Quote:
Originally Posted by nailer
How is cost of treatment determined under a single payer system, by each practicing physician and hospital, or by the single payer? Removing the insurance companies will significantly reduce costs, but health care is basically an inelastic demand in that if one needs a surgery to stay alive one will pay whatever the market will bear. Hospitals have gone corporate as have physicians, won't the drive to maximize profit remain?
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As John noted it is set atr what is considered normal average for the procedure. What you must know is that Single Payer is in effect the insurer of resort, nothing else changed from the days of private insurers. Oh except that SP negotiates the prices of prescription drugs. I had my choice of doctors and the nearest hospital was a ten minute drive away. Since SP is managed by civil servants there is no seven figure CEQ.