12-06-2015, 12:35 PM
(12-05-2015, 06:40 PM)6andcounting Wrote: Necessary life saving surgery doesn't have a substitute (well, death, but yeah) and people are going to demand it regardless of cost, your point is valid. Even with inelastic demand, prices would still go down if competition has to compete for customers. Health saving plans and catastrophe insurance would address the high costs with life saving medical procedures, while still encouraging people to be price conscious in areas where they want to save money.
It is impossible to "value shop" for health care when you do not even know what you need.
Are you seriously going to go to a doctor and tell him what you need, then get an estimate of the cost and go around to other providers?
I did not have health insurance for a short period of time when I first started working for myself. When I called a doctors office they could not even tell me what an office call would cost because they did not know what the doctor would need to do during that visit. If you don't believe me then try it yourself.
