Re:Trump Signs Executive Order Compelling Disclosure of Pric...
by robryan on Tuesday June 25, 2019 @09:11PM
(#20281000)
In Australia elective procedures on medicare are much more limited or not covered at all. A system can start by just covering the most essential and required care, then later expand to additional things.
Re:Trump Signs Executive Order Compelling Disclosure of Pric...
by conductr on Wednesday June 26, 2019 @12:20AM
(#20281889)
My insurance company calls me after I schedule a service like lab/imaging to tell me of cheaper options. My doctors are attached to professional building at big local hospital chain, so I usually just go there because it’s easy, I know my way around, they are on same IT platform so I don’t have to chase down results, or long term they have all my medical history localized. Due to being attached to hospital though, cost of MRI for example is usually 10x versus competition. I still don’t care, because I have insurance and have no incentive to reduce the cost.
So if you want to make people price shop, it has to be coming out of their pockets for it to work. Dentists, PT, etc that you listed have much higher rates of cash/self pay.
Emergency medical care isn't.
But most other things are.
It should be possible to shop around for imaging and testing services. The regular "family doctor" is something families can (or at least should) be able to choose at will.
Heck people shop dentists all the time. They shop physical therapists, and even mental health providers.
If all the local X-Ray providers near me publish their prices online the fact is prices will drop, and that will likely carry over to what price is paid during emergency services as well. It will be hard to charge someone 5k for an X-Ray in the same imaging center that has a price of $120 listed on their website!