The Indiana statehouse held a hearing on a proposed bill that would limit several hospital practices that increase healthcare costs.
The bill would prohibit certain nonprofit hospitals from having noncompete clauses for physicians and stop them only giving referrals within their own organization. Also, it would fine hospitals if they charge over 260% of the Medicare reimbursement rate.
A Ball State economist, Michael Hicks, said that it could drop costs 15% within four years for an average person, but hospital executives say it penalizes them things out of their control.
3 comments
Hospitals charge way to much of anything a aspirin 10.00 really,over night stay for something simple 1500.00 to 2000.00 wonder why insurance is so high,+ we have to pay for medicare and medicaid taxes to🤔
The quality of nursing care has the greatest influence on patient outcomes, but hospitals cannot charge for this because insurance doesn’t reimburse for it. Nor can they charge for the teams of highly trained healthcare professionals that are required to ensure that insurance covers what they say they will for hospital services. And there is also a pharmacy staff helps to deliver care as well.
If hospitals could transparently list charges for the services actually rendered, then patients would be better informed for making decisions and forming opinions. But insurance does not reimburse for these itemized services, so the cost of care has to be wrapped up in the fee charged for certain items and reimbursable services. (I.e. the charge for an aspirin has to include the cost of the work it took to deliver that aspirin to the patient while following all regulatory standards, not just the cost of the pill)
It’s about time legislation is introduced to stop the monopolies who use patients as a tool to build power and wealth in their hospital systems. I work for an independent Healthcare provider, and I know first hand the criminal actions these hospitals take with self-referring patients to their own networks. In fact, when we send a patient to certain not-for-profit hospital physicians, we have to coach the patient on how to stand up for their patient rights because the hospital employees are going to hi-jack the patients’ decision making authority. I have plenty of patients who will testify to their experiences of being forced into healthcare decisions without any concern about choice, or affordabilty factors. This behavior from nonprofit hospitals is out of control, and don’t be fooled, it’s not about care at all. Greed and power are the objectives. We have plenty of evidence to support it.