undefined | Better HN

0 pointscelestialcheese3y ago0 comments

> To make it worse we also have laws preventing healthcare providers from providing prices upfront, out of a fear that people will forego necessary care they can't afford.

What are these laws? This seems so backwards - I know personally I have put off medical care in my past because I had high deductible insurance, and no guarantee that the bill I'd get wouldn't wipe me out, and no way to price shop. Paralysis of unknown.

0 comments

4 comments · 2 top-level

e_i_pi_23y ago· 2 in thread

Ah thanks for making me look this up! Seems like it did change recently (Jan 1, 2021)

https://www.cms.gov/hospital-price-transparency

Now assuming the hospital is compliant the information should be available. To be fair my understanding of the argument for the old law was that you didn't want a hospital with a big sign out front saying "Broken arm repair: $10k" and having people not go in for it when there might be some financial aid they could get afterwards

willcipriano3y ago

I'm sure the real reason is that the hospital up the road will set up a sign "Broken arm repair: $9k" to compete and that isn't something the lobbyists want.

bombcar3y ago

What I see around here are billboards with the current emergency room wait time on them in digital LEDs.

Which often struck me as kind of weird - the rooms with shortest wait time are probably most expens

elliekelly3y ago

It’s not the case. The No Surprises Act requires a good faith estimation for most procedures. Although IIRC it doesn’t apply to people who don’t have insurance, which seems kind of backwards as those people would likely be the most price-sensitive and have the least amount of bargaining power in the market. I guess they also tend to have the least amount of political power, too...

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse