You have to ask yourself: What bad thing happens if we do nothing? The answer to this is intuitive. Healthcare costs keep rising. We keep paying.
Why MUST healthcare costs keep rising? Because they can? Because they will? Because they always have? All of the above!
Simple example: Ask any healthcare finance executive in the USA: How much DOES it cost for me to get a quadruple bypass at your hospital?
He or she will say: Well, sir, that all depends on who pays your bill! Who is your healthcare payer?
Ummm...why do you ask?
Healthcare Executive: Well, sir, it is a bit convoluted, but here at XYZ Hospital, we get reimbursed say at one rate by Medicare, and another rate by Medicaid, and a couple different rates by Private insurance companies such as United Health Care and Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield... so we really can not tell you what YOUR price will be until you show us your insurance card.
Plus we here at XYZ Hospital do a lot of business with Medicare / Medicaid patients and this Payer generally pays the very lowest reimbursement rates. Therefore we may need to charge YOU a little more - in order to make up the difference. Please show me your insurance card. :)
Oh yeah, plus we have some folks that can't pay anything. So we may have to charge YOU a little more - in order to make up that difference too.
:) Keep smiling! Healthiness begins with you!
