Re: your June 2 article, "Internet site lets users compare surgery charges":
This confusion over the real cost of healthcare is very important for people to understand today. The insurance companies, through their agreements with the hospitals and doctors, have contractually made them charge the high "negotiating price" to the patient, or their contract with them can be revised -- meaning lower reimbursements. With health insurance, you do not get a "discount" or "special rate" from the hospital or doctor, just the privilege to pay the real cost for the care.
Insurance companies want to create this fear of financial ruin if you do not have their insurance -- that's why hospital bills are so high. How else would we be willing to pay those outrageously high insurance premiums?
For more information on the true cost of healthcare, go to the Health and Human Services government Web site http://www.cms.hhs.gov/HealthCareConInit/02_Hospital.asp#TopOfPage
You can download the actual Medicare payments for procedures to hospitals and physicians in Ventura County for 2006. The Medicare payments are between 98 percent and 102 percent of the actual cost of a procedure. Insurance company reimbursements are generally 10 percent to 20 percent higher then Medicare's.
-- Tom Blanford, Ventura