U.S. Sen. Rand Paul plans to undergo hernia surgery at a private hospital in Canada because of injuries he suffered when a neighbour tackled him while he was doing yard work at his Kentucky home.
New hospital price lists are massive spreadsheets full of gibberish
At Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, an “HC BYP FEM-ANT TIBL PST TIBL PRONEAL ART/OTH DSTL” will run you $35,014.00. If you go to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, an “HC ECMO/ECLS INIT VENO-VENOUS” costs $51,384.00. And at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City, a “TRLUML PERIP ATHRC ILIAC ART” goes for $22,689.83.
These mysterious prices—and tens of thousands of others—are all on the hospitals’ respective new price lists, available in beastly spreadsheets downloadable from the hospitals’ websites. As of January 1, hospitals around the country are now federally required to list all standard charges for common treatments and care. The goal is to make hospital billing more transparent, allowing patients to comparison shop and anticipate medical expenses.
“This is about empowering patients,” Seema Verma, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said last week in a conference call with reporters.
But the price lists are less than helpful, to put it mildly.
Paul is scheduled for surgery at Shouldice Hospital, which touts itself as a world leader in "non-mesh hernia repair."
Also note that this is a PRIVATE hospital that has nothing to do with socialist medicine.
Maybe in the US, but not in Canada.
All health facilities in Canada must bill the government for services, and some are allowed to charge additional fees to patients - like hospitals in Alberta that are also allowed to charge for private rooms, TVs, and other services that people may or may or may not desire.
If Rand Paul was an Ontario resident, most, if not all of the fees for his surgery would be covered by OHIP.
This is a clear case of hypocrisy, wherein he calls universal healthcare "slavery' and votes against it, but has no problem using it himself.
The lie that Paul needs socialized medicine is explained in more detail here:
Media Attacks Rand Paul For Going To Socialized-Medicine-Canada To Get Surgery, Fails To Mention It’s A Private Hospital
On Monday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was widely criticized for the announcement that he would have hernia surgery in Canada, a country with socialized medicine. Despite the hospital being private and specializing in hernias, critics cited Paul’s opposition to socialized medicine.
The surgery is related to an injury Paul suffered when his neighbor, Rene Boucher, attacked him while he was doing yard work, leaving him with six broken ribs and damage to his lungs, The Washington Times reports.
Boucher is reportedly being sued by Paul for $4,000 in medical expenses plus the costs of the hernia surgery. The Courier Journal reports the court documents cite the cost of the hernia procedure as ranging between $5,000 and $8,000. Boucher was sentenced to 30 days in prison for assaulting a member of Congress; federal prosecutors are reportedly appealing the case.
Paul’s lawsuit says that he will undergo an outpatient surgery in Canada later this month at Shouldice Hernia Hospital, which claims to be “the only licensed hospital in the world dedicated to repairing hernias.”
“This is a private, world renowned hospital separate from any system and people come from around the world to pay cash for their services,” Kelsey Cooper, a spokeswoman for Paul, told The Hill.
Paul’s chief strategist Doug Safford responded to the unwarranted outrage on Twitter.
“It is one of a handful of private hospitals grandfathered to exist outside their normal healthcare laws,” Safford added. “Try fact checking, it’s not hard.”
But this didn’t stop the critics.
“Sen. Rand Paul — one of the fiercest critics of socialized medicine — is heading to Canada for surgery,” The Daily Beast tweeted.
“rave of rand paul to offer himself up as a guinea pig to showcase the savagery of socialized medicine,” Matt Binder, a reporter at Mashable wrote.
“Rand Paul, enemy of socialized medicine, will go to Canada for surgery,” Talking Points Memo tweeted from their official account.
“Rand Paul, enemy of socialized medicine, will go to Canada for surgery,” Talking Points Memo tweeted from their official account.
Daniel Dale, a correspondent for the Toronto Star, responded to the criticism. “This isn’t really a good ‘gotcha,” he tweeted. “This hernia clinic, in my hometown of Thornhill, is one of a very small number of private, for-profit clinics that were grandfathered into Ontario’s socialized health system.”
“Shouldice is not socialized medicine — it’s a little bastion of capitalist medicine Canadian politicians allow to keep existing,”
“It’s an opportunity for the Left to take a cheap shot at Rand for no reason, and without any facts on their side,” Safford told The Daily Wire. “It’s disgusting clickbait for them.” Dale added.
“It is one of a handful of private hospitals grandfathered to exist outside their normal healthcare laws,” Safford added. “Try fact checking, it’s not hard.”
“It is one of a handful of private hospitals grandfathered to exist outside their normal healthcare laws,” Safford added. “Try fact checking, it’s not hard.”
Canadians who undergo treatment at the clinic can receive coverage depending on their provincial health-care plan.
At Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, an “HC BYP FEM-ANT TIBL PST TIBL PRONEAL ART/OTH DSTL” will run you $35,014.00. If you go to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, an “HC ECMO/ECLS INIT VENO-VENOUS” costs $51,384.00. And at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City, a “TRLUML PERIP ATHRC ILIAC ART” goes for $22,689.83.
