caterpillarcowboy:

$76k for an emergency appendectomy (via Boing Boing)

Reblogging for Jay. Pharma can’t cost that much, can it?

Healthcare services can cost whatever they want when you’re an individual paying cash. The issue here is that if we had an easily searchable way for us to know what Medicare or private insurance companies have negotiated this stay for, I’m sure this uninsured individual would be happy to negotiate say 10% over the cost of what Medicare would pay. However, this is probably closer to $15,000, not $76,574.85. 

If the government would open up this data, individuals would be far better healthcare consumers. Unfortunately, Medicare, in cahoots with the private insurance companies, has I’m sure been asked to keep consumers in the dark. But that’s just wild speculation…