Trump vs Big Healthcare

[demi-conservative]

The Republicans don't appear to have plans... remind me what the Republican proposal to fix healthcare is again?

I hear that Trump wants to pursue an effective strategy, which is not 'spread the massively overpriced costs around'.

The fight is on.

Inpatient U.S. hospital prices grew 42% between 2007 and 2014, according to a study this year in Health Affairs.

Hospital groups sued to block a Trump administration rule forcing them to disclose secret rates, for the first time laying out the industry’s legal strategy for defeating the president’s central health-policy initiative.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday says the rule compelling the hospitals to publish their negotiated rates with insurers violates the First Amendment and goes beyond the statutory intent of the Affordable Care Act.

“The burden of compliance with the rule is enormous, and way out of line with any projected benefits associated with the rule,” according to the suit, which was filed by the American Hospital Association and other industry groups in U.S. District Court in Washington.

The groups say the disclosure under the rule would be compelled speech in violation of the First Amendment. They are asking for an expedited decision, saying hospitals could otherwise spend needless time and resources preparing for a rule that may be invalidated by the court.

“Hospitals should be ashamed that they aren’t willing to provide American patients the cost of a service before they purchase it,” said Caitlin Oakley, a spokeswoman for Health and Human Services. “President Trump and Secretary [Alex] Azar are committed to providing patients the information they need to make their own informed health-care decisions and will continue to fight for transparency in America’s health-care system.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/hospita...le-11575460685

[simplicio]

The fight is on.

I welcome the move towards some level of transparency. But it is worth noting that few in congress have welcomed full transparency of prices.

But it is not as simple as it sounds, various diagnoses have diverse costs and reimbursements, as well as negotiated rates.

[demi-conservative]

I welcome the move towards some level of transparency. But it is worth noting that few in congress have welcomed full transparency of prices.

Let me guess...because the health industry has "lobbied" them?

But it is not as simple as it sounds, various diagnoses have diverse costs and reimbursements, as well as negotiated rates.

They can easily reveal the figures, and the public can examine them to make an informed decision.

[simplicio]

Let me guess...because the health industry has "lobbied" them?



They can easily reveal the figures, and the public can examine them to make an informed decision.

Health care, insurance, pharma, doctors' groups all have a stake and lobby.

Not sure that it is all that easy. Some hospitals will (mostly) take patients with certain diagnoses from through some insurance companies or other hospitals. And the shift is to not just "rent" the bed for a set amount, but to bill based on what the diagnosis. Couple that with the practice of negotiating rates with some insurance provider to ensure some optimal capacity, and rates are not easy to break out.

We do not have a Healthcare system which is monolithic, even a single major hospital will often have separate wings devoted to a specialty, such as joint replacements. And the industry (it is an industry which behaves like any other industry which can be modelled) integrates by combining with other hospitals. So the individual patient may enter a health care provider and be shuffled to another piece of real estate (hospital).

Yes, I do think the rates should be transparent, similar to the transportation industry where rates are, or were, published and a matter of record. I am skeptical about an informed decision being made.