Very good srticle re: hospitals.

[Cataholic]

Imagine all the coin that could be saved if that was not done. Unfortunately, I think the bills are padded in part because of all the uninsured folks out there.

To add to that, I think bills are padded so that the hospital (or provider) will get something close to what they should be getting paid from the insurance company. Provider only gets paid a certain (low) amount per code/procedure. So, the provider adds in every single code possible to increase its reimbursement!

[Medusa]

I managed to catch part of a news show discussing NHS in England. Several commented that they are working to figure out how they can cut down on the time that many must wait for surgeries. They said that the average is 12 - 18 months and if you go to the ER, the average wait is 12- 18 hours. When I told my English friend Clare what they said, she said "No way! I didn't have to wait that long". I told her that she apparently was one of the lucky ones but that I wouldn't want to count on the luck of the draw when my health is on the line.