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Awesome. I'm glad we've made progress. Start giving prices. Sometimes, they won't matter. Do it anyway. Sometimes, they matter. You can do it. Just do it.
Wouldn't it be nice if they had a way of getting this information? Perhaps you could help. You could, for example, share the information that you have with them. You've agreed that you do have relevant information. We all know that it's not perfect, but it can be useful. You've agreed that you do give it to patients sometimes. Just do it.
We are talking about patient choices.
Mostly because you do shit like lie and hide prices. Stop hurting. Start helping.
What value does a posted price of a gallbladder removal provide for a patient if:
That number is incorrect the majority of the time due to clinical circumstances.
That price is not what anybody involved (either the insurance or the patient) actually pays.
Remember, if they make decisions off of this information they may spend more money.
The cheaper sticker price can be more expensive by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
At this point I think you make a compelling argument for why this information should not be delivered to patients. I'm sure many people would understand the problem here, but you post here and are therefore presumably reasonably intelligent and educated and you don't seem to get it.
What you are asking for is anti-information, in the sense that is intrinsically inaccurate, unhelpful, unrelated, and may lead people to make the wrong decision.
If you want to know how much something costs a patient, ask the person who is actually paying for it...the insurance. Why are we involved when it's the insurance who decides what things costs and how much to pay. You want patients not to be surprised by uncovered stuff? Ask the person who decides what is covered.
We are not in charge of this for gods sake.
You can provide them the information that you have. That includes information like negotiated prices, so they are not only looking at sticker prices.
You are both parties to the determination of price. If you don't think you're involved at all, then I will just go tell all the health insurance CEOs that they can stop getting shot by just paying you $1 for everything. After all, you're not involved at all with anything related to prices, so that couldn't change anything, right?
...or are you involved somehow?
Again, the only group that actually gains anything from maximally clear information is insurance companies since it improves their bargaining position. This information has no practical value to consumers and as is self-evident at this point, is confusing and misleading.
So is your goal to improve profits and rent-seeking for insurance?
If your goal is improve consumer choice or spending, or decrease healthcare costs...pick something that does that.
You are not providing any information to the insurance company. They already get the price that you charge them (that's in the bill that you send them); they already have the negotiated price (you both agreed to it). You are providing information to your patients.
EDIT: I love how it magically changed from totally meaningless information that was complete nonsense, because the insurance company decides everything anyway and they have it all anyway.... to absolutely critical and vital information, such that if the insurance company gets even a whiff of it, it'll be an insane disaster. Like wow, dude. Listen to yourself.
This information has no value to patients. You cannot use this information to make more informed decisions. You cannot use this information to find cheaper care. Or more expensive care. You can give them false certainty, that's about it.
In situations where the information has value (like prescriptions)....we give this information to patients and there are a number of robust tools to facilitate this, even apps.
You are asking for something that has no value and has costs. Stop doing that. This is why healthcare is expensive. If you want to improve something please do! I'll support you. Don't make things more expensive for no reasons for fucks sake.
You already agreed that it can have value. Just give them the information that you have. You're out of excuses.
I did not.
Yes you did.
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