(August 30, 2016 at 3:21 pm)Cato Wrote: I bright this up in another thread. Most hospitals struggle to break even. Negotiated rates and the ability to cover costs for those that don't pay is a convoluted mess.
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/0...imer/?_r=0
Drill into the linked paper for what the authors describe as chaos.
In short, anyone that believes the prices itemized on their hospital bill have anything to do with what's actually being charged is also likely to believe they're actually getting 50-75% off clothing at Kohls. Insurance companies and Medicare/Medicaid have negotiated rates regardless of what the itemization says; therefore, Medicare isn't telling the hospital to fuck off, just simply paying the negotiated rate.
They struggle to break even because they have to provide emergency care to all who appear.
https://www.acep.org/news-media-top-banner/emtala/
Quote:The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) is a federal law that requires anyone coming to an emergency department to be stabilized and treated, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay, but since its enactment in 1986 has remained an unfunded mandate.
Those who can get in under Medicaid rules will get the hospital some reimbursement but this is, essentially, the whole problem with health care in the US. There is no real incentive for hospitals to do much more than the basics because without some form of insurance they cannot even admit them and suck the insurance dry. They know damn well these people, indigent mainly, will never be back until the next catastrophe.
Thus when the republicunts say "they can just go to the emergency room" they are effectively saying that such people can use the most expensive care available AND no one is going to pay for it.
