Summary
reality is that as costs rise and payers continue to cut it is time to say yes we accept you insurance but here is the differnce you will be required to pay. This can be documented for medicare on an advanced beneficiary notice and the upcharge must be resonable for the service provided.
Analysis
It time to let healthcare patients know that getting involved with their healthcare and its responsibilities is critical to their ability to be served and served well. Americans have expected healthcare to be mangaged by other and now is the time for them to suck it up and become involved in all aspects of care just like they are when they make decisons about a car a boat or groceries. It is now inevitable that they will be responsible for much more of the healthcare bill then they normally have been in the past. The process is also the providers responsibility to educate them now and begin forming new concepts of how the patient care will be delivered in the near future. Doctors need to be educated in college to understand that along with their medical knowledge they also need some financial training. This will accomplish 2 things immediately.
1. Get the provider of care involved in the cost of providing the service.
2 Provider now has opportunity to educate the patient on the exact costs and results oriented services.
All healthcare needs a revised understanding of cost compared to services provided. And all patients and providers are responsible to see that it becomes reality.
