(*Everything You Ever Wanted to Know!) About Healthcare Costs
I just came across this interesting website to share with you called Out of Pocket
It’s a good attempt at transparency — the real costs of healthcare — as they relate to the costs of individual services, tests, doctor visits, insurance, treatments, etc.
If you’re willing to participate, they even ask for input of what you have paid in locations all across the US so others can figure out what they will pay.
Transparency is a huge problem in containing healthcare costs. Rare is the patient who calls the doctor’s office to ask what he charges for an appointment, or how much they’ll charge you to test your blood or any other service at any other facility. And because we don’t pay directly for services most of the time (because we instead pay health insurance premiums, and then the health insurance company reimburses) — we are just removed from it. We just don’t know what we are spending.
The links page will take you to dozens of websites that can help you understand the costs better. Very eye opening… give it a look see!
It’s EYEWTK — but please don’t ever be afraid to ask 
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How Supermarket Purchases Violate Your Privacy and Increase the Cost of Insurance
Published January 3, 2008 Family , General Commentary , Health , Health /Medical Consumerism , Health Insurance , Patient Empowerment , Patient Tools , Patients , Patientude , Self Help 8 CommentsTags: discounts, insurance, loyalty cards, privacy, STDs, supermarkets
It’s cold and wintery. Time to hunker down with plenty of comfort food and a toddy or two… and while we’re at the store, let’s pick up a bottle of aspirin, some stomach acid medicine, and maybe even plenty of dog food for the rottweiler….
A swipe of both your store’s loyalty card (gotta get those discounts!) and of course, your debit card to pay for your goods — and home you go to lay in for the weekend, read a good book, and max out on all that junk food and alcohol.
Come Monday, your purchases, aligned with your identity, will be sold to a health insurer, or life insurance company, perhaps an auto insurance group…. and they will have that information to review should you contact them to make an insurance purchase.
Find the rest of this post at its new location:
http://www.trishatorrey.com/2008/01/03/how-supermarket-purchases-violate-your-privacy-and-increase-the-cost-of-insurance/
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