[DeTomaso] NPT Interesting Observation on Health Care Costs

[Will Demelo]

I have a couple of friends that are dentists. There are 2 prices. Insurance 
price and cash price. The same goes for auto insurance.........
Will
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Hawkins" <shawkins777 at comcast.net>
To: <detomaso at realbig.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 18, 2009 12:37 PM
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] NPT Interesting Observation on Health Care Costs


> We take those options because we're insulated from the true cost through 
> the
> use of insurance.  Without insurance (which is legalized gambling)the cost
> for health care would be a lot less.
>
> Steve
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] 
> On
> Behalf Of Will Kooiman
> Sent: Saturday, July 18, 2009 10:58 AM
> To: 'Ken Green'; detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] NPT Interesting Observation on Health Care Costs
>
>
> It isn't just one thing, though.
>
> Uninsured/illegals drive the cost up.  My cousin is a hospital
> administrator.  She has said that uninsured healthcare costs them plenty.
>
> I'm embarrassed to say that I've visited the ER more than my share.  The
> last time (dislocated toe) I turned around because the line of illegals 
> was
> too long.  The previous time it took 3 hours to remove a speck of metal 
> from
> my eye.  The Dr. only took 30 minutes.  The other 2:30 was spent waiting 
> on
> the illegals.  True - they may not have been illegal, but that's my first
> impression when they don't speak English and they're in the ER for what
> would normally be a pediatrician visit - runny noses, etc.
>
> There's also the profit going to the scanning equipment companies, drug
> companies, etc.  They need to recover their research and development 
> costs,
> but it's way out of proportion.
>
> I'm not completely disagreeing with you, though.  I've had my share of
> hospital bills - over $1M.  Maybe with hindsight some of the procedures 
> were
> unnecessary.  In most cases, though, I did what the Dr. recommended - not
> what he offered.
>
> Maybe I am disagreeing...  That $1M was mostly MRIs (5 or 6), spinal taps
> (13), drugs (legal), and fairly routine surgical procedures.  I don't mean
> to belittle the Dr.'s.  I owe them my life.  It's just that the costs for
> everything - mostly Hospital charges - should have been lower - not $10K,
> but definitely not $1M (I personally paid about $100K).
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] 
> On
> Behalf Of Ken Green
> Sent: Saturday, July 18, 2009 9:07 AM
> To: detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: [DeTomaso] NPT Interesting Observation on Health Care Costs
>
> I have my routine (no issues) physical yesterday, and asked my doctor if 
> it
> is true that the ER visits by uninsured is what's pushed up medical bills.
> He said that while uninsured and illegals were a cost, the real driver is
> that there are a huge number of high dollar options and most people want 
> to
> try everything. So if additional tests are another $100,000, and may have 
> a
> 1 percent chance of showing something, the doctor feels like he has to 
> offer
> it, and the families generally want it. Also, most of this is in the last
> month or so of life. So, we found the enemy, and he is us. I guess it's
> easier to blame someone else than to make hard choices.
>
> Ken
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