tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826806328399358366.post7767153109124079973..comments2023-05-30T04:11:57.894-06:00Comments on Steam Powered Opinions: Ezra spinning his wheels to defend the Senate financing schemeSteve Balbonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238259030777462457noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826806328399358366.post-1666393715158243462009-12-29T15:48:01.041-07:002009-12-29T15:48:01.041-07:00The real issue in cost control debates is not how ...The real issue in cost control debates is not how much care people get, but what price they pay for it. Consuming more health care services than necessary is not something that many people need to do, and when it is a problem, intervention with individual hypocondriacs, rather than generalized incentives, is usually what is necessary.<br /><br />Providers (doctors, nurses, med techs, med administrators, drug companies, hospitals, etc.) in the U.S. get paid far more than those elsewhere, even adjusting for cost of living, and charge many times more than that as their "usual price" that no one pays. For example, a hospital near where my father lives charges $900 for a one hour stay in a recovery room with no services other than a bed and intercom, on top of labor charges for the professionals doing the procedure before and charges for using that space.<br /><br />In contrast, the Japanese use much more health care, but are exceptionally stingy with providers, and end up with a third as much cost per capita.<br /><br />Large premium plans mostly involve little more than pre-paying for what one would otherwise pay for in predictable out of pocket medical costs. They are combined insurance and health savings account plans with less paperwork than a true HSA.Andrew Oh-Willekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02537151821869153861noreply@blogger.com