Quote:
Originally Posted by jogsxyz
The U.S. pays twice as much as any other country for health care. Let's eliminate as many parasites as possible. Medicine is a fine art, not an exact science. We can't afford the trial lawyers and high level insurance execs.
First, I'm an expert in PPACA and the healthcare system overall so please ask me anything.
Second, the reason HC is so expensive in this country has almost nothing to do with insurance executives. Depending on your affiliation - individual, small firm, large firm, insurance companies make a varying amount of profit off of you. While it can be high in the individual mkt, overall insurance profits are very low and net to the system overall, its a benefit given the amount of care restricted.
Litigation is a problem - the direct costs are not as big as you would think. However, the threat of litgation causes doctors to overtest for every little thing. In addition, HC in most settings is reimbursed based on services performed thus incentivizng doctors to do more. This is the far bigger cost.
The biggest variable is that many other developed nations have socialized systems which is why HC spending is so much lower there. Essentially the US is subsidizing the rest of the world. This is well documented.
Last edited by Yowserrrs; 12-06-2011 at 05:37 PM.