I just watched a very interesting documentary on healthcare and its cost in the United States called Your Money, Your Life: Healthcare Now. Very nice inside look as to why various items (meds, equipment, O.R. rooms, etc) in healthcare cost what they do. It was also odd to see that hospitals rarely get the full price for their services. They showed a woman who had a heart transplant...the total costs to the hospital were around $170, 000- they charged over $300, 000 (to make a profit to help defray costs associated with other patients who cannot pay and do not have insurance, and the other costs associated with new equipment, the management of that equipment, etc), but what they do is make deals with insurance companies to get the highest price they can. They almost always come out on top, or they wouldn't stay in business long...but, they only got around $172, 000 for the entire bill from insurance, giving them about two grand in profit. I was always under the impression that healthcare costs a certained amount, and insurance paid that amount. As you can see, that's hardly ever the case.
They discussed the uninsured and if medical treatment is a right or not. I personally believe that healthcare and overall treatment is a fundamental right. It's a right to that extent that your life is saved. I'm not sure that all healthcare is a right. I don't advocate for TOTAL universal healthcare, in that not every single person should have every single treatment they need done. Save people's lives- yes...but we can't do everything.
There are amazing costs in running a hospital, and they brought up a graphic of a printout, scrolling down to certain costs and highlighting them every now and then. From the electric bills that can run anywhere from $20, 000 to over $100, 000 a month, meal costs that can be $2.5 million a year, to the aquisition of donor hearts which can be $50, 000, the costs are staggering, and it's interesting to see how these costs are paid by the hospital. The people who have the ability to cover the cost of their treatment pay more so that those who can't cover their costs get the same treatment, more or less. Then, sometimes the hospital has to take somewhat heavy losses- that could be unused operating rooms with lots of supplies that have to be trashed, or the costs incurred when new technology comes about and it's still in its infancy, so it's not a quick moneymaker.
Very nice job on the doco, and they talked to a lot of very knowledgeable people. Lots of insight on how these operations are run and how they can compete in the open market.
On another subject...tell me Jen (Sarah Lind from Edgemont) isn't the cutest. This show aired on Fox Family Channel during the first season, but it changed to ABC Family and they stopped airing it. Sad, because it was a good show. They also stopped airing Big Wolf on Campus, another Canadian show, and the Zak (or Zac, or Zack- I forget) Files- yet another Canadian show actually.
Posted by Josh at September 19, 2003 05:44 AM | TrackBack