Re:U.S. opens UnitedHealth antitrust probe
by mlsu on Wednesday February 28, 2024 @02:01PM
(#39542210)
It's expensive because I can't move doctors, and I and my employer have to buy a stupid financial product to even see a doc. How much of that $400 goes towards the doc anyway? Towards payments on the MRI machine? Towards the office space? No more than $100 all in.
For one billable minute of every doc's time, we are paying 5 billable minutes for various "healthcare administrators" all over the country to move numbers and billing codes around in a labyrinthine spreadsheet. For what?
Re:U.S. opens UnitedHealth antitrust probe
by alistairSH on Wednesday February 28, 2024 @03:30PM
(#39543094)
I don't disagree with any of that. I'd much prefer some form of nationalized/socialized health system (and would not prefer a "cash only" system, because there will be people who can't afford that even at half the current rates).
"Health maintenance plan" is a more descriptive name for what we're discussing.
Even something as basic as an annual physical is ~$400 (cash price). A doctor visit for illness is $100-$150 before any bloodwork or imaging (which can add another $100+). Those are major expenses for many families. The ability to spread those cost across the year is a good thing.