What? Can It Be Real? Hospital Prices Are Going Public

I have to see this to believe it. I hope this is expanded (if it really happens) to all medical practices, testing companies, and imaging centers. If this really happens, we may have found one thing that the ACA actually did right or at least started going down the right path.

Posted pricing for all non-emergency medical procedures, tests, and imaging is long over-due.


www.abc4.com...

A new federal rule will require all hospitals to post a master list of prices online detailing the services they provide so people can review them.

Starting Jan. 1, every hospital nationwide will be required to post standard charges online for every item and every service they provide.

Think about everything from drugs and casts to organ transplants and anesthesia.

This requirement was originally introduced in the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told the AP the new requirement for online prices reflects the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to encourage patients to become better-educated decision makers in their own care.

“We are just beginning on price transparency,” said Verma. “We know that hospitals have this information and we’re asking them to post what they have online.”

www.breitbart.com...

a reply to: infolurker

Dang this should help. I got in a car wreck a few years ago and had to have a body scan. The bill just for that scan was over 10 grand.

Hospitals charge way to effing much and their defenders will say stupid stuff like "well people dont pay the bills so that why they have to charge that much"

Well people would pay if it wasnt 10 grand for one scan. Or 50$ for an aspirin or 60 $ for a new bedpan, or 10$ for a pair of plastic disposable gloves.

Its a joke what they charge people.

a reply to: infolurker

Now we just need insurance providers, including the government, to also have to post what they will typically reimburse for those services. Then we'll have an even clearer picture of why things are as screwed up as they are.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: infolurker

Now we just need insurance providers, including the government, to also have to post what they will typically reimburse for those services. Then we'll have an even clearer picture of why things are as screwed up as they are.

You know I am a Trump supporter But I am sure one of his election promises was to make insurance companies do exactly that and show all profits.

But for some reason that is never even discussed by even the Trump hating media.

It makes you wonder who is really running things

a reply to: notsure1

Last year, a 45 minute visit to the ER wherein they did a basic CBC, gave me a shot of wonder drug, and told me nothing's wrong cost me somewhere in the ballpark of 1,800 bucks.

Next time I get weirdly sick, I'm just going to find a ditch to lie in and make peace with my maker

a reply to: infolurker

Hopefully this will include vision care. They have always been really secretive about their costs.

I found out that a lot of times it actually costs less to not use vision insurance!

It will be very interesting to compare prices between doctors. Expect much variation. Those 5-10 minutes of facetime are ridiculously expensive compared to what nurses are paid.

I spent 4 hours in the emergency room with kidney stones last month and received a bill for about 40k. Yes, 40 k.

The hospital is new but small and not in a big city. Have to say they were great. Really professional and thorough and caring. That 40k was worth it. Wish I could afford it.

The insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, scanners, the entire health for profit industry is so closely aligned with the DC political infrastructure; nothing will change. Lobbyist with billions of $$ to bribe the politicians for votes and after the politicians retire, sweet positions on the health care boards of directors at a cool mil. a year and free health care for themselves their family for life, and that includes vision and dental.

We don't need no stinkin socialism....MaGa, MaGA, business is what makes America strong. Work, consume and STFU why don't ya!!!

a reply to: infolurker

And when it comes to light that prices are MANDATED by the government to conform to Medicare reimbursement guidelines (in Obamacare) then people may finally see how it is the government pulling the strings and screwing us over.

I believe many facilities charge full price for self-pay and a discount price for medicare reimbursement.

It will be interesting to see the difference in pricing if hospitals actually comply.

originally posted by: olaru12
The insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, scanners, the entire health for profit industry is so closely aligned with the DC political infrastructure; nothing will change. Lobbyist with billions of $$ to bribe the politicians for votes and after the politicians retire, sweet positions on the health care boards of directors at a cool mil. a year and free health care for themselves their family for life, and that includes vision and dental.

We don't need no stinkin socialism....MaGa, MaGA, business is what makes America strong. Work, consume and STFU why don't ya!!!

WTF does that even mean, other than you support Socialism comrade?

Your first paragraph I could agree with, but then you went full crazy with your socialism nonsense.

originally posted by: Elton
I believe many facilities charge full price for self-pay and a discount price for medicare reimbursement.

It will be interesting to see the difference in pricing if hospitals actually comply.

It's actually the other way 'round.

a reply to: DBCowboy

From a 2007 article (which cites a study by Gerard F. Anderson, PhD, a health economist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.)

Johns Hopkins

Hospitals do not charge every patient the same price for medical care. Uninsured patients and those who pay with their own funds are charged 2.5 times more for hospital care than those covered by health insurance and more than 3 times the allowable amount paid by Medicare, according to a study by Gerard F. Anderson, PhD, a health economist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

It is the opposite of how it should be, that's why it's memorable...

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha


I feel ya there. I went to get a MRI scan last year, and paid out of pocket as I do with all my medical expenses(except for work related injuries). And they told me I was looking at having a specific part of my body replaced in the next five to ten years. So, I asked how much that would cost out of pocket and they quoted it as being around $100,000. I said "Well damn, which doctor is getting a new Porsche" The technician said it sure as hell wasn't him.

I can budget that money aside no problem, but damn. That's money that I won't have. Sure I'll live a bit more comfortably maybe, but the crazy thing is that if I used insurance for that it would cost even more in the long run. It's ridiculous.

Tell me which ditch you're going to go make peace with the maker in, and I'll bring some licqour and a deck of cards to kill the time.

a reply to: Elton

Interesting.

Really.

Because it's not how it is now, as far as I know. And I know some.

originally posted by: seeker1963

originally posted by: olaru12
The insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, scanners, the entire health for profit industry is so closely aligned with the DC political infrastructure; nothing will change. Lobbyist with billions of $$ to bribe the politicians for votes and after the politicians retire, sweet positions on the health care boards of directors at a cool mil. a year and free health care for themselves their family for life, and that includes vision and dental.

We don't need no stinkin socialism....MaGa, MaGA, business is what makes America strong. Work, consume and STFU why don't ya!!!

WTF does that even mean, other than you support Socialism comrade?

Your first paragraph I could agree with, but then you went full crazy with your socialism nonsense.

It doesn't matter what you say to me. It's always going to be insulting in some form or another. You need to stop taking things to literally just so you can be insulting to members on ATS. I don't care about your insults I'm certainly used to them... but it must be exhausting to carry that hate 24/7.

a reply to: RealityIsAbsurd

Don't talk to me about stupid genes. I pulled off a hat trick with mine

So, Obamacare had it in it but they ignored implementing it. For the whole six years of Obama's presidency. Why did Trump wait so long? Maybe he actually had someone read the Obamacare legislation, that probably took someone a month to decipher. Then nobody would believe the person at first about all the crap that was never followed.

a reply to: rickymouse


"Where have you been for the past six months?"
...

"Wait, you actually read it?"

...

"It said what?"

...

"I don't believe it."

I can see that being how it happened.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

Oh, I've seen your posts. I believe ya.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

Jebus that is expensive. I mean for less than an hours work you forked out that much? I can go to the Doctors tomorrow, get an injection and a quick "hows your well being" conversation and leave and not having to spend a single penny. I'm an NHS user and your example is one of them many things that scare me about the insurance based idea that the US uses. Honestly shocking that it costs so much.