Originally Posted by
dawg80
Day surgery...
I have had knee surgery twice at the Natch day surgery unit, and I joked with them they need a drive-through! I checked in at 9am and by noon I was headed home. Yes, it was that laproscopy (sp?) procedure. In and out. And, before obummercare wrecked our HCI, I paid only $100 out-of-pocket for both of those surgeries. I haven't had any major procedures since we've had to suffer the changes with all the crap piled on, but my out-of-pocket for the exact same procedures would be considerably higher. I think it would be at least $1,000 and we get to pay higher premiums for the privilege of having HCI now.
Thinking out loud....
would it be feasible for a hospital, and doctors/surgeons, and the necessary other services, to form a private entity whereby they offer self-funded insurance to members? Kind of like buying a burial policy at a funeral home. Members of this organization pay a monthly premium...well, now that I think about it. I suppose if that medical organization did not take any deadbeat patients, provided ZERO services to anyone unable to pay. They could take cash or a major credit card from non-members.
Of course, the real problem for HC providers, including hospitals, is not non-paying customers (although that contributes greatly) but is really their over-pricing of their services. I am supposed to believe that the cost of insurance: liability, mal-practice, etc. does not contribute to the costs of HC providers. Yeah, right. So! it's really an artificial price hike. Just look at the EKG example provided by RhythmDawg, and apply that to all services.
Seems to me a self-contained membership-driven provider could work. But, yes, obviously, to make it work and make it worthwhile for customers to join, the membership pool would have to be a certain size. (chicken and the egg?)