Health Insurance Myth

[afterhours]

The problem with Healthcare is not Insurance co.’s…..its hospitals and doctors.

I know this will anger some, and I will get countless remarks questioning my intelligence or accusing me of being heartless…..but here goes.

Basic business practice tells us that cost goes down, and profit goes up the longer a product is available. So why does a doctor or hospital charge $6.00 for an aspirin or $800.00 a night for hospital bed? I understand that things cost money, but why can I go to any store and buy 100 aspirin for the cost of 1 pill at a hospital.
Healthcare is the only industry that things always increase in price.
The longer a product is on the market, the lower the cost should be. For example VHS/VCR players, some of you may remember when they cost hundred of dollars….but as newer technology was developed the cost went down. Why? The last time I saw a VHS player it cost $40, because nobody would for such an old piece of junk…
The reason why hospitals charge $6.00 for an aspirin, is because insurance companies will pay $6.00 for an aspirin. Sure the industry is over-run with corporate greed, but why is it that everybody has this idea that we need healthcare insurance.

anybody ever gotten hurt in Mexico? all jokes aside, in Mexico you pay upfront. the reason why healthcare is cheaper is because nobody has insurance, and nobody can afford the over-inflated prices american insurance companies pay

The answer is not health insurance, the answer is affordable healthcare……

 

[BlueHaya]

It is becasue hospitals know that insurance will not pay $6 for an aspirin...or $800 for a bed. They inflate the bill so they can settle for less.
Have you ever seen an insurance company pay full billing price?

 

[dmrowe]

This insurance bill is a hoax, one more step toward socialism.

 

[DetroitBusa]

It is becasue hospitals know that insurance will not pay $6 for an aspirin...or $800 for a bed. They inflate the bill so they can settle for less.
Have you ever seen an insurance company pay full billing price?

Exactly,
You are selling a car and want to make $1000, so you list it at $1300, because you know they buyers are going to haggle.

 

[lavinrac]

The problem with Healthcare is not Insurance co.’s…..its hospitals and doctors.

I know this will anger some, and I will get countless remarks questioning my intelligence or accusing me of being heartless…..but here goes.

Basic business practice tells us that cost goes down, and profit goes up the longer a product is available. So why does a doctor or hospital charge $6.00 for an aspirin or $800.00 a night for hospital bed? I understand that things cost money, but why can I go to any store and buy 100 aspirin for the cost of 1 pill at a hospital.
Healthcare is the only industry that things always increase in price.
The longer a product is on the market, the lower the cost should be. For example VHS/VCR players, some of you may remember when they cost hundred of dollars….but as newer technology was developed the cost went down. Why? The last time I saw a VHS player it cost $40, because nobody would for such an old piece of junk…
The reason why hospitals charge $6.00 for an aspirin, is because insurance companies will pay $6.00 for an aspirin. Sure the industry is over-run with corporate greed, but why is it that everybody has this idea that we need healthcare insurance.

anybody ever gotten hurt in Mexico? all jokes aside, in Mexico you pay upfront. the reason why healthcare is cheaper is because nobody has insurance, and nobody can afford the over-inflated prices american insurance companies pay

The answer is not health insurance, the answer is affordable healthcare……

I don't know about how things go down in Mexico.. but I have to agree with you on the whole inflation part for insurance companies.

I do disagree with you on the idea that noone can afford it.

From my own personal experience, maybe im lucky who knows, I was admitted into the hospital via ambulance got let out after I was fixed got the bill the insurance companies would get. Guess what I called them up and told them I was paying myself no insurance, and they dropped a little over 50% off the total cost. I am sorry for what I was in for ill pay what I paid many times over to get the care I received.

I don't blame doctors, hospitals, insurance, government, etc.. for me not getting the care I need. I blame myself for not being prepared for something that may or may not happen.

Maybe if more people in the country decided to take care of themselves and not expect someone else to cover their expenses for them we wouldnt have this problem in the first place.

I mean seriously bring a kid to the emergency room for a scratch they got from playing... feeding your kid the crap I see alot of parents do then complain about how bad their kids are off. Ultimately whose fault is it.. Well according to the liberals its the evil rich mans or businesses fault. But don't worry they are here to make it better and take care of you.

Who are the real sheeple now?? As long as people refuse to take the consequences that come with their actions and rely on everyone else or blame everyone else for their shortcomings in life. The kinda crap like this whole healthcare issue will work at destroying this country.


Hate is a strong word but im going to use it anyways.

I HATE blamers.

 

[BenWoj42]

8 cents on every dollar is what the health insurance pays out for treatment. Yeah, sounds like the hospitals inflation is really getting to them. Why am I not suprised by these silly threads anymore?

 

[afterhours]

it seems my point was missed.....

the whole problem goes in a cyle that feeds itself.

people buy insurance to protect themselves from high medical bills...
hospitals inflate bills to insurance companies....and even though they don't pay $6.00 for an aspirin, paying $1.00 for an aspirin is still too high.

insurance companies keep raising thier rates, and people look at the cost of a $6.00 apsirin, and continue to buy insurance....

both hospitals and insurance companies make money buy inflating medical expenses.

 

[BlueHaya]

I wonder how the Health Care Reform will address it?
Will the same cycle happen, except with the government instead of insurance companies?

