Comments on: Massachusetts Insurance Fiasco http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/04/massachusetts_i.html Dispatches from a Small Business Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:53:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Silent-Fire http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/04/massachusetts_i.html/comment-page-1#comment-3243 Silent-Fire Thu, 06 Apr 2006 05:24:31 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2006/04/massachusetts_i.html #comment-3243 <p>I would have to say that this bill may help fix one of the problems with the health care industry today: incredibly high prices for uninsured individuals. Because hospitals are required to provide emergency care to everyone, they end up with a fairly large number of patients who don't ever pay for the care they receive. Meanwhile, the large health insurance companies negotiate lower rates for their customers, and so the prices for uninsured people go way up. ($500 before the price my insurance company negotiated ($150) for visit to the urgent care clinic, where I got 20 minutes with the doctor, a shot of antibiotics, and a prescription)</p> <p>I'd like to see a requirement that hospitals and other care providers charge a fixed price for all patients, regardless of their insurance. If providers wish, they can offer some sort of sliding fee scale based on income, but for health care, I don't feel it's appropriate to charge different people different rates for the same procedure, depending on their insurance.</p> I would have to say that this bill may help fix one of the problems with the health care industry today: incredibly high prices for uninsured individuals. Because hospitals are required to provide emergency care to everyone, they end up with a fairly large number of patients who don’t ever pay for the care they receive. Meanwhile, the large health insurance companies negotiate lower rates for their customers, and so the prices for uninsured people go way up. ($500 before the price my insurance company negotiated ($150) for visit to the urgent care clinic, where I got 20 minutes with the doctor, a shot of antibiotics, and a prescription)

I’d like to see a requirement that hospitals and other care providers charge a fixed price for all patients, regardless of their insurance. If providers wish, they can offer some sort of sliding fee scale based on income, but for health care, I don’t feel it’s appropriate to charge different people different rates for the same procedure, depending on their insurance.

]]> By: jburns http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/04/massachusetts_i.html/comment-page-1#comment-3242 jburns Thu, 06 Apr 2006 04:11:22 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2006/04/massachusetts_i.html #comment-3242 <p>From a quick view of the bill, it appears that employers have to offer health insurance to all employees, and the percentage covered by the employer has to be the same for all employees. I suspect, if this is the structure, we will see employers elect to not pay any of the premium directly. Salaries will adjust to account for this -- salaries in jobs where health insurance historically has been covered largely by the employer will increase to provide the employees with money to pay for the coverage themselves, while salaries in jobs where health insurance historically has not been provided will not change. The end effect will be no change in employer paid coverage. There will simply be more people who are receiving taxpayer subsidized health care because, frankly, they have no choice but to receive it.</p> From a quick view of the bill, it appears that employers have to offer health insurance to all employees, and the percentage covered by the employer has to be the same for all employees. I suspect, if this is the structure, we will see employers elect to not pay any of the premium directly. Salaries will adjust to account for this — salaries in jobs where health insurance historically has been covered largely by the employer will increase to provide the employees with money to pay for the coverage themselves, while salaries in jobs where health insurance historically has not been provided will not change. The end effect will be no change in employer paid coverage. There will simply be more people who are receiving taxpayer subsidized health care because, frankly, they have no choice but to receive it.

]]> By: SpinMan http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/04/massachusetts_i.html/comment-page-1#comment-3241 SpinMan Thu, 06 Apr 2006 01:19:39 +0000 http://coyote-blog.com/wordpress/2006/04/massachusetts_i.html #comment-3241 <p>WM,<br /> The article and my father say it's Medicaid, not Medicare that covers the poor people. Just a heads up.<br /> Keith</p> WM,
The article and my father say it’s Medicaid, not Medicare that covers the poor people. Just a heads up.
Keith

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