Factors Influencing our Choice of Doctor or Hospital

I am back again to continue our discussion on pricing / cost and free choice in determining our Doctor or Hospital. Since we introduced the concept of how (sort of) prices are determined and we all know that they are too high, what about health insurance? Do we really need it? and this next question is a big one...is it or should it be our right to obtain health care rather than a choice...should the US Government make a national healthcare plan to provide care to everyone from cradle to grave? This will be a hot topic for the presidential election...Hillary is already talking about it!!!

Oh my! Where to start? Do we really need health insurance? Will we not receive the same care if we do not have insurance? The answer to that is very tricky. A hospital (if they receive any federal money) cannot turn away anyone with emergent illness based on the ability to pay...this is part of what are referred to as EMTALA laws. They were the product of the 1997 Social Security Act. which also yielded the privacy laws. But let me tell you, there are a lot of caveats. These laws are watched pretty closely...especially by competing hospitals in a community. For instance, a person presented to Hospital A with a cough. He was not admitted so he goes down the street to the emergency room where it is determined he has pneumonia and is admitted to the hospital. He does not have insurance and mentions to Hospital B staff that he was at Hospital A earlier. This could trigger Hospital B to either make a call to A and check it out or a call to the hospital police to be investigated. If a hospital is deemed that they broke the rule...they could actually lose their federal funding. Losing Federal Funding would for most facilities put them out of business. Federal Funding can sometimes account for more that 50% of their revenue.
In addition, most facilities have policies stating that you will not be turned away based on the ability to pay.

So, now! Do you really need health insurance anyway? Especially if the employer is not paying the premium cost.
You guys ponder that for awhile, and I will check back with you later. Bye for now.

Alice