Oklahoma City hospital posts surgery prices online; creates bidding war

[dixiegrrrrl]

This a long and VERY important piece of news..WE actually have the power to get our local hospitals to lower prices.

Key takeaway:

As patients are demanding price-matching, some hospitals relent.
“Hospitals are having to match our prices because patients are printing their prices and holding that in one hand and holding a ticket to Oklahoma City in the other hand and asking that hospital to step up,” Dr. Smith said. “So we’re actually causing a deflationary effect on pricing all over the United States.”

http://kfor.com/2013/07/08/okc-hospital-posting-surgery-prices-online/

[galileoreloaded]

1. brilliant! bravo! nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. I asked my outpatient clinic to give me their price list

ages ago when I had some procedures scheduled.
Oh my, you woulda thought I wanted their first born. Totally new concept to them, so I did some educating along the way.
The Oklahoma docs are gonna have imitators, you can bet on it.

[byeya]

3. This was one of the Republican-led sticking points for Medicare: The right to bargain over

certain procedures and practices. The GOP wanted and got the highest price it could on surgeries and lab tests and to get Medicare LBJ went along.
Glad you're having some needed price flexibility.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

4. Now THAT is how the free market is supposed to work!