----- Original Message ----- From: "David E. Smith" <d...@mvn.net> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 7:53 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Insurance....
> On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 21:37, MDK <rea...@muddyfrogwater.us> wrote: > >> Medicare reimburses doctors, hospitals, etc, somewhere between 10 and 60% >> of >> the COST of what people who are on medicare actually get. The rest of >> us >> who actually PAY are paying to subsidize them. >> > > Source? > > (The real number is closer to 85%, and if doctors' offices didn't have to > retain such large billing staffs to constantly bird-dog recalcitrant > insurance companies, that rate would be more than fair.) I've been involved in the local hospital here. The number is all over the board. A recent example they had was Pnemonia (or some similar thing, can't remember at the moment). Medicare pays for 4 days of hospital stay. If you can push the patient out in 3 days you make money. If you have to keep them for 7 days you loose money. The reimbursement is NOT at all related to that patient's actual costs. It's only related to what the government says they SHOULD have cost. Just think if you were paid to fix things based on what the customer (the goverment IS the customer remember) thought it SHOULD have cost. "Yes Mr. Smith, I'm quite sure that it should have only taken 20 minutes to properly install XP on that 5 year old computer." Even IF your number of 85% was a real average (60% is the number I remember being told by our hospital administrator) that's a COST reimbursement. No profit there. What do you think John could afford to pay you if the customers only paid 85% of the COSTS of being in business? > > >> Frankly, for those of you want a single payer system... Could you tell >> the >> rest of us what experience you have with a federal agency that has so >> inspired you with confidence over their efficiency, responsiveness, >> wisdom, >> and fantastic ability, that you stood in awe and said "I want them in >> charge >> of my life!" > > > Yup. Medicare. Very simple program, very low overhead (on the order of 3%, > as compared to about 20% for the typical insurance company). Proven to > improve health care outcomes for those covered by it. Um, that's NOT at all correct. If its such a great program why does every other ad on TV try to talk you into buying suplimental insurance? Honestly, why is there a need for insurance on top of Medicare? marlon > > David Smith > MVN.net > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
