A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Eye-opening information on hospital costs.

Posted: Jul 5, 2012

I watched Dr. Sanjay Gupta's piece on CNN this week where he was explaining why hospital costs were so high. Of all the bills collected by the hospital from all sources they only end up actually collecting 4%, that's 4 cents for every dollar billed! To compensate, they bill accordingly so they come out even or ahead, $800 for a disposable chest tube that in reality costs less than $50 from the supplier. This was really shocking to me! To be fair, labor needs to be included in the price the hospital bills. This set me to thinking. (Oh oh) How much of this shortfall on the hospital end is due to the inability or failure of the uninsured to pay for the care they receive? I am also now seeing how with everyone insured the % that hospitals actually collect should go up just by the fact that there will no longer be uninsured people. Maybe the chest tube that they now have to charge $800 for will be $700, or even $400, in the future? Hope springs eternal! I realize this is a bit simplistic, but it makes me look at Obamacare a little more optimistically.

;

ha - careful

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those paying for the 'uninsured' are US and our tax dollars..our natl debt will skyrocket to over $17.5 trillion in by 2016. A lot of large companies will opt out of insuring their employees because it is CHEAPER to pay the penalty!!! This is nothing but socialized medicine and it's 2000+ pages are a monstrosity!!! My insurance premium went up $50/month since Obamacare. My mom just got a letter from her long-time cardiologist of termination of covering her at most hospitals anymore.. and it goes on. But hey, at least that chest tube will cost a few hundred $$ less!! My kids and grandkids will have this on their backs.. sadly.. this is a disaster.

I was in the hospital once, and on my bill they - charged me $14 for ONE Kotex pad.

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Someone should stuff a Kotex pad down their throat.......

(If I'd known hospital ones were THAT expensive, I'd - have brought my own!) nm

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X

that doesn't work, either. They charge you to - sadMT

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hand it to you! When my mom was in the hospital, we took her meds from home so she wouldn't have to "pay" for the same thing at the hospital. They charged her for dispensing her own medication!

And I wonder why the earlier poster thinks the hospitals would charge LESS for something just because insurance is picking up the tab?

Except that everyone will still not have - insurance

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and those making under $9500 won't even be taxed for not having it - things will continue for them the way it always has. Not to mention all of those who have currently have insurance through their employers but the employers decide to drop it. And don't forget about the tax on medical equipment. I think it's great that you're trying to be optimistic, but don't look for that chest tube (or anything else) to be cheaper any time soon.

Take a deep breath and understand that anyone who earns... - sm

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133% of the poverty level will receive a voucher that in effect will enable them to have Medicaid benefits. If you have a job where benefits are provided and you have a reasonable plan, you can keep it. If not, you can choose a plan from a menu. You cannot be discriminated against because you are a women or because you have a pre-existing condition. The downside is that because there is no public option, there is no limit on the premiums that can be charged.

Right. Anyone earning 133% OR LESS than the federal - poverty limit gets Medicaid benefits. That is

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many here. The trick is that a number of governors, especially in the South, are vowing not to participate. Hot air only, but it will delay availability to people in those states. Temporarily. The financial incentive to those states to participate is enormous: they will be paid big time to join. Some of the states with the worst local programs will have almost the entire cost of caring for their uninsured people shifted to the US population as a whole via our federal government. If not all voters realize what's at stake, the many giant hospital and other healthcare corporations DO and will make sure it happens everywhere before too long.

So, everyone earning little enough to qualify who wants virtually free health insurance should find out where their states are standing. Hostile bombast would mean likely extra delay implementing. For people worried about health issues and how to get and pay for care, it could be very worth establishing residence in a state that intends so sign up (most of them). After all, a year's delay in care kills many thousands of people every year. As for the bills for a year's worth of care of a chronic condition...

You know what's funny? We'll end up - paying to provide care to some of

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these people. I confess, even of some of these individually are not exactly welcome at this point, I do support Obamacare because I do want this to be a great country and our people in general to be able to live long healthy and prosperous lives. Even ones I find myself hoping didn't reproduce themselves.

You know what's funny? You are already... - sm

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paying for the people who can't or won't pay their own medical bills.

We provide care now to "those" people, whoever - they are in your mind NM

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x

Keep up the spin - Our plan just recently bounced

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Over 500 wanted to keep it - but under Obamacare it was "deemed" illegal. You people that think this is the answer are sadly mistaken. No news coverage of all that lost coverage because of this, lost their docs...another Obama lie. Look what the govt did to Mediare? You think Obamacare is going to be any better run. Better hope you have psych coverage under Obamancare cos under Obamancer you're sure gonna need once it reality sets in.

If it "bounced" it WAS illegal. You might want to - find out what is really happening, though. SM

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It is something you really need to know, after all. Rush is definitely not the one to turn to on this one.

You might want to get a clue - NOT ILLEGAL UNTIL OBAMA

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came along. We all had it for years, loved our coverage. Sure don't need advice for one of the Obama ***. Your turn is coming. Your statements, on their face, are ridiculous...Rush had nothing to do with my insurance. The communist did. Put your hatred aside for 1 minute of anything not socialist, WAKE UP AND ***. We have all the bike racks we need. You make a lot of wrong assumptions about insurance you have no knowledge of. Typical blow-hard liberal tactic.

OMG. Obamacare doesnt make - health insurance "illegal".

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Chances are your employer cancelled it, went shopping in the bargain basement and didn't find anything. Maybe the carrier itself went bankrupt. Someone is selling you a bill of goods. The idea behind ACA is to insure folks, not to take coverage away. Nothing in there empowers the government to shut down insurance companies. You are the one who need to get the clue.

