leaves You With the Bill

#39

Post by canvia »

joshfraser wrote: post #23

The problem with insurance companies is that they are fundamentally conflicted. As for-profit businesses they have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize profits. Unfortunately the only way to maximize profits is to decline coverage. The problem with Obamacare is that it does nothing to fix this problem. Who wants to be the guy responsible for that many lost jobs?? So, instead they propped up the insurance companies…

I always see this claim that companies have to try and maximize profits. Where does that originate? I see many companies like Costco take long term paths to sustainable growth and success without trying to wring every penny of profit out of the business. In my opinion customer satisfaction, quality products, and employee growth and retention are far more beneficial goals than short term profit taking.

Re: What Happens When a Healthcare Startup Leaves You With the Bill

#40

Post by fr0sty »

k-mcgrady wrote: post #33
jnardiello wrote: post #29

From the Oscar front page: "Free doctor visits via phone". WTF is this? How can a doctor visit by phone? All this story is just a smell on how deeply broken the entire US health system is (together with all the healthcare-systems of 3rd world countries).

I could see this being really useful. There are many times I have needed questions answered by the doctor (e.g. I've been diagnosed with x - can I still do y safely) and the only way is with an appointment which wastes both our time. I wish my local GP would set aside 1 hour per day to answers questions via email or phone. It would make things much more efficient.

The issue with that, is there's no good way for the doctor to get paid for doing it. Prior to 2009 there was no billing code for phone calls or email and currently the rules around what is a "billable" consultation are complex and the coverage by insurers is far from uniform.

More info here: http://patients.about.com/od/followthemoney/f/Why-Doctors-Wo...

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