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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices
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To: Alighieri who wrote (498215)7/26/2009 1:02:18 AM
From: i-node1 Recommendation  Read Replies (2) of 1578119
 
medicare negotiated that down to about $8K..

They didn't "negotiate" it down. Medicare pays Part A claims based on DRGs (Diagnosis Related Groups). The hospital bills Medicare, and Medicare pays what Medicare pays. The remainder (other than any patient share) is written off.

Part A fees are determined under a complex "prospective" system. But the important point is that it has to be that way because the mean-old private insurance companies subsidize Medicare.

Most major hospitals have long had EMR systems. But an 85K hospital stay might involve hundreds of individual charges for lab, supplies, medications, diagnostic imaging, etc.

It is complicated stuff and often, obviously, involves life or death. That's why you don't discard a system that works better than any in the world and replace it with something dreamed up by politicians.

The $8K bill may have been "cheap", but you simply have no idea what is involved here. Hospitals must provide care to Medicare patients, and they don't make much money on it. Even at that, Medicare is broke.

Doesn't that tell you something? Can't you see why the Obamacare initiative is failing? You can't turn something like this over to the government.

You'll have $600 hammers and $1,200 toilet seats.
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