Free market addressing the healthcare situation...

[Taco John]

As usual, it's the free market that ends up finding the best solutions... Here's a great example:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/24/yo...pagewanted=all

[Mizzou_8541]

How can the free market address this issue when the government clearly knows what's best for us?

[Mizzou_8541]

Seriously though, why would insurance companies bar doctors from using the concierge model?

[BucEyedPea]

What about any hospital bills?


Also, I noticed those who criticized it in the article, were competitors.

[theelusiveeightrop]

I believe everything in the NY Times.

[Mizzou_8541]

Originally Posted by theelusiveeightrop

I believe everything in the NY Times.

What's not to believe? The article is largely anecdotal, with views presented from both sides. Personally, I think it's fascinating that this is occurring. Probably more fascinating that's it's coming from the NY Times.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by Mizzou_8541

How can the free market address this issue when the government clearly knows what's best for us?

The government isn't stopping any one from doing this. Find a doctor that offers this service, pay for it out of pocket and it's yours. If enough doctors and people go this direction, it will become the norm.

$450 per year per person to cover your GP (does not include specialists, hospitals, sophisticated tests, or prescriptions) isn't something many families will elect to spend their discretionary income on.

Originally Posted by Mizzou_8541

Seriously though, why would insurance companies bar doctors from using the concierge model?

Because it is more expensive. Companies won't pay for those kinds of expensive health care plans for their employees.

[La literatura]

This isn't "the solution." But I support it. There's nothing to dislike about it.

Here are some problems. (i) It's only for GPs (ii) Most GPs work for hospitals as part of the medical staff, not in their own independent office, and its hospital employees who take care of administrative issues. (iii) These GPs are going to accept healthy patients in order to reduce risk

Here are the problems with the medical situation for why this isn't "the fix." (i) High medical costs are associated with specialists. (ii) High medical costs are associated with a small, select population of patients -- the unhealthy, the elderly, the "constant returners."

[BucEyedPea]

You can pay cash for all other services too. I've done it when I didn't have insurance including a hospital.
They love a quick cash pay. Besides our govt overlords ( at least the commies in it ) hate cash because they can't track us as easily.
'f 'em and use cash.

[Shaid]

Insurance companies generally will allow this but at an out of network rate which then applies to your deductible. Of course out of network deductibles are generally large and the allowable is usually much less than the doctor bills.

Insurance companies use the model to keep people going to in network doctors who will accept at contracted rate. It keeps premiums lower and prevents some overbilling. A lot of doctors overbill and don't even realize it. For example, billing for a surgery and then also billing for an incision. The incision is obviously a necessary part of the surgery so it is included in the rate.

Insurance companies are not always the great evil everyone makes them out to be but they are obviously also a business and their purpose is to make money. Good insurance companies do it by trying to limit bad business practices, operate efficiently, and keep lower network rates. Bad ones over-deny services when they shouldn't. It's very difficult for a lay person to tell the difference when you are looking at it from the outside.