In a true competitive market, like the market for retail gasoline, it’s very easy to figure out the market price. I can drive around the neighborhood and read the prices on the signs. These days I even have a Google widget on my home page that shows me current gasoline prices for as many stations in my local area as I want to see. When I want gas I pull into the station of my choice and that’s that.
Health insurer Humana hired some creative types to do a cutesy series of informational videos to post on YouTube and then to promote the videos to bloggers and presumably other media. Health Policy and Communications Blog author Michael D. Miller MD doesn’t like what he sees. I had a look at the videos myself and tend to agree with his conclusions.
I really had to laugh out loud when I heard United Airlines was introducing a “co-pay” for patients fliers upgrading from coach class. A co-pay is what the patient contributes toward the cost of his or her treatment when the rest is being paid for by their health insurer. United is using the term to describe the amount it intends to collect in addition to the frequent flier points it deducts from the traveler’s account. So in United’s scheme the traveler is paying both parts!