Insurance is the only industry where they agree to pay for something (in this case, "medical care"), but then
after service has been rendered can decide to pay less, or not pay at all, or stop paying that provider altogether, etc. This combined with hospitals being run by non-physicians*, and people thinking being able to Google and read WebMD qualifies them to argue with their doctor about treatment plans**, healthcare in the US is going to absolute shit***.
* I strongly believe that only physicians should be running hospitals. Certainly not administrators whose only education is an MHA and only experience is working for for-profit health companies. Medical decisions need to be made outside of cost considerations. The only factors should be medical science, quality of life, and patient wishes (in that order).
** In stark contrast to asking questions and trying to understand. But I have family members who are the "look everything up and then try to tell my doctor how they're going to treat me" ilk and it's crazy.
*** I don't think the above points are unique to US healthcare other than cost considerations, but that's all I have experience with.*
* I strongly believe that only physicians should be running hospitals. Certainly not administrators whose only education is an MHA and only experience is working for for-profit health companies. Medical decisions need to be made outside of cost considerations. The only factors should be medical science, quality of life, and patient wishes (in that order).
** In stark contrast to asking questions and trying to understand. But I have family members who are the "look everything up and then try to tell my doctor how they're going to treat me" ilk and it's crazy.
*** I don't think the above points are unique to US healthcare other than cost considerations, but that's all I have experience with.*