Hacker News Reader

Comment by tcbawo | Hacker News Reader

Speaking of competition, it would be interesting if the major political parties competed on improving results instead of sabotaging results or preventing the other side from getting a win.

Both parties have symbiotic relationships with profiteers that stifle progress and innovation.

View on HN

Trump signed an exec order* (thx for correction folks!) requiring hospitals to dramatically improve price transparency for patients. A huge win. But of course you'll never hear much about it for obvious reasons.

Because I wouldn't call that bill something Trump "made." It was something both parties in Congress worked on, all Trump did was sign it.

>But of course you'll never hear much about it for obvious reasons.

I heard all about this, and so did lots of people. It was as well covered as anything is these days.

First, no he didn't. He issued an EO directing CMS to implement the rule, which doesn't go into effect until 2021 and is facing pretty significant legal challenges. The fact that it's an EO and not a bill is likely part of the reason why its vulnerable to lawsuits.

Second, health care experts don't seem to think much of the new rules, since there's little evidence anyone price shops for care, especially since, regardless of published prices, they're not the ones paying for them; they pay indirectly, through premiums. I think price transparency is a good thing and the rule is a good thing, but I don't think this is "huge".

Third, the "obvious reasons" snark at the end of your comment poisons what would otherwise have been a valuable contribution to the thread.

It is neither a big win nor a great improvement. At the time of need of essential goods/services price transparency is not as helpful as you make it seem. The American health system is so complex, has so many competing interests, and so many negative externalities that I doubt any one new regulation can be anything more than superficially beneficial to patients.

I suggest the obvious reason this new regulation doesn’t get as much press attention as you’d like has less to do with Trump and more to do with its futility.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com