Health Insurers May Go the Way of Blockbuster?

[cadylou]

Health insurers 'may go the way of Blockbuster' | Center for Public Integrity

Very interesting article . . . .

 

[AllenChicago]

How does doctor collaboration lower costs to the point where health insurance is no longer needed? If anything, they collaborate to determine how to sqeeze more eggs out of the golden goose, IMO.

 

[cadylou]

How does doctor collaboration lower costs to the point where health insurance is no longer needed? If anything, they collaborate to determine how to sqeeze more eggs out of the golden goose, IMO.

Agreed - their objective is to figure out ways to make more money from the "patient" . . . .Consolidation will lower some costs, but if health/hospital systems do become an oligopoly, we're in the same situation as we are with Cable TV . . . .no choice - high prices - not much you can do to fight it except to "go without".

 

[somarco]

Medical practices are being gobbled up by hospitals. Docs on salary. Office squeezed to generate as much revenue as possible by loading up on testing, etc.

My doc was fired last year by the hospital that bought her practice because she wasn't generating enough revenue. She had a 6 month non-compete then went to work for another practice owned by a competing hospital.

 

[cadylou]

Medical practices are being gobbled up by hospitals. Docs on salary. Office squeezed to generate as much revenue as possible by loading up on testing, etc.

My doc was fired last year by the hospital that bought her practice because she wasn't generating enough revenue. She had a 6 month non-compete then went to work for another practice owned by a competing hospital.

My guess is that eventually these large hospital "umbrella" companies will also provide insurance. It'll be the "fox watching the hen house" . . .some are already dabbling in that directly - others, creating "relationships" with insurance entities that they "prefer". One silo structure to do it all. Some of it is also being driven, in part, by legislation, increased govt regulation and focus on "outcomes" - that can only be measured if you can track a patient throughout your own system. . . .

 

[somarco]

Some of these hospital + docs are moving in that direction. One local hospital moved into the MA market a couple of years ago and lost their butt. Assuming they come back for the 2016 year I would expect to see higher premiums and higher OOP costs.

Your point about the new compensation model is something that sounds good but may actually lead to less access to care. If a medical practice is paid less for treating terminal cases or those with chronic conditions (that never get better) I can see some practices limiting patients with poor outcomes.

 

[healther]

The insurance companies are entrenched in Washington. Nothing to see here.