publically, so you can see what each charges for different costs for, say, a certain pill, etc., etc.
""...This bill would establish the Payers' Bill of Rights. The bill
would, beginning July 1, 2004, require a hospital, except a small and
rural hospital, that uses a charge description master, as defined,
to make available a written or electronic copy in accordance with
specified provisions. This bill would also require a hospital to
post a notice, as specified, that informs patients that the hospital'
s charge description master is available pursuant to the specified
provisions.
This bill would require each hospital to compile a list of the
charges for 25 services or procedures commonly charged to patients
and, beginning July 1, 2004, make this list available to any person
upon request.
This bill would authorize any person to file a claim with the
department alleging violation of these provisions, and would require
the department to investigate and inform the complaining person of
its determination whether a violation has occurred and what action it
will take..."
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/03-04/bill/asm/ab_1601-1650/ab_1627_bill_20030929_chaptered.htmlIf this happened nationally maybe 'shaming' hospitals into lowering costs to a certain extent would take place. Also, listing the HMO's payouts to CEOs and administrators in 'investigative' journalism (I can dream can't I ?) would go a long long way to cutting the lard out of the present bad system...
It will be a long slog getting to single payer, but we can do it.