Oh… the Good Ol’ Days when hospitals’ prices were transparent and daily room rates were cheap.
But, then again, they couldn’t really do much more than dress a laceration, set a broken limb, deliver a baby, and watch while you convalesced in one of their beds and either died or got well on your own.
I’m not sure that is a fair comment, Devon. It is obviously true, but the same can be said for every other industry as well — transportation, communications, housing. All are far more technically advanced today, but none find a need to hide the true price.
EVERY industry is practicing trickery and deception lately…
The cable bill is $30 higher than advertised prices EXCLUDING required government taxes due to ‘HD Technology Fee’ and other items that deceptively appear to be included.
Car dealers put nitrogen on tires, wax the car with a synthetic wax they call something fancy, and spray a $15 bottle of stain-resistant stuff on the seats and add $3,000 to sticker price, then charge you as much as they can convince you to pay for ‘documentation fees’… DOCUMENTATION fees.. that’s like if any other store charged me extra for a copy of the receipts or something.
My gym charges $19.99/month plus tax “for life”…. but then once annualy they charge a “fee guarantee fee” which is subject to increase without notice
property tax processing fee..i have to pay my town money for them to take my money
i could give examples of deceptive pricing practices all day
i understand everyone wants to make a living and i accept that and would gladly pay the full price for any service/product i desire.. but just make the price the price, don’t artificially lower it then deceptively raise it
It is nice to look back and see that things weren’t always convoluted, but realistically they didn’t provide any real serious healthcare that would have need any tools/training that was expensive.
True, but that doesn’t entirely account for the increase in cost of medical care. I’m sure they had far less stringent licensing and practicing regulations, not to mention the government as a buyer.
If only prices were transparent like this again…of course prices would be higher but transparency is key. It is sad to live in a society where you don’t really know what you’re paying for and why you’re massively getting in debt every time you step into a hospital.
True. If you ask a doctor’s office to provide exactly the cost for a service, you’ll see how they’ll struggle to give you a fixed price. We need to do something about the “middle man” in our health care industry because it’s what is causing average patients to go bankrupt.
Yes, Transparency would be great, but would us knowing exactly how we waste our money actually change the system, to a radical enough extent, that it would stop us from spending so much money for so little care?
Yes, I do believe it would certainly allow for more competition between providers as demand would drive down costs. If you know you can get the same care for the same service at a better price that is unaltered by a third party, then I think that could change the system drastically.
My mother saved everything:
Have a copy of hospitala bill in Providence RI
Sept 23 1946 to Sept 28
Hospital Care for 9 days@ $9 per day $45.00
Delivery Room Fee $15.00
Lab Room Fee $ 5.00
Circumcision Fee $ 2.00
$67.00
Oh… the Good Ol’ Days when hospitals’ prices were transparent and daily room rates were cheap.
But, then again, they couldn’t really do much more than dress a laceration, set a broken limb, deliver a baby, and watch while you convalesced in one of their beds and either died or got well on your own.
At least when the bill came you didn’t have to pay the doctor with the arm that he just set.
I’m not sure that is a fair comment, Devon. It is obviously true, but the same can be said for every other industry as well — transportation, communications, housing. All are far more technically advanced today, but none find a need to hide the true price.
EVERY industry is practicing trickery and deception lately…
The cable bill is $30 higher than advertised prices EXCLUDING required government taxes due to ‘HD Technology Fee’ and other items that deceptively appear to be included.
Car dealers put nitrogen on tires, wax the car with a synthetic wax they call something fancy, and spray a $15 bottle of stain-resistant stuff on the seats and add $3,000 to sticker price, then charge you as much as they can convince you to pay for ‘documentation fees’… DOCUMENTATION fees.. that’s like if any other store charged me extra for a copy of the receipts or something.
My gym charges $19.99/month plus tax “for life”…. but then once annualy they charge a “fee guarantee fee” which is subject to increase without notice
property tax processing fee..i have to pay my town money for them to take my money
i could give examples of deceptive pricing practices all day
i understand everyone wants to make a living and i accept that and would gladly pay the full price for any service/product i desire.. but just make the price the price, don’t artificially lower it then deceptively raise it
“All receipts above cost go to the Free Bed Fund or the White Cross Guild to help pay for its program of helpful service to the sick poor”
Charity to provide healthcare.
There is also a gift shop in the lobby, “a bright, happy spot… an idea of social helpfulness.”
Oh yes, while your relative is dying of pneumonia, get yourself a souvenir!
Ah, those were the days.
It is nice to look back and see that things weren’t always convoluted, but realistically they didn’t provide any real serious healthcare that would have need any tools/training that was expensive.
True, but that doesn’t entirely account for the increase in cost of medical care. I’m sure they had far less stringent licensing and practicing regulations, not to mention the government as a buyer.
If only prices were transparent like this again…of course prices would be higher but transparency is key. It is sad to live in a society where you don’t really know what you’re paying for and why you’re massively getting in debt every time you step into a hospital.
True. If you ask a doctor’s office to provide exactly the cost for a service, you’ll see how they’ll struggle to give you a fixed price. We need to do something about the “middle man” in our health care industry because it’s what is causing average patients to go bankrupt.
Yes, Transparency would be great, but would us knowing exactly how we waste our money actually change the system, to a radical enough extent, that it would stop us from spending so much money for so little care?
Yes, I do believe it would certainly allow for more competition between providers as demand would drive down costs. If you know you can get the same care for the same service at a better price that is unaltered by a third party, then I think that could change the system drastically.
My mother saved everything:
Have a copy of hospitala bill in Providence RI
Sept 23 1946 to Sept 28
Hospital Care for 9 days@ $9 per day $45.00
Delivery Room Fee $15.00
Lab Room Fee $ 5.00
Circumcision Fee $ 2.00
$67.00
I still have my hospital bill for an appendectomy in 1964. Something like $240 as I recall.