Health care making no sense, as usual

[flexagon]

Today I woke up pretty early and leaped on my laundry pile and my snail-mail pile.

In the snail-mail pile was an "explanation of benefits" from my health insurance people... apparently the hospital charged $1718.00 for "supplies" for services rendered on July 24. What the hell? Thanks to LJ, I know that's the day I had a scope stuck up my nose. A tongue depressor was also involved. I was in and out of that office in half an hour... the only plausible explanation for this bill is that they threw away the entire scope after seeing me, along with the attached optical stuff and the doctor's glasses. Then there's the $400 "miscellaneous" from the same day.

The numbers on the form, which don't add up at all, somehow have me paying only 14.70 out of pocket. It's so easy to let "the system" pay exorbitant fees. I think I'm coming around to the notion that, maybe with the two exceptions of baseline medical care and unexpected catastrophes, small-scale health expenses should just be paid by individuals, so that we can have some freaking price-based competition here.

Health care and health care insurance aren't the same thing at all.

Note: I admit to being influenced by last month's Atlantic article on this topic.

Comments

[nahele-101.livejournal.com]

I lose faith each day this "health care reform" debate goes on...

Your doctor is ripping off the insurance company. Your insurance company is ripping off its customers...ad infinitum...

I have full coverage for superdupercheap and I STILL want this shit to end (the waste, fraud, and corruption.)

[kaigex.livejournal.com]

+1 to saying the system is ridiculously wasteful and that needs to be addressed. But consider you might make too much money to make your perspective on paying for small-scale care skewed vis-à-vis myriad peoples - countless will simply forgo the care until it is a bigger problem.