I don't get how the medical industry can function.

Why can't they just do all inclusive billing? I would much rather know all my expenses up front than to get bills trickling in one after another 2 months after the fact.

Ken Robertson, the author of the blog post from which the above snippet was harvested, is a co-worker and friend. I completely agree with his sentiment and left a comment that I've been wishing for combined billing from healthcare providers for years.

In most things transparency is great. And transparency in medical charges is cool, too. But I'd prefer to not get 8 different bills from 8 different medical "providers" for one visit to the emergency room. Why can't I just get ONE bill from the hospital and have them work out all the details with their "sub-contractors". When your chosen home builder builds you a house you (normally) don't get a bill from them, a bill from the roofers, a bill from the electrician, a bill from the plumbers, a bill from the flooring installers, etc. You choose the home builder, give them money to build your selected style of home, they sub-contract out work to appropriate craftsmen and in the end everyone is happy.

Why can't it be like that for health care billing? It's not like you have a choice of anesthesiologist, x-ray tech, etc. You take whoever the hospital provides you - their sub-contractors!

One bill would be much nicer. I would pay it. The hospital would pay their sub-contractors. And everyone would be happy. Okay, maybe not happy, but much more content than I am today.