Who Can Negotiate Health Care Costs?

You, your family, your doctor, your hospital, or is it the government and/or an insurance company.

Today received a bill for diagnostics (Standard Blood Work Tests) a routine set of tests for any citizen going to a physician for an annual check-up.

The Lab standard charges were $766.85.
The Insurance Company Health care Plan Negotiated Costs Approved at $96.25.

An uninsured person in in my locale pays almost $800 and an insured person pays almost $100.

You can not negotiate, your family can't negotiate, your doctor has no ability to negotiate (he signs insurance company agreement or is not an in-network healthcare provider choice in the network he did not agree with) so that leaves the private for profit insurance company and/or the government negotiating for you.

So who has your best interests at heart, a not-for profit government program like Medicare or your private for profit insurance company?

Citizens either pay full fare (uninsured) citizens pay private Insurance company negotiated rate (they differ) or citizens pay the government not for profit rate that every insured pays.

Imagine, the Republican party does not want to have the Medicare, Veterans Healthcare Services or Government Insurance Pools competing against the Healthcare Insurance Industry negotiating pricing with healthcare providers.

Further, the Republican party wishes tens of thousands of citizens to remain uninsured, do you now understand why?

Support a single payer system, one negotiation with payment of fair price to healthcare providers so healthcare professionals earn a healthy living, allowing every citizen health care coverage at the same cost.