Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Yippee! We got a bailout from folks who don't live here

Strange how we wouldn't think of getting something done on our car without a written estimate of parts and labor. But you go in the docs office and have no idea if the bill will be in the 100s, 1000s or more.

Maybe thats why doctors will warranty certain things and not others.

Could one of you spell out, in terms that my simple mind can understand, exactly WHY health care costs so much in AK? I touched on this subject back a while ago, when I found out my health insurance carrier doesn't cover me at all in AK. You mentioned then that the insurance company(s) would most likely fly someone out of state, as it would be cheaper. I guess I just don't really grasp the 'whys' of it all. Thanks.

Because the nearest competition is in Seattle. The providers can charge whatever the hell they want(and they show no restraint), so you either pay, or go without and die. Simple.

Jeff

They will knowingly bankrupt you with a smile. I give a whole lot of credit to nurses, PA, and nurse practitioners. Most of the docs I know are some greedy folks, who are in it to bill/collect as much as possible.

this...

Living in Alaska off and on for almost 30 years really opens your eyes on how fu*cking liberal/west coast the place is becoming.

Only lived here 20 years, but it's only a shadow of it's ruggedly independent past.

While I know most will pile on Anchorage as the scourge, no place has more gimme dat liberals per capita than bush Alaska.

Good to know. Thought it was the shipping.

Those 300 dolla flights to seattle can break ya.

Yup...

Innovation Waver. That's rich right there.

Brilliant response as usual, thanks for being consistent!

Jeff

even more so than this "poor me" gem?

Yep, consistency is definitely your long suit.

He asked why our health care costs so much more than the rest of the US, and I told him exactly why(please counter my point, as I'd love to hear your argument). Nothing "poor me" about it. It is what it is, and it's a fact....unlike your pointless commentary.

There are undoubtedly higher physician and facility costs (look where your at); but to say they can charge whatever they want is silly. Insurance fraud is a crime, and as stated; if a large enough sum can be saved if paying out of pocket, you'll seek services elsewhere, providing you shopped around.

You were right about one thing though; you pay, someone else pays, or you go without and still pay through taxation.

2008 Alaska I could buy a double macho cappuccino earlier in the morning than I could buy a double bourbon. It sure as hell wasn't that way in 1984.

Haha! Scooping Hill's Brothers, Baby....out of the 20 pound tins!

"There are undoubtedly higher physician and facility costs (look where your at); but to say they can charge whatever they want is silly. "

Undoubtedly indeed.Silly, I don't think so. I'll use my recent colonoscopy for an example. When my family Doc did the referral to the "in network" provider that I basically have to use, if I want my health plan to cover(at 80/20); he told me that if my insurance wouldn't cover it, I'd be better off flying to Seattle. In Alaska the procedure is damn near ten grand. In Seattle it's $3K. I'd say that more than tripling the Seattle rate is just a tad greedy. They should have been wearing friggin' ski masks. My out of pocket ended up being over $1700, so not worth flying to Seattle for. Gouging, nonetheless.

Jeff

I can see 20, maybe 30% higher for AK, but double or triple is insane.

Might explain why the only people I've met in Anchorage with a full time servant are neurologists.