Healthcare part 49275 - Fort Wayne

[Marvin the Martian]

Years ago I posted a story that tracked healthcare costs not to overuse or anything like that but to competition. The story mentioned a rural area of Georgia served pretty much by one conglomerate that had some of the most expensive healthcare in the country. Meanwhile Chattanooga, labeled by one doctor the buckle of the stroke belt, had many hospitals and some of the lowest costs.

Now we move up to the land of Goat, Fort Wayne. The Guardian says it is the most affordable metropolitan area in the nation, but its healthcare is in the top 10%. Guess what, one facility dominates the region

‘Unlimited dollars’: how an Indiana hospital chain took over a region and jacked up prices

In the nation’s most affordable metro area, getting hurt or sick is expensive

www.theguardian.com

I know many of us hate anything involving laws, but I have to wonder if we can cap the percentage of doctors employed by one facility in a region? There has to be some way to force competition. A city may not be big enough for 2 major hospitals, but then why let the hospital own all (or any) of the GPs and specialists? Only those who practice only in the hospital can be directly employed by the hospital?

 

[WhyisIUBBcursed]

Years ago I posted a story that tracked healthcare costs not to overuse or anything like that but to competition. The story mentioned a rural area of Georgia served pretty much by one conglomerate that had some of the most expensive healthcare in the country. Meanwhile Chattanooga, labeled by one doctor the buckle of the stroke belt, had many hospitals and some of the lowest costs.

Now we move up to the land of Goat, Fort Wayne. The Guardian says it is the most affordable metropolitan area in the nation, but its healthcare is in the top 10%. Guess what, one facility dominates the region

‘Unlimited dollars’: how an Indiana hospital chain took over a region and jacked up prices

In the nation’s most affordable metro area, getting hurt or sick is expensive

www.theguardian.com

I know many of us hate anything involving laws, but I have to wonder if we can cap the percentage of doctors employed by one facility in a region? There has to be some way to force competition. A city may not be big enough for 2 major hospitals, but then why let the hospital own all (or any) of the GPs and specialists? Only those who practice only in the hospital can be directly employed by the hospital?

As a dinosaur who still owns his own practice in rural GA, I’ll tell you there won’t be many of us at all left soon. The aggravations of managing a practice are overwhelming. And if there’s only one employer in the area, then this is what
You get. I’m part of the healthcare machine in this country. We could be the envy of the world but we’re not

 

[El Drado]

It is completely overpriced. They are good, but it is priced like Cleveland Clinic good. The problem is the competition (Lutheran) got even more greedy about 10 years ago, now they are barely functioning. IU Health is coming in, but have never used them.
What people pay here for basic procedures has always seemed more than it should.

 

[crazed_hoosier2]

Years ago I posted a story that tracked healthcare costs not to overuse or anything like that but to competition. The story mentioned a rural area of Georgia served pretty much by one conglomerate that had some of the most expensive healthcare in the country. Meanwhile Chattanooga, labeled by one doctor the buckle of the stroke belt, had many hospitals and some of the lowest costs.

Now we move up to the land of Goat, Fort Wayne. The Guardian says it is the most affordable metropolitan area in the nation, but its healthcare is in the top 10%. Guess what, one facility dominates the region

‘Unlimited dollars’: how an Indiana hospital chain took over a region and jacked up prices

In the nation’s most affordable metro area, getting hurt or sick is expensive

www.theguardian.com

I know many of us hate anything involving laws, but I have to wonder if we can cap the percentage of doctors employed by one facility in a region? There has to be some way to force competition. A city may not be big enough for 2 major hospitals, but then why let the hospital own all (or any) of the GPs and specialists? Only those who practice only in the hospital can be directly employed by the hospital?

Put more decision making in the hands of consumers -- and less in the hands of insurers (be they public or private). Make people actually have a stake in how much healthcare goods/services costs.

There is no better way to ensure efficiency of prices than a consumer with money to spend and incentive to save it.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

Put more decision making in the hands of consumers -- and less in the hands of insurers (be they public or private). Make people actually have a stake in how much healthcare goods/services costs.

There is no better way to ensure efficiency of prices than a consumer with money to spend and incentive to save it.

Isn't that what the high-deductible/HSA was supposed to do? Those are pretty common now.

There are people in Bloomington who drive to Indy because they just do not like the two Bloomington hospitals. I get that, but it isn't exactly a great solution. "I have a kidney stone, better hop on the interstate and drive to Indy" isn't what any of us want to see. So for some things it works, planned procedures or planned checkups. Though it is still inconvenient, I can take off for an hour and see my doctor and be back at my desk. That isn't possible going to Indy.

Once I call a doctor and tell them what insurance I use, the quote is the same. I guess I could go off insurance and pay directly, but then I end up paying that much more when I go over the deductible because that off-books payment won't count against the deductible. So whatever I save, I end up losing back.

I use a nurse practitioner, I think they listen more than most doctors. It seems my visits should be slightly less, she doesn't make what the doctor makes. But my visits don't cost me any less.

 

[crazed_hoosier2]

Isn't that what the high-deductible/HSA was supposed to do? Those are pretty common now.

