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Re:Sweden gives employees unpaid time off to be entrepreneur... by EpicEng on Saturday February 15, 2020 @06:20PM (#22338739)
>why the hell can I not know how much stuff costs up front

Prices should be publicized, I agree, but you can ask to get something pre-authorized. It just takes longer.

>why can I not tell them no I dont an unnecessary x-ray

You can ask your doctor why you need an x-ray, why they deem it necessary, and refuse if you like

>and why am I not told cost owed by me until after the procedure only to find out it's just an absurd amount of money

Again, you can ask for pre-auth.

Re:Sweden gives employees unpaid time off to be entrepreneur... by roland35 on Saturday February 15, 2020 @11:15PM (#22339752)
Pre-authorization sounds good, but unfortunately a lot of the time it isn't possible. For example, when I was in the ER they gave me a few choices on how they could do stiches on a big cut... But there is definitely no way I could compare the costs! I just ended up paying a $500 bill a few months later.
Re:Sweden gives employees unpaid time off to be entrepreneur... by refurb on Sunday February 16, 2020 @01:04AM (#22340062)
Lack of pricing information is ridiculous in the US.

You can’t base a system on the “free market” then prevent consumers from having pricing information.

It certainly wouldn’t fix everything in the US, but it would be a huge help.

To be honest, I’m not sure why hospitals in the US haven’t taken the lead on this. If I had a choice between two hospital of similar quality, but one provided price transparency and maybe even a price guarantee (your procedure will cost $X, guaranteed), I would certainly go to that hospital.

Re:Sweden gives employees unpaid time off to be entrepreneur... by EpicEng on Sunday February 16, 2020 @12:00AM (#22339882)
Yes, emergency situations are different. Not much of a chance to wait and shop around.
Re:Sweden gives employees unpaid time off to be entrepreneur... by ridewinter on Saturday February 15, 2020 @09:34PM (#22339483)
This doesn't seem to be something that's common knowledge. Can you point to information on how to use private health insurance like this?
Re:Sweden gives employees unpaid time off to be entrepreneur... by EpicEng on Saturday February 15, 2020 @10:05PM (#22339573)
You just ask the front desk to pre-authorize the prescribed treatment. They work with the insurance carrier and let you know what your cost will be.