NOT IF THE PERSON RECEIVING THE SERVICE PAYID THE FEE:

Put health costs on a diet (Boston Globe, February 8, 2010)

PAYING FOR health care on a fee-for-service basis is an engine for inflation. [...]

Not only does Massachusetts have the highest health costs in the country, but according to the report the higher-cost hospitals do not necessarily provide the best care or treat the most complicated cases. Instead, the high rates often reflect the special advantage of a hospital’s brand name, its inclusion in a large provider network, or its location in an isolated geographic area.

So turn the patients into consumers and they'll shop around.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 11, 2010 7:19 AM