[tptacek]

You haven't done the math here. Multiply the numbers out. This is what I'm talking about. How are you supposed to engage with these topics if you're literally recoiling from 7th grade arithmetic? Congratulations, taken on your own terms, you just found 3.6% worth of savings from practitioner costs.

My local grocery store wouldn't even bother issuing a coupon for that small a discount.

[ceejayoz]

This is one example of an aspect where insurance causes costs that are not directly attributable to the insurer in your numbers.

This isn’t seventh grade math. This is kindergarten level cause and effect.

[tptacek]

Yes, as I said, if we accept your claim at face value, that every dollar of American practitioner-side insurance overhead --- not the delta from Canada, but every single dollar of it --- is mis-spent, you managed to identify 3.6% of the waste in the system. Congratulations.

I said earlier we'd gone round-and-round on this topic before, and I was a little burned out on it, but I didn't expect you to refute your own argument like this. I'm glad we gave it another run this time! This is a great statistic; I'll be using it elsewhere. Thank you.

[ceejayoz]

Insurance has more than one way to run the costs up; this is but one of them. Weird rebate deals with drug manufacturers. Vertical integration. Buying practices and paying them higher rates.

> I was a little burned out on it

I just did my taxes and am a little burned out by the $49k in healthcare expenses I got to deduct on them.