Health Reform: Why Aren't We Talking About Prices?

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Summary	Health Reform: Why Aren't We Talking About Prices?
Category	Other
Subcategory	Health Reform
New Health Idea	" ... To tame the out-of-control cost of American healthcare, we need to slash the inflated prices we pay. One thing we can all agree on is that Americans spend too much on medical care. When a brief visit to the emergency room can cost several thousand dollars or a course of a new cancer drug runs $100,000, there can be no doubt that costs are out of control. Many people do not think they're footing these bills, because some 85 percent have insurance. But they are, really, by sacrificing income that could be used for other needs like school tuition in exchange for a bloated employer benefit. Putting it starkly, Americans now spend more on healthcare each year than on food. ... America's sky-high healthcare spending must be brought down to earth, not soar further. I'm convinced that this can be done. How? If our opaque and often secretive health-payment system were made transparent, the ground would be laid for consumers to find better premiums and prices for their families. One way to do this would be through open, fair, and guaranteed access, for any citizen, to competing insurers anywhere in the country. These steps could easily get all providers of healthcare products and services to reduce—yes, reduce—their prices by, say, 5 to 10 percent for starters. Any company or any family knows how to do this in times of belt tightening. This move would also free up resources to help subsidize affordable care for those who lack it. ... "
Webpage	More info
Author	Editor
Date	3/4/2010