There are people in Bloomington who drive to Indy because they just do not like the two Bloomington hospitals. I get that, but it isn't exactly a great solution. "I have a kidney stone, better hop on the interstate and drive to Indy" isn't what any of us want to see. So for some things it works, planned procedures or planned checkups. Though it is still inconvenient, I can take off for an hour and see my doctor and be back at my desk. That isn't possible going to Indy.

Once I call a doctor and tell them what insurance I use, the quote is the same. I guess I could go off insurance and pay directly, but then I end up paying that much more when I go over the deductible because that off-books payment won't count against the deductible. So whatever I save, I end up losing back.

I use a nurse practitioner, I think they listen more than most doctors. It seems my visits should be slightly less, she doesn't make what the doctor makes. But my visits don't cost me any less.

As an aside, I had a kidney stone last year. Worst pain I've ever felt. It felt like my nuts were up around my intestines and somebody repeatedly swung a baseball bat at them. I'm sure a gunshot wound is more painful -- but, if so, I feel incredibly sorry for anybody who had to endure one.

I had a kidney stone attack at my office one day. And for reasons I'll never understand, rather than driving to a hospital that isn't far from the office, I drove across town to a hospital 15 minutes away. Bad decision. Worst. drive. of. my. life. I'm surprised I didn't wreck.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

As a dinosaur who still owns his own practice in rural GA, I’ll tell you there won’t be many of us at all left soon. The aggravations of managing a practice are overwhelming. And if there’s only one employer in the area, then this is what
You get. I’m part of the healthcare machine in this country. We could be the envy of the world but we’re not

I found the old story, it was SW Georgia with Phoebe Putney.



Health insurance in SW Georgia cost more than it did in Manhattan and San Fransisco. That was 2014, but that article convinced me we need to find competition. And maybe using antitrust can get it? Just spitballing.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

As an aside, I had a kidney stone last year. Worst pain I've ever felt. It felt like my nuts were up around my intestines and somebody repeatedly swung a baseball bat at them. I'm sure a gunshot wound is more painful -- but, if so, I feel incredibly sorry for anybody who had to endure one.

I had a kidney stone attack at my office one day. And for reasons I'll never understand, rather than driving to a hospital that isn't far from the office, I drove across town to a hospital 15 minutes away. Bad decision. Worst. drive. of. my. life. I'm surprised I didn't wreck.

I feel for you, the attacks suck. I have had multiple attacks and for my pig-headed stubbornness, I try to ride them out. The result is I finally give up and go to the hospital and get admitted after it has passed its peak. My urologist wants me to drink water all the time, 10 glasses isn't NEARLY enough he says. The result of course is bathroom stops all the time.

 

[Baller23Boogie]

Years ago I posted a story that tracked healthcare costs not to overuse or anything like that but to competition. The story mentioned a rural area of Georgia served pretty much by one conglomerate that had some of the most expensive healthcare in the country. Meanwhile Chattanooga, labeled by one doctor the buckle of the stroke belt, had many hospitals and some of the lowest costs.

Now we move up to the land of Goat, Fort Wayne. The Guardian says it is the most affordable metropolitan area in the nation, but its healthcare is in the top 10%. Guess what, one facility dominates the region

‘Unlimited dollars’: how an Indiana hospital chain took over a region and jacked up prices

In the nation’s most affordable metro area, getting hurt or sick is expensive

www.theguardian.com

I know many of us hate anything involving laws, but I have to wonder if we can cap the percentage of doctors employed by one facility in a region? There has to be some way to force competition. A city may not be big enough for 2 major hospitals, but then why let the hospital own all (or any) of the GPs and specialists? Only those who practice only in the hospital can be directly employed by the hospital?

Fort Wayne has a couple different hopaitals (Parkview, Lutheran and Dupont). Not sure who owns them all though.

As a side note, my sister got her own practice about 2 months ago at Lutheran. With numbers like that, she better be paying for lunch next time I see her.

 

[Univee2]

As an aside, I had a kidney stone last year. Worst pain I've ever felt. It felt like my nuts were up around my intestines and somebody repeatedly swung a baseball bat at them. I'm sure a gunshot wound is more painful -- but, if so, I feel incredibly sorry for anybody who had to endure one.

I had a kidney stone attack at my office one day. And for reasons I'll never understand, rather than driving to a hospital that isn't far from the office, I drove across town to a hospital 15 minutes away. Bad decision. Worst. drive. of. my. life. I'm surprised I didn't wreck.

You nailed it wrt the baseball bat analogy. It’s as if Aaron Judge has been given a license to use your back to strengthen and quicken his swing.

If you have uric acid episodes, which includes gout, your doctor should be prescribing Allopurinol. Has worked for me. No more gout. No more kidney stones for twenty years.

 

[mcmurtry66]

As an aside, I had a kidney stone last year. Worst pain I've ever felt. It felt like my nuts were up around my intestines and somebody repeatedly swung a baseball bat at them. I'm sure a gunshot wound is more painful -- but, if so, I feel incredibly sorry for anybody who had to endure one.

I had a kidney stone attack at my office one day. And for reasons I'll never understand, rather than driving to a hospital that isn't far from the office, I drove across town to a hospital 15 minutes away. Bad decision. Worst. drive. of. my. life. I'm surprised I didn't wreck.

Buddy had one and passed out cold. Said he’s never experienced anything as bad