Obama administration lifts veil off Medicare hospital pricing - "Your heart attack bill: $3,300 in Arkansas, $92,000 in California"

CNN article header reads "Your heart attack bill: $3,300 in Arkansas, $92,000 in California"

[link to money.cnn.com]

I swear, there's absolutely no honesty, integrity or anything moral left in our society

ya know, why can't I just call my doctor when a seizure meds aren't working and just call in another one. Ohhhh hell no, you need to be charged for an office visit that you don' need.

fucking rip off

what state are you in op?

btw, I'. in Indiana and not china

Why did the government decide to release this information for the first time ever?

Because Obamakill....uh, Obamacare is unpopular as hell right now and they can spin this data to make it look like Mass. with it's socialized healthcare is an ideal template. See, Obamacare will be good for all of us.

Why aren't there more people who realize the magnitude of the situation were all in. I just don't know how the average person can't see through the smoke and mirrors. I mean, isn't it obvious yet?

people need to realize it's the greedy doctors and hospitals who are to blame for this, not the insurance companies.

IL - I stay as far away from Hospitals as possible though

Good question, you can bet there's a devious plan behind it

You can type your zip code into this link from the NY Times

[link to www.nytimes.com]

And just for some more balance.

A dental root canal in Austrlia = $2-3000.00

In England = 50 Pounds, or about $85.00

So how the hell does that work?

Honestly the English could make a motza by offering cheap travel and a holiday to have your teeth fixed, all thrown in.

And probably any number of other medical proceedures as well.

Who has watched "SICKO", lots of truths in it, even if you do not like Michael Moore.

I might start a medical travel and holiday business, Ill make heaps, just need to sort out some details, cant be too hard.

Time for us all to wake up I think.

Post your other similar medical experiences here!!

The way rich and middle class people are fleeing California right now, there won't be anyone left with the ability to pay for their heart attack...

So I guess it's just free right?!?!?

lol

We bailed a year ago. I swear that place is a giant sinkhole of hell.

Since I've decided to "go Galt" I've also decided not to use much, if any, conventional medical services. And if I do use them I have a family physician that still offers cash services and discounts as a way to get away from the bureaucracy of Obamacare...

I'm gonna have to have limbs, dangling by the skin, before I stroll into any hospital. You're not guaranteed to live even when you pay out your ass!

Government caused this. People used to pay out of pocket, and different doctors and hospitals had to compete. Then insurance came in, but it didn't cover 100% and was only for high expense items.

We need less government to fix this, not more.

^^^THIS^^^

It is called Socialism.

California has more out of work, brainless and illegal alien people than anywhere in the world. The top earners pay for the welfare people in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego and the list can go on and on in this state. Its a socialist state that forgot how true socialism works.

No there isn't, and whenever you involve the government into anything you have to also pay for the huge bureaucracy that goes a long with it...

Government never makes anything cheaper and it certainly does not improve a patients' care.

A VERY small percentage are fleeing. I live in San Diego near the beach and that is all you have here.

I guess you are content with being a slave to taxes as long as you can be on the beach, so be it..

I lived in PB for 3.5 yrs. Where you at Warrior?

There's no doubt SD beaches are the shizz, but I couldn't take it any longer. I do miss the beach though :(

In California houses, medical care etc. costs 3x more than other INDUSTRIALIZED states merely because the extra costs of everything they have to buy.

(Rural states are NOT a good comparison wrt to most medical costs because generally except for a couple of top hospitals most are providing "basic" care versus "top level advanced" care)

If you are going to have a serious heart attack ... you want to be in a place with specialized Heart personel, those who deal EXCLUSIVELY with those issues on a daily basis. You will NOT find that level of care in a rural state, unfortunately.

CLEVELAND is actually the place to be!! Why? The Cleveland Clinic is there, which is THE BEST heart hospital IN THE WORLD (why so many foreign heads of state fly in for care there, as well as the wealthiest of the wealthiest), and just so they won't be shown up Metro Health's hospitals and University Hospitals try to be just as good.

Your odds of surviving a heart attack with minimal damage, or just surviving period, is better in Cleveland Ohio than ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD ... but your are NOT going to get that level of care for $3,300 (but it WILL be cheaper than California)

Those who have been around awhile will remember what healthcare costs used to be in relationship to ones wages. Not much thought was given to cash costs or the cost of insurance as they were very low. The hospital costs for our first born in 1961 was $250 and this included 3-days in the hospital.

Technology, government red tape and inflation account for some of the increased costs today but the largest increase is the result of "greed."

Last Edited by roadrunnerray on 05/09/2013 11:40 AM

You eclipse that figure as soon as you walk through the door now

ACtually this is really big business in the fertility community. Infertility expenses and treatments is so expensive for those going through this that many resort to getting treatments and drugs in europe on fertility holidays. Heck, I mean if you've already shelled out $50K in unsuccessful attempts here in the states, why not spend $10K-$15K and go on a nice vacation to europe somewhere and get the fertility treatment when all you would get here is a trip to your big city hospital or doctor (because here in Indiana there's only like maybe 4 cities that offer IVF's). It's perfectly legal from everything I've read as well.