Over the holidays I received my bill for the latest emergency electrical cardioversion I had after Thanksgiving this past November. I was expecting a large bill but not this large!
If you had to guess, what do you think it would cost to spend 2 hours in the ER to have an electrical cardioversion done?
Drum roll, please…
$8,092.35!
That is NOT a typo either. Take a look at a partial screenshot of my bill (personal info blurred out):
In what sane world does it cost over $4,000 per hour for an emergency room visit?
Thankfully, we met our high deductible prior to this visit so we only ended up owing $471 of the $8,092.35.
I really want to go on a long-winded political rant on why I believe it costs this much, but I’ll spare you.
O.K, I’ll just make one little political comment because I can’t resist. If we got the government and third-party payers out of health care, we’d all get so much better care at a fraction of the price.
Don’t believe me? Just look at how much your insurance premiums cost. Are they cheaper now than they were before Obamacare, or more expensive? My guess is more expensive. And why is that? Because of too much government involvement!
Still think I’m crazy? Look at the great care your dog or cat gets from your local vet, and you’re not spending a fraction on what you spend for human care. I can take my dog to my local vet and have all kinds of stuff done and walk out with a bill well under $500 that covers everything. I can also call my vet directly on his cell phone anytime I want. All of this is possible because he is a true private practice that doesn’t have to deal with government bureaucracy and doesn’t get bogged down with third-party payer madness.
Or let’s look at how relatively cheap it is to maintain your car. Even with inflation you can still find deals on a standard oil change for around $20. Unless you have a major engine problem, you can typically walk away from a car shop with a bill no more than $500.
What do veterinaries and car repair shops have in common? The free market! They have virtually zero government and third-party payer involvement. The free market is able to operate how it’s supposed to operate and as a result you’re able to pay for your pet’s care or your car maintenance out-of-pocket with relative ease.
I contend under a true free market this latest ER visit would have cost no more than $2,000. But because the government has its boot on the neck of the healthcare industry, and third-party payers rule, you get a $8,092.35 bill for a 2-hour visit! It’s nuts.
Still think I’m wrong? Consider this, I talked to a prominent doctor at a very busy a-fib center and he said they bill insurance companies over $100,000 for an ablation, but if you pay cash, they will reduce it to around $40,000! And this is the discount you get under a system where the government and third-party payers rule. Imagine how cheap ablations would be if we had a true free market?
If we had a free market, I’ll bet an ablation wouldn’t be more than $15,000 – $20,000. That still isn’t out-of-pocket money, but that’s still way cheaper than $40,000 or $100,000!
The healthcare system should work like everything else. You should pay for most stuff out-of-pocket and only use insurance for catastrophic events. If we had a true free market in healthcare, you would be able to afford most healthcare out-of-pocket.
If everything else worked like our screwed-up healthcare system does, your vet bills would be through the roof and that oil change would probably cost $100 or more. Your homeowner’s and auto insurance would probably be 3-5 times more than they are now.
O.K. I’ll get off my soapbox now. Sorry, I couldn’t resist to rant a little.
I just thought you might find it interesting how much it costs to go to the ER these days to have an electrical cardioversion. The costs are getting so ridiculous that they are comical. At this rate a two-hour emergency electrical cardioversion will cost well north of $10,000 in just a few years. That’s just stupid and the only way it will ever get fixed is if we welcome a free market in healthcare with open arms! This is just my opinion of course. Your opinions may vary…lol.
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