Kee Hinckley's Post

I get so pissed when I see articles arguing that price transparency is somehow going to solve US healthcare issues.

It's not that it's a bad idea to make it clear what a procedure is going to cost—especially for people who don't have insurance—but otherwise it's pretty useless.

The theory is that by making prices visible, you increase competition. But that only works if the consumer has a choice of providers.

1. If I have an urgent healthcare issue, I don't have time to shop around.
2. If I have insurance, I don't actually have a lot of choices as to providers. I'm stuck with who my insurance company said I could use. This is especially true for anyone who doesn't live in an urban area.
3. Knowing the retail price tells me nothing about what I'll pay after my insurance company negotiates a price. Never mind after my copays, out of pocket limits, and previous expenditures are taken into account.

Some services simply make no sense in a profit-making environment. And health care is a prime example. Pretending otherwise is just a way to avoid addressing the underlying issue.

https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5065770-trump-healthcare-transparency/