Debate has surged recently over the effects of the nation’s healthcare plans. As more and more people find themselves unable to afford the medical attention they need, the pleas of the public for reform have only amplified.
But perhaps predictably, according to savingadvice.com, a study recently found that many people who are considered to be wealthy have no problem paying top dollar for the best possible treatments as well as a little extra to be treated like royalty.
With average healthcare costs rising 7% a year, hospital care is becoming harder for the average American to afford even without adding any extra amenities. As of 2013, an estimated two million people were forced to file for bankruptcy due to unpaid medical bills.
While the vast majority of people must sit in emergency rooms for hours on end to receive medical attention, the wealthy bypass all average medical processes to receive the best of care immediately. Some even reserve entire hospital floors for what is to them a measly $2,400 a night.
Because hospital administrators are mostly focused on money above anything else, doctors are aware that special treatment given to wealthy patients who carry more weight in the eyes of administrators will also put them in a good light.
With all of the outcry for health reform, some have decided to take matters into their own hands, such as FairCare.
According to PR Newswire, FairCare recently released an app for iOS that allows consumers to compare prices in their area for any medical procedure available in the United States.
By simply typing in the name of a medical procedure, the FairCare app will show the lowest, highest, and average cost of the operation in the user’s vicinity.
“We must shine a light on healthcare costs, so that all healthcare consumers can begin making informed decisions,” said Eric Duprat, CEO and Co-Founder of FairCare.
The costs of medical procedures are so effectively kept under wraps that 57% of patients are completely unaware that physicians can charge different prices for the same service. By offering the public transparency into the inner-workings of the financial systems behind healthcare, FairCare hopes to bring even more attention to this discrimination.