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Comment by droopyEyelids | Hacker News Reader

Reading about this, and the recent brouhaha concerning hospitals posting their pricing online, made me realize how essential pricing opacity is if healthcare providers want to maintain their all-knowing god/parent like relationship with the public. Doctors don't quite seem doctorly when they're grubbing for money.

(only an observation that seemed funny in my mind, don't bother debating it because it's not 100% serious)

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> (only an observation that seemed funny in my mind, don't bother debating it because it's not 100% serious)

No, no, this is a worthwhile point to make. Whether selling used cars, life-saving surgery or hiring young hackers for awful pay, information asymmetry can you give you a sizable advantage by itself.

Reading about a system like the RUC is a really good demo of this. To an outsider it might seem the strict confidentiality could be excused for preventing lobbyist influence - yet it also gives free rein to avoid media and public scrutiny in the light of day.

Progressive-minded providers, the ones who want to "do well by doing good", understand that they are providing a valuable service for a fair fee, and they want to cut out the middlemen as much as the patients do.

I love doctors who say, "I charge $X. If you have an insurance policy, that's great, tell me where to send the invoice, but YOU are my customer and you are responsible for making sure it gets paid."

Price transparency will NEVER happen in the US market. The insurers all negotiate individual deals with providers, and it's a losing tactic for any one of them to divulge the details of their contracts.

It's a losing tactic for any one insurer, but it may be alright for a practitioner or customer.

http://watchdog.org/64814/ok-surgery-centers-cash-only-appro...

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