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medpundit |
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Monday, August 18, 2003However, he's mistaken about the influence of the uninsured on today's spiraling healthcare costs: "However, all uninsured Americans can receive health care that they don't have to pay for. Health care for the uninsured is paid for by tax dollars spent on Medicaid or the state Children's Health Insurance Programs, or through higher insurance premiums and medical charges to those covered, to make up for the losses incurred by doctors and hospitals when they treat the uninsured. In fact, the uninsured who pay their bills are the ones who get socked with the higher prices to make up for the discounts that are given to insurance companies. The health insurance companies rarely pay full price for an office visit or a hospital stay. Their bargaining power in any given market is such that they pretty much set the prices they pay - usually some percentage of Medicare's reimbursement rate. It's the rare hospital or doctor who can afford to refuse to accept their rates. Meanwhile, the uninsured have to pay full price. UPDATE: A reader points out the uninsured are doubly wronged: And tack on another 35% because they pay with after-tax dollars, rather than tax-exempt employer-payed premiums. It's a dirty scam to drive business to insurers, even though most people could self-insure for minor medical costs. posted by Sydney on 8/18/2003 11:00:00 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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