Universal vs. Private Healthcare

[midwestyankee]

It's these huge costs differences that makes me wonder why (what possible rationale there might be for it) and why there isn't some sort of control - or at least a choice provided*.






*and no, I don't mean 'yes, there is. Don't get one.'

My biggest question about how health care is delivered in the U.S. is this: what value do the health care insurers bring to the system and is their compensation commensurate with the value?

A friend recently told me about an adventure with cosmetic surgery. Her eyelids were drooping so much that it was impairing her vision. Her health insurance covered the procedure to repair the droop because of the problem it caused to her vision. While she was waiting to hear if the insurance company would cover the costs, she asked her doctor what the fee would be if she simply wrote a check for the procedure. The answer: approximately $900 if paid in cash and approximately $8,000 if billed through the insurance company. I don't know all the reasons why there would be such a massive discrepancy between the two, but it raises my eyebrows a helluva lot that it is so large.