Thread

1. mhh__ · 1789946686 · focus · HN ↗

   You know what american healthcare really needs is more regulation!

   1. nielsbot · 1789946825 · focus · HN ↗

      Are you saying it needs less? Why do you think that?

      1. mhh__ · 1789946942 · focus · HN ↗

         yes. It's completely insane that health insurance A) does all price discovery B) is tied to your employer.

         Ask an American hospital how much something costs - you will get a completely fake price back, this is a sign of a totally broken market.

         1. riddley · 1789947924 · focus · HN ↗

            A and B are due to regulations?
         2. vjvjvjvjghv · 1789949007 · focus · HN ↗

            I am good with getting rid of B).

            A) can probably only be fixed with regulation. Why would hospitals and insurance otherwise make prices transparent? The current state serves them really well.

            1. mhh__ · 1789949860 · focus · HN ↗

               Because in a fair market they would be competed away - prices of food, computers, bonds, etc are not transparent because of regulation - it's largely because of the tax incentive as far as I've read from healthcare economists.

               1. nielsbot · 1790006571 · focus · HN ↗

                  healthcare isn’t really a market economy and neither should it be.

                  we should make it a public a service without a profit motive

         3. drknownuffin · 1789949119 · focus · HN ↗

            The 'fake' price is due to the negotiation of reimbursement between major healthcare chains and insurers. The most regulated piece - Medicare - is the only piece where there's fairly transparent pricing.

            1. mhh__ · 1789949740 · focus · HN ↗

               > reimbursement between major healthcare chains and insurers

               And why is this so prevalent? It's subject to huge subsidy and regulatory capture

               1. BugsJustFindMe · 1789952064 · focus · HN ↗

                  > And why is this so prevalent?

                  Because the law doesn't force them not to?

                  It's very wild to me that you're like "This organization is lying to me, so what we need less of is people telling them what to do."

         4. BugsJustFindMe · 1789949382 · focus · HN ↗

            > Ask an American hospital how much something costs - you will get a completely fake price back

            You think the government tells hospitals to lie to you? The hospitals lie because the government doesn't force them not to. Laissez-faire capitalism causes that. Regulation is needed to fix it.

            1. mhh__ · 1789950034 · focus · HN ↗

               <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Airline_Deregulation_Act" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Airline_Deregulation_Act

               1. BugsJustFindMe · 1789950373 · focus · HN ↗

                  I need you to help me connect the dots, because a bare URL is not the same thing as communication. What does the airline deregulation act have to do with hospitals giving you fake prices because nobody forces them not to?

                  What do you think would force hospitals to give you real prices if not the law?

         5. AngryData · 1789951966 · focus · HN ↗

            How is less regulation suppose to fix any of that?

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