Medical equipment and supplies are extremely expensive. Life expectancies haven't increased because everyone is obese.
Quality isn't the problem because your ideas aren't implemented. Tennessee has four med schools. How many more are necessary?
Some cash only docs will set you a price. But for the most part, it is not easy, doable, or, really, practical. There are living expenses, costs of malpractice insurance, etc, that make a price in X location different than Y. Then, there are complications. Anesthesia can do a pretty damned good job of figuring out how much drug to give you, and how to titrate it, but if a problem arises? If there is an issue, he can't wake you up and ask you if you want to continue knowing that the cost may go up a little more. Are you a bleeder? Are you going to need anything infused? Do a PTT on you, I guess, and estimate if you are going to clot well or not. Do we DEXA scan to see how many nodes, and only take those? Do we DEXA and pull those nodes, but biopsy the next one to see if we got it? That is going to add some costs from surgical path. A good cutter could probably give you a range of actual cost, just from experience, and knowing what may or may not arise. But I don't think the patient needs to be involved in the business of medicine. Especially after diagnosis. "So, we got the biopsy results back, Mrs. Doe, and it is infiltrating ductal carcinoma with a positive sentinel node. We can treat, or cut. Now, will that be cash or credit?"
Wouldnt it be easier to say you want politicians deciding what your life is worth? How much money you make, if you are allowed an apartment, condo or house. Car you should drive. Your career path......all great ideas
So you think the cost of health care in this country is legitimate? We are spending 10X as much as we were in the early 80's. No reasonable person can argue that the quality is 10X better. Yeah, there have been some advances, but as demand increases, supply has been unable to meet it and keep prices reasonable. Cars have gotten better. Computers have gotten much better, and we are paying less for them.
we asked doc about a price for wifes breast reduction just in case bcbs didn't pay . He didn't even bat an eye and said he'd do it for 4500.
