Claudius wrote:Before you even get to the problems of coverage model, there is clearly a disconnect between the cost of delivery and the price of services customers are charged for. This is driven by improper cost accounting and high annual escalations. They just need people who understand healthcare accounting to actually redo these costs if they are to retain the status quo.
That's true Claude. I read Steven Brill's book The Bitter Pill last year which is an extended version of an already very long, thoroughly researched article published in Time 5-6 years back, and the main points in it is that the medical costs are what really kills people. Even if they had to pay for treatment themselves, in a fairer society the cost would only have been a fraction of what it is in the US. There's an example of how a standard drug that you can buy 100 of for $5 in most countries or even on Amazon went for like 25 bucks per pill in a lot of American hospitals.
The more complex the treatment the bigger the price hike. Getting a few cancer treatments costs as much as a house. You could have picked up a decent used car for the bill you'll get after an MRI scan. Medical debt is the most common reason for bankruptcy in the US apparently, and bankruptcy is one of the most common reasons for homelessness. It basically means that the healthcare system does the exact opposite of what it's supposed to do: instead of healing people it often leaves them worse off than they were before unless they're rich enough to carry the costs.
The state should absolutely carry the costs of healthcare, but one of the reasons it seems incomprehensively expensive on paper in America is because these horrible, greedy corporations are allowed to run the hospitals in the first place. If only more Americans had read that book I'm sure plenty of them would be armed with pitchforks and out in the streets.
