We've spent some time in the hospital over the last month... staggering

Feb 20, 2018
10:05:20am

kotacoug All-American

To see the numbers of really really old people just barely hanging on while staying in their hospital rooms with all sorts of machines and monitoring.

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kotacoug

Bio page: kotacoug
Joined: Jul 20, 2002
Last login: May 9, 2024
Total posts: 80,704 (4,690 FO)

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Messages

Author

Time

Why is healthcare so expensive?

SV Coug

2/20/18 9:07am

Too many people going to the ER for a stuffy nose, and old people hanging on

Mr. Scoobs

2/20/18 9:09am

Are the old people hanging on, or are family members telling the Docs to do

OneUpper

2/20/18 9:11am

both

johnnycarson

2/20/18 9:13am

Also, preexisting conditions, lawsuits, cost of schooling

byu1

2/20/18 9:13am

Old People hanging on really is a massive drain. When the 90 year old with heart failure, diabetes, and kidney failure

Slim

2/20/18 9:14am

Honestly death panels were the best part of Obamacare, and it's a shame they

jrob30

2/20/18 9:20am

We've spent some time in the hospital over the last month... staggering

kotacoug

2/20/18 10:05am

and for what purpose?, it's not like they are going to recover and hike timp

Mayor of Cougartown

2/20/18 12:03pm

25% of healthcare costs overall come in last few months of life-- Great Article

jkccoug

2/20/18 12:22pm

Was this not the case 15 years ago?

Twin Roots

2/20/18 9:23am

I wasn't paying attention 15 years ago but my suspicion is that the emphasis on "customer satisfaction" in medicine has

Slim

2/20/18 9:30am

Yes but 2 things:

Martin Van Nostrand

2/20/18 9:30am

One reason is political lobbies

boxydutch

2/20/18 9:13am

Medicare & Insurance disguising the true cost of care-

SouthernBlueBlood

2/20/18 9:13am

I'm not an expert, just involved as a physician, but here are a few things:

gaspasscoug

2/20/18 9:13am

Add in the need for posted prices so consumers actually know what they will have

TailgateU

2/20/18 9:22am

There are so many problems with this that people don't completely understand.

Idahofallsblue

2/20/18 9:28am

If you call your health care provider, can they give you the costs they

StarMan

2/20/18 9:30am

Yes and Yes

Idahofallsblue

2/20/18 10:09am

YES But you have to demand it!

CariocaCoug

2/21/18 2:29pm

<< Deleted >>

Idahofallsblue

2/21/18 2:33pm

So build in the risk premium and come up with a price. Not hard.

Iman23

2/20/18 9:36am

wrong it is hard

Idahofallsblue

2/20/18 10:06am

Not that hard. Lots of complex sitautions in the business world where price is

Baron

2/20/18 10:10am

So if you go to the mechanic he will do the same? Just average out the cost for

Idahofallsblue

2/20/18 10:14am

No. The Mechanic says waht the price of x is and fixes it. If he finds more, he

Baron

2/20/18 10:18am

It’s very hard for anything beyond simple office visits and procedures.

IGlowInTheDark

2/20/18 12:57pm

That still does not preclude posting a price for a procedure with no issues.

TailgateU

2/20/18 11:39am

Like I said. Those prices are available.

Idahofallsblue

2/20/18 12:21pm

Maybe I missed the price display.

TailgateU

2/20/18 1:20pm

Not exactly. Pricing depends on who you have for insurance. My hospital bill

jkccoug

2/21/18 6:43am

Actually there is one price.

Idahofallsblue

2/21/18 7:01am

Semantics.

jkccoug

2/21/18 2:58pm

There is one price for each thing done.

IGlowInTheDark

2/21/18 3:06pm

Not what I'm talking about or what was claimed.

jkccoug

2/21/18 3:17pm

What I claimed is correct and within the context of my post and actually agrees

Idahofallsblue

2/21/18 3:25pm

Which is semantics. It's the same thing as having lots of prices.

jkccoug

2/21/18 3:29pm

So you want single payer then? Or do you advocate that all insurance companies

Idahofallsblue

2/21/18 4:12pm

The cost is not related to the diagnosis, but the treatment. You said one didn't

TailgateU

2/21/18 4:32pm

only because you need to call two places

Idahofallsblue

2/21/18 4:36pm

I'm sure that getting through the phone trees at multiple large organizations

TailgateU

2/22/18 8:03am

That sounds great. Me too. Get 3rd party insurance out of medicine and that

Idahofallsblue

2/22/18 8:27am

In addition, you mention high admin costs, which are partially driven by

TailgateU

2/20/18 9:25am

This is so true.

slowhiteguy

2/20/18 10:54am

Some quick examples on ordering too many tests

WorfoSAUR

2/20/18 9:38am

I have given general anesthesia to literally hundreds of toddlers for MRIs

gaspasscoug

2/20/18 9:44am

But because it has become the community standard, even if it isn't good medicine, you can be sued for not doing those

Slim

2/20/18 9:55am

A lack of faith in an afterlife makes us hold on beyond our ability to feel joy.

cdr88

2/20/18 9:54am

Anesthesiologist I assume:-) I whole heartedly agree with your

BringYourUltimate

2/20/18 9:31pm

What many forget is the billions of wasted efficiency dollars due to HIPAA, all

jaba166

2/21/18 1:34am

As a beneficiary of State of the Art Premie care

CariocaCoug

2/21/18 2:51pm

Lifestyle choices, obseity, and a general disregard for health

a priori

2/20/18 9:16am

Is there a resource that catalogs total health care expenditures by category

barnacle

2/20/18 9:17am

We buy cars, groceries, and pretty much everything based on price - but not healthcare. We have no knowledge

Cougar-Duck

2/20/18 9:18am

You don’t know what a patient is going to need though...

IGlowInTheDark

2/20/18 1:06pm

Because we keep people alive way too long.

byubyu

2/20/18 9:18am

If you were legislating this, at what age would you kill someone off?

a priori

2/20/18 9:21am

I think any person with half a brain would make the decision on a combination of

OneUpper

2/20/18 9:27am

Really? What about those with a full brain?

a priori

2/20/18 9:29am

Same as half a brain, of course.

OneUpper

2/20/18 9:30am

Sounds too hard.

a priori

2/20/18 9:31am

HuskerFan2

2/20/18 9:31am

Letting someone die and killing someone off are 2 completely different things.

byubyu

2/20/18 9:33am

Sure, but I disagree with this whole premise.

a priori

2/20/18 9:35am

They are. But for some reason, when the time comes, a lot of families have trouble seeing the difference.

Slim

2/20/18 9:35am

Increased life expectancy plays a role.

spugeddy24

2/20/18 9:21am

technology, poor health, and greed

smokymountainrain

2/20/18 9:25am

Tommy Ahlquist, a doctor running for Gov here in Idaho, came and spoke to us

RC Vikings

2/20/18 9:33am

(not arguing, just making an observation)....and the introduction of government

StarMan

2/20/18 9:36am

In addition to the others mentioned in this thread, other countries leach off

Skeptical Optimist

2/20/18 9:39am

That includes new technology. While other countries are fine using older

Napoli

2/20/18 10:02am

Health insurance should be catastrophic coverage and not pay for every drug

Napoli

2/20/18 10:09am

Valeant was a good reason for the last decade.

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