842
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] AA5B@lemmy.world -2 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

For-profit healthcare has an incentive to minimize costs

Public healthcare can have incentives like less wait time …. As long as we decide to pay for it

—-

Edit: maybe I assumed too much context since everyone is reading the opposite of my intended meaning

For-profit healthcare has an incentive to [maximize profit, typically by] minimize costs [to them].

They will pay medical providers as little as they can, which increases wait times. They do not have incentives to reduce wait times

Public healthcare can have incentives like less wait time …. As long as we decide to pay for it

Without the profit motive, public healthcare can choose to pay for better service , reducing wait times. Typical approaches for similar services would be setting standards on things like the max number of patients a physician can support. They probably won’t, because Conservatives, but they could

[-] MrEff@lemmy.world 6 points 19 hours ago

Rather than just downvoting you, let me explain why you are getting downvoted. It's because that isn't true. For-profit healthcare will both want to increase the cost as well as decrease the cost depending on where within the chain they are and where the money comes from. Are you billing the government through medicare/medicaid? Max that shit out and stack codes. Are you the provider trying to claw money from the insurance pool? You are forced to minimize everything or risk being rejected and not paid anything for services already rendered.

This notion that our for-profit system saves money and is somehow more efficient instantly breaks down the second you compare how much we spend on the same services compared to universal or single payer systems. The USA pays approximately triple per capita for Healthcare while also receiving poorer outcomes on average.

Not only that, if our system incentivized lower prices, then why is medical tourism a thing that Americans do to other countries? Like going to Canada to buy your prescription drugs or Mexico for dental work?

If you spent even one minute looking up the cost of American Healthcare compared to other comparable countries, you would have known how false your statement was.

[-] boonhet@lemmy.zip 1 points 11 hours ago

Medicare and medicaid can and will reject you too tbh. In any case, they'll bill the maximum they think will stick with the particular payor. Denied claims can be resubmitted with charges if necessary.

[-] schipelblorp@sh.itjust.works 4 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

For-profit healthcare has an incentive to minimize costs

lol

the exact opposite is the truth

[-] snugglesthefalse@sh.itjust.works 1 points 18 hours ago

There is an incentive to lower overheads but when they can simply raise prices to compensate the incentive isn't as appealing as the simpler, easier option.

this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2026
842 points (98.7% liked)

Work Reform

17629 readers
2428 users here now

A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.

Our Philosophies:

Our Goals

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS