It's unfortunate that this is a radical idea in today's world: You want a service. You check provider pricing and track record of success. You give them money when the work's done.

When our child's pediatrician office stopped taking our insurance, which we never use, they said they're sorry we can't use the doctor anymore. We said we didn't care. The billing office could not get the concept that we would pay them money. We had to get the doctor involved, who was a partner there and had some basic business sense. The docs typically hire medical billing people, and in my area medical billing people are used to people buying low-deductible insurance and putting every piddling little service through the insurance.

What irony!
The USA, the supposed bastion of freedom and free markets sends people to other countries in order to experience freedom in healthcare. It makes me want to tear my hair out in rage. The stench in Washington permeates the whole country.

That surgery operation (pun intended) in Oklahoma looks like something big government control freak weasels like Harry Reid would love to write legislation against.

We need more common sense Dr's like these.

I had a MI heart attack a couple of years ago, had to be flown 100 air miles or so. While the company thought I was covered on Medicare, they billed $39,000. When they found out I didn't have that coverage, they dropped the bill to $10,000. So why was it a higher billing to Medicare than it was to me individually?

Gee you mean adding government in the middle does not drive down costs?

The history of government involvement in health care is coincident with the astronomical increases in the cost of health care.

fabulous. I will be checking into this organization for my own business. thank you for posting.

this is gorgeous! . when do we get it in Tennessee? -- j

Thanks for the information, O.A.! I've been saying I should research this, and I appreciate the nudge.

It is difficult to self-insure employees against major medical interventions. (We have looked into this.) Insurance is less expensive for the individual/company and provides OMG coverage. One thing that people should know is that many insurance companies will now support medical tourism. A procedure (such as hip replacement) that costs 30K to 50K in the US can cost 8K to 12K in Hungary or Malaysia (both high rated in surgical performance). Your insurance company can fly you overseas and get you the operation and a couple of weeks of recovery and still have the procedure cost a fraction of what it would have in the States. It saves them money; it saves you money.

I do not know if the insurance companies can do likewise with places like the Surgery Center of OK, or if they are legally constrained within the US.

Jan

I subscribed to an expense-sharing cooperative. The monthly share is about two-thirds of what the premium would be, and the "deductible" is just about half.

It just goes to prove. If you tell a lie often enough it becomes fact. As manifest by the politicians who advance repealing Obama Care immediately follow up with the need for a better option. Here in America with the best health care in the world many people think it needs fixed. Fact is a bureaucratic option is not needed. New law by Turfprint… If it can be screwed up, the Government will do it.

Yes medical care and especially hospital care is very expensive. Here are a few reasons: 1. People live longer than ever before, which is good. But old people require a lot more care than young which is bad. Also, medicine has advanced exponentially which is good, but it requires education, specialization, and very expensive equipment, which is bad. (Not to mention R&D) 2. Courts, lawyers, and lack of common sense have not helped the keep the price down. 3. The very nature of some far off insurance company paying the bill tends to keep cost scrutiny away from the individual responsible for the bill. 4. Hospitals are damn expensive to operate and they have a staff of highly skilled people on call 24/7 practically everywhere in the country. That includes equipment, the emergency transportation, heating and lights, maintenance, and so on. That’s good and bad. You never hear of some World Leader getting sick and flying to Canada, or England, or Switzerland. They come to America.
Can you add a few more reasons?

great post as usual OA. I urge all my friends in the South West to look into surgical procedures in Merida and Hermosio in Mexico.

it is unfortunate that 0 will never see or know of this company. if he did he wouldn't give a damn. you can not say 0 and capitalism in the same sentence.

Cost shifting... government requires at least some providers to treat anyone who presents themselves to at least a stable condition... ability to pay is not a requirement... for the provider to stay in business that lost revenue has to be recovered from somewhere. There are some government programs to reimburse providers for uncompensated care. As a young adult with healthcare insurance I would pay the provider directly then file a claim with my insurer to be reimbursed... I suppose insurers and providers relationship has evolved beyond the point where that would still be feasible given the coding monster created over decades.