Also via Insty, a Reason article on why hospital costs run amok. (Ignore the wishful thinking about the Lib candidate getting air time over this.)
According to this, hospitals can write-off money they don't collect from the uninsured. This gives them powerful strong incentive to overcharge the uninsured. First, they get whatever they can collect from the poor sap who had the misfortune to get sick. Second, they get a tax break for driving the poor bastard into bankruptcy.
I believe this is what's known as "adding insult to injury".
You just knew the government was at the bottom of the whole mess, didn't you? Just like the subprime lending, the oil shortage, inflation, etc. etc. etc.
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You just knew the government was at the bottom of the whole mess, didn't you?
ReplyDeleteYes indeed. But I smiled when I read the line about the little Wal-Mart clinics. The "evil corporate giant" comes to the aid of the poor with low costs once again. If we can fight off universal health care for another decade or so, Wal-Mart just might prove that it is possible to provide decent, affordable, non-emergency service.
I know the Wal-Mart thing sounds good, but when they do the angioplasty with those life raft thingies, you have to think twice ya know.
ReplyDeleteYou know, IKEA has this issue in Germany.
ReplyDeleteThey serve better food at a cheap price and provide a nicer atmosphere than your average state-run old-age home, that the old folks hang out there, instead of said state-run old-age homes.
And this really pisses the socialists off! They've tried (maybe succeeded to run IKEA off.)
Lousy Swedes. (Boy, is that ironic, or what?)
Hey, TY--a lot of specialized medical gear is pretty much the same thing as some cheaper, simpler, available-at-retail item.
ReplyDeleteIOW, you're probably get the life-raft treatment already, they just mark it up 1000000%.