Last week we addressed the patient’s lack of a seat at the healthcare negotiations table. Clarification: the patient isn’t even in the conference room. They are out pacing in the hall—maybe even on the wrong floor—oblivious to what’s going in the room or at the table. Think about it healthcare for a moment. Our employer chooses our healthcare plan, our insurer pays the bulk of our doctor’s bills, life goes on. But why?If a person buying a car insurance would they have their boss pick out their policy? If they backed into their mailbox and dinged the bumper or took the car for a tire rotation, would they file an insurance claim? Nope. Such a system would be a bureaucratic nightmare—it would be the United States healthcare system.

When you we take our cars to the mechanic a we have the opportunity to walk in and say “how much is it going to run me?” and then no matter what price the mechanic returns with we are allowed to roll our eyes and mutter under our breathe,” you’re killing me, Jim.” Now enter the doctor’s office for a routine job. The patient goes in nods their head at whatever the doctor says, fills a prescription if needed and moves on without even hearing the cost. The majority of that bill is sent to the insurer. If the bill is being paid by someone else than how interested is the the doctor really going to be? That’s not to say doctors or nurses are invested in their patients, it’s to say they are like the rest of us—-concerned with money for the kids or the car or the loans. The consumer in healthcare isn’t the patient, it’s the health insurer. They pay the bill, haggle down the price.

That’s the first problem; the system has eliminated the patient, he or she off in the hallway putzin’ around. Which leads nicely into the second problem. The patient has no vested interest in being informed. And why should they? Their absolutely clueless to the cost of anything they are having down.

This week will be partially dedicated to ideas in how the patient can become more involved. Admittedly in our current system it’s mostly impossible. The reimbursement model just doesn’t allow it. So this is based on the assumption that sooner or later America is going to address the cracked foundation, instead of just slapping on a fresh coat of paint.

Please share your thoughts, ideas, or anything you have read. There is a wealth of information out there, we would all benefit from being acquainted with it.

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