Quote Originally Posted by ForeverAutumn
How is this practice not, somehow, criminal?

No insurance? Oh, so sorry, forget about a college fund for that new baby of yours. You can pay us all that money instead.

Oh, you say you have insurance? That will only be $20,000 and will be covered by your insurance company. Enjoy Harvard.
All I can say is thanks to GM for providing this real-world example. When you hear about sky-rocketing health care costs, it should raise an eyebrow. When you hear about the cost of a universal health care plan in Congress . . . well, you get the point.

The parent with no health insurance will more than likely get the service for delivery of the baby, but it will be on an emergency basis and the mother will more likely than not have had little or no prenatal (is that the word?) care which in turn increases the likelihood of complications with the mother and/or child at delivery which in turn increases the cost.

The hospital is never going to get its $98,000 out of the family with no insurance, but the bill will follow them the rest of their lives. And, the $98,000 (rather than the $20,000) will be used to the advantage of the medical community and others (including politicians) in statistics.

Any health care reform plan must address and establish the TRUE cost of health care. If everyone is covered, then it doesn't matter what the health care provider bills, the cost will be what the insurance company (and/or government) is willing to pay for the service and the provider is willing to accept.