$10,000 for a $10 Blood Test

[nailer]

Originally Posted by 4-2-7

What you all fail to see is it's the insurance that has driven cost up. Any half wit can look back to hospital/medical cost prior to widespread insurance usage and see how low cost were. In the 30s & 40s people didn't really carry insurance and they didn't go bankrupt. It was a fair market that the consumer infused with their patronage. When you pull the individual consumer out of the transaction you loose the fair market. Hell my mom would call the doctor and they would do a house call for $5.00 and that was late 50s.

This carries over to more cost wherever Insurance is involved.

As wrong headed as your precious metals economic theories.

The high cost of our medical care is a result of the inelasticity of the demand for good health. Most of us want good health and will pay whatever it costs to be rid of life threatening medical conditions. Reagan issued in a new age of unrestrained capitalism. The medical industry is doing what unrestrained capitalists do - maximize their profits.

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by mpholland

Nothing I like better than paying 12K/year for premiums and then getting to pay a bunch more for the privilege of using it.

Same here.

I'm forking out about a K a month for health insurance to cover my wife and I, and thats with me having Medicare as my primary.

And I still have co-pays and deductibles.

It's straight up extraction is what it is.

[4-2-7]

Originally Posted by nailer

As wrong headed as your precious metals economic theories.

The high cost of our medical care is a result of the inelasticity of the demand for good health. Most of us want good health and will pay whatever it costs to be rid of life threatening medical conditions. Reagan issued in a new age of unrestrained capitalism. The medical industry is doing what unrestrained capitalists do - maximize their profits.

I totally agree with the maximizing profit part and that can be done because of insurance and now Government. But that's crony capitalism and not free market. The cost that hospitals are charging can not be afforded by common men. So if they did not have the business they would fail as a business. In order to have customer prices would need to be reduced.

[nailer]

The government represents many interests. The unrestrained health industry capitalist's interest are being served by the government. A social system health care system would remove this relation and result in a healthier country at a lower cost.

There is no such thing as a free market.

You are aware that the fast/junk food and health care industries are in cahoots. The more f/j eaten, the more often folks will think they need to visit the doctor increasing pharmaceutical sales.

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by nailer

The government represents many interests. The unrestrained health industry capitalist's interest are being served by the government. A social system health care system would remove this relation and result in a healthier country at a lower cost.

There is no such thing as a free market.

You are aware that the fast/junk food and health care industries are in cahoots. The more f/j eaten the more often folks will think they go to the doctor and pharmaceutical sales will rise.

True that (in bolded) unless you live and breath what that gold bug, Glenn Beck, spews out on BlazeTV. Best of luck discussing basic economics with this dude brother Bob. It'll be a hoot I'm sure.

[4-2-7]

Originally Posted by bobabode

True that (in bolded) unless you live and breath what that gold bug, Glenn Beck, spews out on BlazeTV. Best of luck discussing basic economics with this dude brother Bob. It'll be a hoot I'm sure.

We already have but it would go over your head Brother Bobby.

Maybe you should take note of the fast food reference as to what people put in their body. You are what you consume even if it's rotted fruit.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by nailer

As wrong headed as your precious metals economic theories.

The high cost of our medical care is a result of the inelasticity of the demand for good health. Most of us want good health and will pay whatever it costs to be rid of life threatening medical conditions. Reagan issued in a new age of unrestrained capitalism. The medical industry is doing what unrestrained capitalists do - maximize their profits.

Don't bother trying to explain anything to certain people. Just shut them down.

Dave

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Don't bother trying to explain anything to certain people.

Dave

It's Obama's fault.

[MrPots]

So in other words 427, insurance companies have done a stellar marketing job of convincing people that they need to have insurance.

Unfettered capitalism at work.

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by MrPots

insurance companies have done a stellar marketing job of convincing people that they need to have insurance.

Unfettered capitalism at work.

Yep.

Here's one example.

I had to take my wife to the ER recently.

Basically all the doc did was write a prescription.

I gave them all my insurance info, but of course it somehow didn't get processed. So a few weeks later I get a bill for $790 from the ER doc. saying we owe the full amount as we have no insurance. So I call them up and say "Hey" I gave that info to me. So they take it again over the phone. A few weeks later I get a bill for $145. The remaining $645 is written off as being above the allowed amount. So the bottom line is the insurance company paid nothing, but I get a "discount" of about 80% because I have insurance.

So, why is the ER doc happy to take $145 from an insured person, but gouges an uninsured one to the tune of $790?