In order to address healthcare and insurance costs patients have to have skin in the game ( before they are terminal). Feeding I have a DR. ( oncological & General Surgeon) friend on the local Hospitals board ('Non-profit"). I am a member of a medical Heathshare and see all my bills and what they are negotiated to. I was talking to my friend about the bills I had from a stroke 3-4 years ago and was amazed at what the providers accepted usually half or less than they originally billed and in some cases less than a third. My Healthshare uses a company that analyzes medical bill for insurance companies and the price Medicare pays as a guide, the Healh share always pays more than Medicare. My friend said the hospital was happy to get even half what they billed and I started to argue, he looked at me and pointed out I'm on the board. These non-profits are a scam the local Hospitals CEO makes @ 2 million a year, (far more than most of the DRs. and has never actually practiced medicine) they are able to use unpaid bills as losses to be non profit no matter how much over market they bill. I have seen two emergency room bills for 2-3 stitches go from just under $2,000. each to paid at under $500 while another 2 stitch incident be paid at the local critical care for @ $350.00. Obama crap is a complete scam and definitely has death panels as does Great Britain, Canada and many European systems if people took the time to research and as questions, they do have better "palliative care" while you die programs and are also moving to Euthanasia and assisted suicide to save costs. At least 8 countries in europe allow assisted suicide and Netherlands lets families request it for terminally ill 12yo +. Sorry for the rant medical billing and insurance is a govt sanctioned scam. Why are not all non elective/cosmetic type medical and related expenses 100% deductible???? The federal politicians get it for free they are even transition military at our expense.
