John Green, one of the vlogbrothers, posted a video blog on YouTube that so far has racked up over 2 million views, entitled "Why Are American Health Care Costs So High?" The bottom line take-away from this manic, though entertaining (and I assume accurate) review of the United States health care system is the reason why costs are so much higher in the US compared to the rest of the world is ... Because they can... John argues that there is no central pricing control like other countries, that consumers will pay whatever they are charged because, basically, they don't know any better, and there is no transparency in health care pricing. Maybe that's true. I don't know, I'm no expert on health care costs, or health care for that matter - hell, I'm no expert on anything. But it does make sense that health care pricing should be a factor in most medical care decision situations where there is time to make an informed judgment about a procedure - which is most of the time. Some medical businesses are starting to advertise their prices and it's causing some debate in medical circles. The Surgery Center of Oklahoma, owned by its roughly 40 surgeons and anesthesiologists, drew national interest and sparked a bidding war as several other medical facilities in Oklahoma posted their prices according to media reports. Pricing transparency is gaining momentum. North Carolina passed a law requiring hospitals to provide prices on 140 common medical procedures and services. In May, the federal... |
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