If one’s medical bills are shockingly high, it’s not the hospital’s fault. Rather, it is the fault of private insurers, which are investor-owned and committed to showing those investors a good return. Hence, a continuing policy of refusing to pay hospitals for any reason they can.
At a hospital where I once worked, claims were being rejected because an “X” was being printed outside a box, not inside. The U.S. is the only developed country that allows insurance CEOs to be paid $20 million a year for cheating their paying clients.
For the average hospital, salaries and benefits are over 50 percent of their expense budget. However, one cannot bill insurance companies for wages, nor, for example, roof repairs. Hence the exorbitant charges for medications and “service fees.” These costs are not charged by hospitals simply because they can, but rather because they must, so they can stay afloat.
The only solution is a single-party payer for medical care. Extending Medicare as primary payer would be a good start – or some similar arrangement. I suspect it will be a while, though, as individuals who earn $20 million a year can make extensive campaign donations.
Bruce Bartrug
Nobleboro
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