These mysterious prices—and tens of thousands of others—are all on the hospitals’ respective new price lists, available in beastly spreadsheets downloadable from the hospitals’ websites. As of January 1, hospitals around the country are now federally required to list all standard charges for common treatments and care. The goal is to make hospital billing more transparent, allowing patients to comparison shop and anticipate medical expenses.
“This is about empowering patients,” Seema Verma, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said last week in a conference call with reporters.
But the price lists are less than helpful, to put it mildly.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/01 ... gibberish/
A-la carte medicine.
Avoiding mesh in a hernia surgery is pretty damned impressive.
Also note that this is a PRIVATE hospital that has nothing to do with socialist medicine.
Avoiding mesh in a hernia surgery is pretty damned impressive.
Also note that this is a PRIVATE hospital that has nothing to do with socialist medicine.
Everything has everything to do with Socialist Medicine.
Avoiding mesh in a hernia surgery is pretty damned impressive.
Also note that this is a PRIVATE hospital that has nothing to do with socialist medicine.
Note, patients are treated there through our socialist system all the time. It does not cover extras however. Like a comfier room or better food etc.
Avoiding mesh in a hernia surgery is pretty damned impressive.
Also note that this is a PRIVATE hospital that has nothing to do with socialist medicine.
You can have procedures there covered by OHIP. He's not covered by OHIP so he has to pay for it.
Also note that this is a PRIVATE hospital that has nothing to do with socialist medicine.
Maybe in the US, but not in Canada.
All health facilities in Canada must bill the government for services, and some are allowed to charge additional fees to patients - like hospitals in Alberta that are also allowed to charge for private rooms, TVs, and other services that people may or may or may not desire.
If Rand Paul was an Ontario resident, most, if not all of the fees for his surgery would be covered by OHIP.
This is a clear case of hypocrisy, wherein he calls universal healthcare "slavery' and votes against it, but has no problem using it himself.
Media Attacks Rand Paul For Going To Socialized-Medicine-Canada To Get Surgery, Fails To Mention It’s A Private Hospital
The surgery is related to an injury Paul suffered when his neighbor, Rene Boucher, attacked him while he was doing yard work, leaving him with six broken ribs and damage to his lungs, The Washington Times reports.
Boucher is reportedly being sued by Paul for $4,000 in medical expenses plus the costs of the hernia surgery. The Courier Journal reports the court documents cite the cost of the hernia procedure as ranging between $5,000 and $8,000. Boucher was sentenced to 30 days in prison for assaulting a member of Congress; federal prosecutors are reportedly appealing the case.
Paul’s lawsuit says that he will undergo an outpatient surgery in Canada later this month at Shouldice Hernia Hospital, which claims to be “the only licensed hospital in the world dedicated to repairing hernias.”
“This is a private, world renowned hospital separate from any system and people come from around the world to pay cash for their services,” Kelsey Cooper, a spokeswoman for Paul, told The Hill.
Paul’s chief strategist Doug Safford responded to the unwarranted outrage on Twitter.
“It is one of a handful of private hospitals grandfathered to exist outside their normal healthcare laws,” Safford added. “Try fact checking, it’s not hard.”
But this didn’t stop the critics.
“Sen. Rand Paul — one of the fiercest critics of socialized medicine — is heading to Canada for surgery,” The Daily Beast tweeted.
“rave of rand paul to offer himself up as a guinea pig to showcase the savagery of socialized medicine,” Matt Binder, a reporter at Mashable wrote.
“Rand Paul, enemy of socialized medicine, will go to Canada for surgery,” Talking Points Memo tweeted from their official account.
“Rand Paul, enemy of socialized medicine, will go to Canada for surgery,” Talking Points Memo tweeted from their official account.
Daniel Dale, a correspondent for the Toronto Star, responded to the criticism. “This isn’t really a good ‘gotcha,” he tweeted. “This hernia clinic, in my hometown of Thornhill, is one of a very small number of private, for-profit clinics that were grandfathered into Ontario’s socialized health system.”
“Shouldice is not socialized medicine — it’s a little bastion of capitalist medicine Canadian politicians allow to keep existing,”
“It’s an opportunity for the Left to take a cheap shot at Rand for no reason, and without any facts on their side,” Safford told The Daily Wire. “It’s disgusting clickbait for them.” Dale added.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/42167/me ... ssy-dillon
Money quote:
“It is one of a handful of private hospitals grandfathered to exist outside their normal healthcare laws,” Safford added. “Try fact checking, it’s not hard.”
The Shouldice Hospital is a private facility that was grandfathered in when OHIP was first implemented in the '70's.
My understanding is there is no such thing as a truly private facility anymore. That even "private" ones still do OHIP (in this case) work.
Thank you Llama and Fiddy!
Money quote:
“It is one of a handful of private hospitals grandfathered to exist outside their normal healthcare laws,” Safford added. “Try fact checking, it’s not hard.”