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The New Coffee Room

  1. TNCR
  2. General Discussion
  3. Pretty soon you're talking about real money

Pretty soon you're talking about real money

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  • CopperC Copper

    @xenon said in Pretty soon you're talking about real money:

    The US has a weird system.

    The insurers are the customer, patients just a necessary input.

    My understanding is that often the physicians and practitioners have no idea what the procedures they do ending up costing. There’s no mechanism in the system to understand the cost / benefit of treatment A vs treatment B.

    As in treatment A maybe be 10x more expensive than treatment B, but only slightly more effective in trials. (Or even essentially the same level of effectiveness)

    The system is set up that way though. An analogy I heard on an econtalk podcast was that it’s like going to dinner and splitting the bill. You know everyone else might order steak, so you order surf and turf too. Everyone does. We all split the bill and insurance pays. So everyone gets the absolute best that money will buy, at all times.

    There’s few market mechanisms in place to keep the cost down. The hospital often doesn’t even know its cost for procedures.

    It’s not a market system. It’s a system where we have unlimited private money going in to a system without cost controls.

    Where do you come up with this stuff?

    Almost none of what you say is true.

    Maybe you have one or two anecdotes.

    But of course there are cost controls, and audits and accounting rules.

    There is lots of competition in insurance and services and medicine.

    Your post is not anywhere near reality.

    X Offline
    X Offline
    xenon
    wrote on last edited by xenon
    #46

    @Copper Is there cost competition on standard of care?

    I thought there would be tiered healthcare in the U.S. when I moved here (as in better stuff for people who had more money and better insurance). But if you're insured, everyone seems to get the "gold standard of care". Your insurance just tells you how much out of pocket you're going to pay.

    And the U.S. definitely has the best of the best in terms of equipment, drugs and services. (doesn't always equate into best healthcare outcomes though)

    A lot of this perspective is from listening to a recent talk by Vivian Lee

    The interesting insight for me is that on standard of care - typically physicians aren't looking at cost effectiveness, they're looking at efficacy.

    We have physicians here - I'd love to hear from @George-K if he ever thought about treatments and made decisions on the dimension of how much they would cost?

    There's competition in the system - but not necessarily in the places that are driving the cost increases.

    CopperC 1 Reply Last reply
    • jon-nycJ Online
      jon-nycJ Online
      jon-nyc
      wrote on last edited by
      #47

      I think most of what Xenon said is defensible. At least if you allow for some exaggeration (e.g. there are some cost controls, not none, they're just very weak).

      Only non-witches get due process.

      • Cotton Mather, Salem Massachusetts, 1692
      X 1 Reply Last reply
      • jon-nycJ jon-nyc

        I think most of what Xenon said is defensible. At least if you allow for some exaggeration (e.g. there are some cost controls, not none, they're just very weak).

        X Offline
        X Offline
        xenon
        wrote on last edited by xenon
        #48

        @jon-nyc you're right Jon. It's too extreme to say there are "no cost controls at all"

        But - the incentives don't line up to drive them down to keep them in check (as a competitive market typically would)

        1 Reply Last reply
        • HoraceH Offline
          HoraceH Offline
          Horace
          wrote on last edited by
          #49

          Yes I agree that Xenon makes valid points. I've been commenting on the grotesquery masquerading as a free market in health care for many years here on the TNCRs.

          Education is extremely important.

          1 Reply Last reply
          • HoraceH Offline
            HoraceH Offline
            Horace
            wrote on last edited by
            #50

            I just paid the $1400. The place is indeed out of network, while literally all the surgeons they work with are in network. They have a strict 15 day policy from the date they mail the first statement, which I am unaware of ever receiving but which they say they mailed on June 29. They bill the insurance company as out of network. Their business model is apparently to get the tiny fraction that the insurance company pays out of network providers, and a little bit more from the patient. It is unclear to me whether my insurance company would have covered 100% of this had they been in-network - I think they would have, since my deductible is covered. The surgery center gave me a story the morning of the surgery that they would be charging 15k to insurance, who would cover 90% and I was responsible for 10%. That story was completely fabricated as far as I can tell.

            Education is extremely important.

            1 Reply Last reply
            • X xenon

              @Copper Is there cost competition on standard of care?

              I thought there would be tiered healthcare in the U.S. when I moved here (as in better stuff for people who had more money and better insurance). But if you're insured, everyone seems to get the "gold standard of care". Your insurance just tells you how much out of pocket you're going to pay.

              And the U.S. definitely has the best of the best in terms of equipment, drugs and services. (doesn't always equate into best healthcare outcomes though)

              A lot of this perspective is from listening to a recent talk by Vivian Lee

              The interesting insight for me is that on standard of care - typically physicians aren't looking at cost effectiveness, they're looking at efficacy.

              We have physicians here - I'd love to hear from @George-K if he ever thought about treatments and made decisions on the dimension of how much they would cost?

              There's competition in the system - but not necessarily in the places that are driving the cost increases.

              CopperC Offline
              CopperC Offline
              Copper
              wrote on last edited by
              #51

              @xenon said in Pretty soon you're talking about real money:

              @Copper Is there cost competition on standard of care?

              There's competition in the system - but not necessarily in the places that are driving the cost increases.

              Of course there is competition.

              And of course the better doctors cost more.

              Here is a program I used up until last year.

              It was not covered by insurance, I paid for it myself so I could have access to the doctor I wanted. Believe me, this was a cost increase.

              https://learnmore.mdvip.com/live-your-best-new?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&st-t=google_&mdvip_campaign=Branded-+Top+Docs+CATCH+ALL&mdvip_term=%2Bvip+md&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxJOE-7Th6gIVYQiICR3slg_nEAAYASAAEgLYz_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

              X 1 Reply Last reply
              • CopperC Copper

                @xenon said in Pretty soon you're talking about real money:

                @Copper Is there cost competition on standard of care?

                There's competition in the system - but not necessarily in the places that are driving the cost increases.

                Of course there is competition.

                And of course the better doctors cost more.

                Here is a program I used up until last year.

                It was not covered by insurance, I paid for it myself so I could have access to the doctor I wanted. Believe me, this was a cost increase.

                https://learnmore.mdvip.com/live-your-best-new?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&st-t=google_&mdvip_campaign=Branded-+Top+Docs+CATCH+ALL&mdvip_term=%2Bvip+md&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxJOE-7Th6gIVYQiICR3slg_nEAAYASAAEgLYz_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

                X Offline
                X Offline
                xenon
                wrote on last edited by
                #52

                @Copper The most expensive thing we've done in the U.S. is have kids.

                In SF our OB gyn's resume was ridiculous (Harvard, Standard med school, head of OB at UCSF... lots of other prestigious positions).

                In Seattle our OB was fantastic - but a bit more "normal" on the qualifications and earlier in her career (we actually loved her, since she had more time to spend with us).

                Don't know what they cost - wasn't any different for us.

                1 Reply Last reply
                • CopperC Offline
                  CopperC Offline
                  Copper
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #53

                  I don't doubt it.

                  One doctor's story doesn't define the USA healthcare system.

                  And, by the way, there is no such thing as the USA healthcare system.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  • 89th8 Offline
                    89th8 Offline
                    89th
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #54

                    @Horace thanks for the update. So you paid the $1,400. What else do you expect to pay out of pocket from here forward?

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    • HoraceH Offline
                      HoraceH Offline
                      Horace
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #55

                      That was just for the surgery center facility. There is another bill for the surgeon, another for the anesthesiologist. Those are all covered directly by my health insurance but there's always a portion I am responsible for, even after the deductible is covered. I figure the whole thumb thing will cost me about 10-15k out of pocket when it's all done.

                      Education is extremely important.

                      JollyJ 1 Reply Last reply
                      • 89th8 Offline
                        89th8 Offline
                        89th
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #56

                        Ah I see, kind of like dental insurance on special procedures (like an implant) but way bigger bills.

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        • HoraceH Horace

                          That was just for the surgery center facility. There is another bill for the surgeon, another for the anesthesiologist. Those are all covered directly by my health insurance but there's always a portion I am responsible for, even after the deductible is covered. I figure the whole thumb thing will cost me about 10-15k out of pocket when it's all done.

                          JollyJ Offline
                          JollyJ Offline
                          Jolly
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #57

                          @Horace said in Pretty soon you're talking about real money:

                          That was just for the surgery center facility. There is another bill for the surgeon, another for the anesthesiologist. Those are all covered directly by my health insurance but there's always a portion I am responsible for, even after the deductible is covered. I figure the whole thumb thing will cost me about 10-15k out of pocket when it's all done.

                          If they are in network, that would seem to be a bit high for your part. Have you received your EOB's on their services?

                          “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

                          Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          • HoraceH Offline
                            HoraceH Offline
                            Horace
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #58

                            I mean across all three surgeries and including all doctor visits, physical therapy, etc.

                            Education is extremely important.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            • taiwan_girlT Offline
                              taiwan_girlT Offline
                              taiwan_girl
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #59

                              @jon-nyc Dont know if you would be willing to share, but what was the gross cost for your medical procedure?

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              • jon-nycJ Online
                                jon-nycJ Online
                                jon-nyc
                                wrote on last edited by jon-nyc
                                #60

                                Around 900k.

                                But that’s everything, all the visits before and after, special tests (a heart cath can be 10-15k and I’ve had 4 of them), rehab and ‘prehab’, surgery, ICU time, hospital time, etc.

                                Only non-witches get due process.

                                • Cotton Mather, Salem Massachusetts, 1692
                                1 Reply Last reply
                                • jon-nycJ Online
                                  jon-nycJ Online
                                  jon-nyc
                                  wrote on last edited by jon-nyc
                                  #61

                                  I don’t know what I spent, it was probably capped at a few grand per year for co-pays.

                                  We even had some reimbursement for relocation, but I was listed long enough that we burned through it. So I probably spent 20-30k of my own money (over, say, 2014-16) if I had to guess.

                                  Most of it didn’t feel like medical bills. Like buying a home oxygen concentrator or paying rent or renting furniture.

                                  Only non-witches get due process.

                                  • Cotton Mather, Salem Massachusetts, 1692
                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  • 89th8 Offline
                                    89th8 Offline
                                    89th
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #62

                                    @Horace I require 1x update plz

                                    HoraceH 1 Reply Last reply
                                    • 89th8 89th

                                      @Horace I require 1x update plz

                                      HoraceH Offline
                                      HoraceH Offline
                                      Horace
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #63

                                      @89th I paid the $1433 and am now hoping the 98k bill just magically disappears. I received no receipt of payment, though the woman on the phone said she'd send me one. Nor have I ever received a bill. The only bill received so far is the one sent to my insurance company. So basically the process is that this surgery center sends a huge out of network bill to the insurer, gets pennies on the dollar for it, and accepts some other "small" amount from the patient. I have to trust the system that the balance of the 98k bill is not legally passed on to me. Having seen no paper yet, I really don't know.

                                      Education is extremely important.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      • RainmanR Offline
                                        RainmanR Offline
                                        Rainman
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #64

                                        Horace said, "I have to trust the system..."

                                        No kidding. He actually said that. Look at his post!
                                        It looks like his typing, far as I can tell.

                                        Scary, might be Covid-20 or something.
                                        Too much sun? Bad water. Drunk on Jon. Found religion.

                                        Ax, help him help him!! Soon he'll be drowning in trust, and then, blam! No return from utopia.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        • Doctor PhibesD Online
                                          Doctor PhibesD Online
                                          Doctor Phibes
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #65

                                          You either trust the system or you move to Canada.

                                          I was only joking

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