Hmmm... from Jerry Pournelle's blog

[daveon]

The way to lower prices is to increase supply, or decrease demand. 

OR reduce costs.

A multipage, itemised invoice from the hospital for M's operation doesn't come keep.  Nor, I suspect do the army of admins I see moving files in my Doctor's office. 

Comments

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

I've heard figures that compare the overhead costs in the NHS and the US 'healthcare system'. Apparently the NHS manages 5% overheads (ie. admin on top of actual healthcare costs). The US equivalent is 30%, much of which is taken up by people in insurance companies trying to find reasons *not* to cover people. Oh, and profits to the insurance companies.

[t--m--i.livejournal.com]

Oddly when I went privvit in the UK there was v. little paperwork bar the cheque, but to be fair they were both fairly atomic things - seeing a consultant, and an MRA. However no insurance was involved (though I did get most of the money back via a friendly society).

[daveon.livejournal.com]

The paperwork associated with seeing a Doctor here is amazing. Every visit generates a bill which is then cross referenced with the insurance and the amount you pay versus the insurance payments. Every script has the same and so on and so forth. You generate reams of paper just with a couple of check ups a year.