Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : A US National Health Care System? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (14036)	3/6/2010 6:53:00 AM
From: Alighieri	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42652

Your doctors must overcharge you to pay for free care, nearly-free Medicaid care, and underpaid Medicare care. Here's an idea...let's put seniors and the medicaid eligible through the ER health care system too...now look at your insurance bill. Al

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (14036)	3/6/2010 9:49:12 AM
From: Eric	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42652

Well they don't do any free care. Your doctors must overcharge you to pay for free care, nearly-free Medicaid care, and underpaid Medicare care. I'm a voting member and get my care at Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, a not for profit HMO. ghc.org

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (14036)	3/6/2010 9:43:15 PM
From: skinowski	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42652

You can thank government mandates and cost-shifting for at least half your tab. The entire healthcare system keeps changing while trying to adjust to dislocations caused by Medicare fee fixing schemes. Over the past few decades, for a variety of reasons, there was a massive move towards higher utilization of outpatient services (Part B) and away from the hospitals (Part A). The funding, however, remained the same - since it does take the government a longish time to get things through their collective skull. There is a variety of arrangements coming into existence in an attempt to compensate for this dislocation. Hospitals buy practices and pay part of the cost of running them. The entire profession of Hospitalist medicine fully depends on large hospital contributions towards the costs of running the programs. Trying to run such a program based only fees generated by the doctors would lead to an instant collapse - the numbers do not add up. It's been a long time since I heard about a young doc hanging out a shingle and trying to start a practice. Even if he succeeds, the costs of running the practice will break him. Both the costs - and the fees - depend on the government. From what I see, the "reform" which is being pushed is primarily a political affair.