A decade ago a friend had some medical tests done at a hospital outpatient clinic. It was something simple, an X-ray and a blood or urine test. The hospital business office assured her that the care would be covered by her health plan. Months later a debt collector called demanding more than $700 for an outstanding medical bill. My friend had no recollection of having ever received a bill. The debt collector said he worked for the hospital, but when asked for a copy of the bill he could not provide one.
Category: Health Economics & Costs
Tuesday Links
- Is there a Trump health plan?
- Can a smart phone cure your depression?
- A Hayekian approach to health care. But why was she working in the Obama administration?
- JAMA study: 41% of cancer drugs granted accelerated approval did not improve overall survival or quality of life.
Brookings: Out-of-Network Doctors Winning Arbitration Cases 75% of the Time, Boosting Fees
The No Surprises Act has a dispute resolution mechanism to decide compensation for physicians who treat patients with whom they have no network affiliation. After treating insured patients, physicians and other providers bill health insurers, who pay, decline to pay or pay a reduced fee. If a physician believes the fees paid are too low, they have the option of taking the case to an independent dispute resolution (IDR) board for a fee.
Monday Links
- The politics of school closings during Covid: At the pandemic record high in December 2020—when vaccines were still not available—fewer than one-fifth of districts Trump won took the precaution of temporary closures; and until mid-March 2021, less than one-fifth of Biden districts were fully open.
- Against DEI in medical school.
- Fertility is falling below the replacement rate all over the world. But cross-sectioned by income, fertility is U-shaped. When I can find the time, I will give my own explanation for this.
- Ross Douthat: the left is unhappy. (NYT)
- My own thoughts: 20th century liberalism explained.