Huh? Double Huh?
Monday, November 6, 2017
This story inwards the Boston Herald but didn't appear correct to me. The lede:
Boston in addition to ii other Massachusetts cities are amidst 5 places nationwide amongst the fastest-rising medical costs [between 2011 in addition to 2013], according to a recent study — which wellness attention watchers attribute inwards purpose to skyrocketing drug prices in addition to high rates of medical specialization.
Even if wellness attention costs did riser faster here, how could that last attributable to drug prices in addition to high rates of medical specialization? Drug prices inwards Massachusetts are the same hither every bit elsewhere, and--unless there's something genuinely weird going on--dosages inwards this province should non bring increased at a greater charge per unit of measurement than the residual of the country. Likewise for specialization: This has ever been a geographical expanse amongst lots of specialists. Could this designing bring changed--in the upward direction--in the study period? Doubtful.
But in addition to then it got worse:
The study, conducted past times consumer wellness site BetterDoctor, constitute that Springfield, Worcester in addition to Boston saw but about of the most drastic medical cost increases betwixt 2011 in addition to 2013, based on Medicare data.
Medicare data? Medicare rates are educate past times CMS for the entire country, amongst but about local differences due to average wage rates, back upwards of residency programs, in addition to the like. There was no means Massachusetts would bring seen a dramatically greater per centum increment inwards Medicare rates during this period.
Prices for treating severe mental disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital increased past times 78 percent, the study found. Inpatient diagnoses cost an average of close $61,000 inwards 2013 — upwards from close $34,000 inwards 2011.
Oh my gosh. How'd MGH skid through almost a 100% charge per unit of measurement increase?
Well, of course of study they didn't. Very smart of them to non reply: "MGH declined to comment on the study." It would bring been impossible to debunk the entire concept of the even out inwards a audio bite.
I finally constitute the study on which the intelligence written report was written. As best I tin tell, the scheme used chargemaster figures published past times the federal regime on which to base of operations the stories. We all know those are essentially irrelevant. But the BetterDoctor people bring their ain theory of how infirmary prices are set. Here it is inwards a nutshell:
Though the information is from Medicare, the numbers nosotros used to calculate the fastest rising costs comes from the hospital’s physical care for prices. The cost charged to Medicare is the same cost that the infirmary would neb an individual’s private wellness insurance companionship or an uninsured person. The truthful amount Medicare genuinely pays for each physical care for in addition to associated bills is a negotiated subdivision of the overall cost.
There is an impressive amount of fiction inwards these 3 sentences. I won't bother to attempt to clarify.
But here's what's to a greater extent than striking than all of this. The reporter genuinely got local experts to reach reasons for the non-existent local relative cost rises!
One said, “This information is consistent amongst province reports over the finally several years.”
Another said, "When you lot bring a lot of hospitals in addition to doctors inwards the market, prices become up.” And, "We’ve seen pregnant increases inwards what pharmaceutical companies are charging for non entirely new-to-market specialty drugs, but pharmaceuticals that bring been on the marketplace for years,”
Garbage in, garbage recycled, garbage out.
Boston in addition to ii other Massachusetts cities are amidst 5 places nationwide amongst the fastest-rising medical costs [between 2011 in addition to 2013], according to a recent study — which wellness attention watchers attribute inwards purpose to skyrocketing drug prices in addition to high rates of medical specialization.
Even if wellness attention costs did riser faster here, how could that last attributable to drug prices in addition to high rates of medical specialization? Drug prices inwards Massachusetts are the same hither every bit elsewhere, and--unless there's something genuinely weird going on--dosages inwards this province should non bring increased at a greater charge per unit of measurement than the residual of the country. Likewise for specialization: This has ever been a geographical expanse amongst lots of specialists. Could this designing bring changed--in the upward direction--in the study period? Doubtful.
But in addition to then it got worse:
The study, conducted past times consumer wellness site BetterDoctor, constitute that Springfield, Worcester in addition to Boston saw but about of the most drastic medical cost increases betwixt 2011 in addition to 2013, based on Medicare data.
Medicare data? Medicare rates are educate past times CMS for the entire country, amongst but about local differences due to average wage rates, back upwards of residency programs, in addition to the like. There was no means Massachusetts would bring seen a dramatically greater per centum increment inwards Medicare rates during this period.
Prices for treating severe mental disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital increased past times 78 percent, the study found. Inpatient diagnoses cost an average of close $61,000 inwards 2013 — upwards from close $34,000 inwards 2011.
Oh my gosh. How'd MGH skid through almost a 100% charge per unit of measurement increase?
Well, of course of study they didn't. Very smart of them to non reply: "MGH declined to comment on the study." It would bring been impossible to debunk the entire concept of the even out inwards a audio bite.
I finally constitute the study on which the intelligence written report was written. As best I tin tell, the scheme used chargemaster figures published past times the federal regime on which to base of operations the stories. We all know those are essentially irrelevant. But the BetterDoctor people bring their ain theory of how infirmary prices are set. Here it is inwards a nutshell:
Though the information is from Medicare, the numbers nosotros used to calculate the fastest rising costs comes from the hospital’s physical care for prices. The cost charged to Medicare is the same cost that the infirmary would neb an individual’s private wellness insurance companionship or an uninsured person. The truthful amount Medicare genuinely pays for each physical care for in addition to associated bills is a negotiated subdivision of the overall cost.
There is an impressive amount of fiction inwards these 3 sentences. I won't bother to attempt to clarify.
But here's what's to a greater extent than striking than all of this. The reporter genuinely got local experts to reach reasons for the non-existent local relative cost rises!
One said, “This information is consistent amongst province reports over the finally several years.”
Another said, "When you lot bring a lot of hospitals in addition to doctors inwards the market, prices become up.” And, "We’ve seen pregnant increases inwards what pharmaceutical companies are charging for non entirely new-to-market specialty drugs, but pharmaceuticals that bring been on the marketplace for years,”
Garbage in, garbage recycled, garbage out.