The potential problem with physician owned facilities is that health care is an area where the suppliers can create their own demand — in this case by finding reasons to put patients in their hospitals. The Wall Street Journal has conducted a couple of analyses recently, one involving back surgeries, the other I don’t remember, that suggest indeed this does happen and entails considerable cost.
When this happens it is not deserving of a knee-jerk defense as free enterprise. Given the role of third-party payers — insurance and gov’t — we are all paying for whatever abuse occurs. Sorry, but I’m not willing to pay a share of that.
That is why doctors have to swear the Hippocratic oath.
So what you are saying is that we CAN trust the public sector but not the doctor? Remember, you are trusting him with the scalpel in his hand but not your wallet????
While that may be true consider this. I was hospitalized for 24 hours recently ( In Northern California at nonprofit community hospital). The total bill was $44,000! Between Medicare and my personal health insurance, the hospital was paid less than $5,000. The hospital won’t discuss their billing practices but you have to believe that neither of these numbers fairly represent the real cost of delivering the care I received. This whole matter raises the issue of honesty in the health care.
While that may be true consider this. I was hospitalized for 24 hours recently ( In Northern California at nonprofit community hospital). The total bill was $44,000! Between Medicare and my personal health insurance, the hospital was paid less than $5,000. The hospital won’t discuss their billing practices but you have to believe that neither of these numbers fairly represent the real cost of delivering the care I received. This whole matter raises the issue of honesty in the health care.