I agree. The hatred for the "communist" is - clear in this post SM

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and it does sound like something Rush would proclaim as fact. Really, the AHA does not make insurance illegal, it is something your employer did. Have you read the ACA? When you do, come back and point out where it says that it can make some insurance policies illegal.

I'm not doing any of your reasearch - I know what *** Obammie did

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Come back here and prove he didn't. You can't because Obama did exactly what poster stated. Your "love" for the *** is evident and all over your posts.

link you might enjoy - sm

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You might find some like-minded people here: http://commieblaster.com/

FLAT OUT LIE HERE - NO knowledge of facts regarding Obamacare

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Insurance companies are being FORCED BY LAW to remove policies that Obamacare finds illegal; i.e, then the policy holders are not longer allowed to use them, i.e., they lose their insurance. Get it? Try actually reading something besides the Commmunist Weekly.

Who said anything about Rush? - sm

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I'd like you to copy and paste the portion of the post that talked about Rush, cos I've read the post a couple times now and am missing that. Maybe its in invisible ink that only you can see. Please I would like to see what part of her post talked about Rush. And unless anyone is a mind reader here, nobody know who she listens to, watches or whatever.

And who are you to tell her that her policy was illegal? Have you seen her policy? Did she mentioned who holds her policy? I'm sure it wasn't "illegal".

How about discussing the issue instead of attacking the poster.

Rush - MTFISH

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One need not be a mind reader to know who listens to or watches the likes of Rush, Fox News, Boortz, the Christian Coalition, et al. It is one of the most obvious things in America and a sad, black mark on our once great nation.

Clear as a bell, MTFish, I agree - NM

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x

Communist Weekly - Communists

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"One need not be a mind reader to know who listens to or watches the likes of" CNN, MSNBC, Biull Mayer, Ed Schultz, Paul Krugman, Media Matters, The Communist Weekly "et al. It is one of the most obvious things in America and a sad, black mark on our once great nation."

Yes, the commies have certainly made a "sad, black mark on our once great nation" starting with their *** in Chief Obama.

Once again you have proven you have no idea - The Sarge

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what someone reads or listens to. She did not mention Rush, Fox or any of the other assumptions you wrote. In fact by reading her article I see nothing that would even indicate what she wrote came from there. The hatred for anyone conservative has blinded any common sense.

One of the most obvious things in America and a sad black mark on our nation is the people so consumed in hate they assume they know what other people read or watch and then come here and spread their hate and mindless arrogance.

Oh yeah, and our Nation is STILL GREAT! I and others serve this great Nation so that people can be free. They should have the freedom of speech and expression without someone coming along insinuating, assuming, and insulting them just because they don't share the same viewpoint.

Our Nation is great! If you don't like it there are plenty of countries on this world. Don't take kindly to people insulting this great country I spent years defending.

The media doesn't cover stuff - that doesn't happen.

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ACA shut down your insurance company? How do you figure it did that when only limited provisions have gone into effect so far? Who told you that? Which insurance carrier? Sure would like to read all about it.

Won't do any good. Probably some slimeball on a - radio station or web site.

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Apparently, intelligent people on the right have become really worried about, and are discussing, what's being called "epistemic closure," the serious problems arising from so many of their own choosing to live inside an information bubble and unreachable by facts.

It's being discussed as a problem for the right, but of course it's really become a tremendous problem for the country as a whole. And, yes, the Left has fools, but just not so many of that particular type.

Thanks for the heads up. Since I don't hang with - any conservative intellectuals

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and wouldn't know where the find one if my life depended on it, this is a new one for me. I found one article and I must say, it sounds fascinating, so I think I'll do some more digging. It must be a daunting task for them to try to take it all on. I get overwhelmed just thinking about it.

New term for me in an editorial, had to look it up. - NM

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x

Better check the mirror then - - You'll see one lib that fits

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.

I disagree. The MSM is blatantly liberal-friendly - and conservative bashing

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that I'm surprised people don't recognize it. There is a definite double standard in the main stream media.

Don't forget the fact that they put their - liberal spin on anything.

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Almost laughable how they are attempting to put a good spin on the latest dismal job figures, all to portray Pres. O. in a good light. "He's trying so hard."

And, of course, you blame only Obama for - the jobs numbers, right? SM

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Do you follow what Congress does? Do you know how many bills Obama has attempted to get passed that are filibustered by the repubs in congress? Are you aware of their strategy to "just say no" to anything he wants to do to get those job numbers up? Please tell me I am wrong about your post. Tell me you see the bigger picture going on.

As soon as you tell us "you see the bigger - picture going on"

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Obama solely responsible for jobs prboblems.

Are YOU aware House has passed over 26 jobs bills, but Democrats refuse to even read them, let alone vote on them?

Are YOU aware that Obama supports complete refusal to employ ANY Republican jobs program because "HE WON" and elections have consequences"? Obama's words?

Are YOU aware of Obama's "just say no" to anything Republican to try and blame them for Obama's incompetence?

Are YOU aware of Obaman's inability to take responsbility for ANYTHING and Obama's endless need to BLAME everyone else for his shortcomings?

By your post, evidenly you are lacking in awareness on ALL levels.

wow - MTFISH

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I recognize the EXACT opposite. Please...do some research and see who actually OWNS the various outlets of the "MSM" and their political affiliations...because you are dead wrong.

wow - MTFISH - Do some research yourself

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Especially the recent poll by MSM taken from their own ranks that stated they were liberal leaning. Pretty clear you don't read anything that does not support your thoughts...dam the facts.

Try ac tually reading and comprehending - Post never said

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Post NEVER SAID Obamacare closed the insurance company. OP said the "policy" was made illegal. HUGR DIFFERENCE...Never said a word about the insurance company. Try actually paying attention.

exactly right. The insured pay right now for - the uninsured NM

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