Blue Cross of MA CEO Control Costs or Else

[Crabcake Johnny]

The CEO of Blue Cross of MA has fired off a warning letter to providers. Basically, it's control costs or else:

Blue Cross CEO says providers must control health care costs, or else - The Boston Globe

“What Blue Cross is basically saying is it’s not going to be about (market power) any more,’’ said Ken Hanover, chief executive of Northeast Hospital Corp., which owns Beverly Hospital and Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester. “It’s going to be about quality and managing the cost of care. This is going to require a significant restructuring of the Massachusetts health care delivery system.’’

 

[VolAgent]

The end of the article is telling.

High Tech Firm CEO. "Everything else goes up 1 to 2 percent. Health insurance is going up 11 percent, unacceptable."

Hospital Administrator. "We're raising costs 4 to 5 percent."

This guy is spot on, if actual health care costs don't stabilize, there is no way health insurance premiums can.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

We need transparency. I won't stop posting this, but health care is one of the only non-transparent costs left in the country.

If your car breaks down and it needs an emergency tow they don't charge you $800 when it should be $200. They charge you $200.

If you use AAA that's great. I get "free towing" and I'm sure the towing company is reimbursed a fair amount. Imagine having the tow truck show up:

"You have AAA? Any auto club? Your insurance cover tows? No? Well, then you're out of network and it's gonna cost us $1,200 to tow you."

The entire industry is due for an overhaul. Nothing changes until two things happen:

1) Pricing transparency
2) Personal responsibility (utilization)

 

[somarco]

 

[YouGotMyMoney]

HAHAHAHAHA that is great Bob....

LOLLLLLLLLLLLL

 

[somarco]

Don't laugh. It is health care of the future and the future is now.

Here is another from the same folks.

 

[YouGotMyMoney]

lolllllllllllllllllllllllll

stop it already.........ahhhh this crap is too much

I put 1 billion Iraqi denars, into a brokerage account and have shorted the US, I should be ok....

 

[VolAgent]

Don't laugh. It is health care of the future and the future is now.

Here is another from the same folks.

No way! You mean doctor's order unnecessary tests and procedures to pay for that new boat? Next you're going to say that hospitals paid the bill to recoup money from the charity case, and the cash patient that stiffed them.

 

[Post Quartermaster]

Good stuff.

 

[Justin Bilyj]

There is more nontransparent costs in defense and finance than healthcare is my opinion.