Comments on: Hospitals Don’t Shift Costs from the Uninsured to the Insured http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/07/14/hospitals-dont-shift-costs-from-the-uninsured-to-the-insured/ Cleaning the Augean Stables of the Health Care Debate Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:53:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Catron http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/07/14/hospitals-dont-shift-costs-from-the-uninsured-to-the-insured/#comment-4338 Catron Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:31:42 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/07/14/hospitals-dont-shift-costs-from-the-uninsured-to-the-insured/#comment-4338 <em>The status quo has cost-shifting built in. No?</em> No. The "status quo" is responsible for countless hospital bankruptcies across the country. In order for a hospital to survive (non-profit or otherwise) average reimbursement must exceed average costs. As to HMO/PPOs, their payment rates are not much above cost, and they certainly don't pay enough to make up for the losses incurred on uninsured patients. The status quo has cost-shifting built in. No?

No.

The “status quo” is responsible for countless hospital bankruptcies across the country. In order for a hospital to survive (non-profit or otherwise) average reimbursement must exceed average costs.

As to HMO/PPOs, their payment rates are not much above cost, and they certainly don’t pay enough to make up for the losses incurred on uninsured patients.

]]> By: Tyler Kiley http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/07/14/hospitals-dont-shift-costs-from-the-uninsured-to-the-insured/#comment-4321 Tyler Kiley Wed, 18 Jul 2007 13:23:09 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/07/14/hospitals-dont-shift-costs-from-the-uninsured-to-the-insured/#comment-4321 Self pay/uninsured patients tend to pay less than their cost of treatment. HMO/PPO patients tend to pay more than their cost of treatment. How is that not cost shifting? Hospitals don't have to raise their rates from where they are now in order to shift costs; the status quo has cost-shifting built in. No? Self pay/uninsured patients tend to pay less than their cost of treatment. HMO/PPO patients tend to pay more than their cost of treatment. How is that not cost shifting?

Hospitals don’t have to raise their rates from where they are now in order to shift costs; the status quo has cost-shifting built in. No?

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