 

[afterhours]

I wonder how the Health Care Reform will address it?
Will the same cycle happen, except with the government instead of insurance companies?

of course it will....

so far i have not heard anything about cutting cost of healthcare, only making sure that it gets paid.

 

[BlueHaya]

So what are they reforming?

 

[lavinrac]

So what are they reforming?

Who gets the money...

 

[zellabusa]

Whats funny is that most liberals hate this bill , mainly because it doesn't go far enough, as in single payer system. And most ( okay , all) conservatives dislike the bill because its more govt, more cost, yadda yadda. So, Nobody likes the bill, but apparently we're gonna have it regardless. This kind of landmark legislation should have much much more discussion and debate than it has had.

 

[afterhours]

but the point of discussion and dbate is education....educating people so they can make an informed decision.

neither sides wants to be infromed, and niether side want to make an educated decision. both sides are entrenched in thier ideologies and will not change thier minds.

 

[J'Man]

One part missing in this discussion is how frivolous lawsuits and excessive malpractice payouts are one of the reasons costs are also skyrocketing. Until we have tort reform and put a stop to some of these outrageous jury pay outs costs are continue to be passed onto us.

 

[BlueHaya]

One part missing in this discussion is how frivolous lawsuits and excessive malpractice payouts are one of the reasons costs are also skyrocketing. Until we have tort reform and put a stop to some of these outrageous jury pay outs costs are continue to be passed onto us.

I wonder how much a surgeons fee would be if he did not have to carry malpractice insurance.

Just heard recently where a someone was awarded 100k due to stress of smelling someones aftershave at work all day. Our juducial system is becoming a joke as well...sorry for the tangent.Lawsuit settlement means no more perfume, aftershave or other scents for Detroit city workers - Yahoo! Canada News

 

[teddypenn]

we just changed insurance companies at work last week, and i asked why the rates go up every year. i was told its because the cost of medical bills go up...ie: the lab, x-rays, and everything else is higher because technology is more expensive because of all that is now available to us. the people told me that an average of 8 percent increase per year is standard. makes sence to me, but i still dont like it.

 

[afterhours]

we just changed insurance companies at work last week, and i asked why the rates go up every year. i was told its because the cost of medical bills go up...ie: the lab, x-rays, and everything else is higher because technology is more expensive because of all that is now available to us. the people told me that an average of 8 percent increase per year is standard. makes sence to me, but i still dont like it.

why would the cost of an x-ray go up? this old technology....not the latest new gadget....

say i find a nice used machine for $10k.i take out a small loan to start my own little clinic. every time i take an x-ray i charge $100.00. the loan for my xray machine is $1k per month. so i need to run 10 xrays every month to break even.....i average 11 xrays evry month and make $100 profit from this machine

its now 2011, my costs have actually gone down. my loan is paid off. now if i were to lower my charge to patients by 50% and only charged them $50.00 per x-ray, i would only need to take 2 x-rays per month to make the same $100 of profit.

if business stayed the same, and i got 11 x-rays per month....i would make
$1100.00 profit.

this is overly simplified example...but i use to stress a point

 

[jphilipson]

Welcome to America, the land of the entitled.

Bottom line is that Pharmaceutical and medical companies make almost all there profits in the US and a few other "wealthy" countries.

 

[teamorion22]

why would the cost of an x-ray go up? this old technology....not the latest new gadget....

say i find a nice used machine for $10k.i take out a small loan to start my own little clinic. every time i take an x-ray i charge $100.00. the loan for my xray machine is $1k per month. so i need to run 10 xrays every month to break even.....i average 11 xrays evry month and make $100 profit from this machine

its now 2011, my costs have actually gone down. my loan is paid off. now if i were to lower my charge to patients by 50% and only charged them $50.00 per x-ray, i would only need to take 2 x-rays per month to make the same $100 of profit.

if business stayed the same, and i got 11 x-rays per month....i would make
$1100.00 profit.

this is overly simplified example...but i use to stress a point

you are simply incorrect. xrays are not the same as the used to be. they are far superior. you used to shoot and xray on a film and what u have is what u have. now it is either computed radiography or digital. much more expensive and better. now images can be manipulated. contrast, density, magnification, comparison studies are automatically brought up, patient history the list goes on and on. So you are just incorrect.

We have the BEST health care in the world. and some of that is because of litagation. litigation increases the cost of healthcare. but it can also increase the quality (not always). you used to have 2 doctors and a scrub tech on surgeries that now require a PA, 2 RN's, and x-ray.


as far as the asprin goes you are not just paying for the aspirin. You are paying for a RN to deliver it and for a Dr. to order it and for the pyxus machine that delivers the meds. and there is alot more.

there are problems with the cost of healthcare, yes. there are lots of things we can do to help it but unless you work in healtcare you should be careful of what you believe because most of it is bs. also you don't have to swallow that 6 dollar aspirin or get that 100 dollar xray. patients have the right 2 refuse anything they dont want and I get paid the same hourly wage regardless

 

[MarkZ28]

Not only are the x rays getting bett5er they cost a lot to maintain and repair plus the costs of getting rid of radiactive crap if that breaks down. Lots of costs are from crap like JHCO and other similar crap the hospitals have to follow to be accredited. Its just a bunch of hoops and expense to go through to make them happy. Ever wondfer how much a hospital's electrical bill is? Water bill? Waste removal bills? Plus the overhead for materials and supplies has to be sky high.