Tuesday, March 07, 2023

What A Country

Innovations in medical care provision.
The teenage son of a friend broke his arm in a playground fall. Their insurance company, Health New England, paid the hospital bill.

Then they received a letter from something called EXL advising that the injury “may have been caused by an act or omission of another person or entity.” In which case EXL would go after said entity to pay some or all of the medical bill, thus saving Health New England some money. EXL demanded that my friend fill out an extensive form about the circumstances of the accident.
Tangential to this story, but one thing everybody "knows" about the US is that we are so litigious, just suing each other about everything all the time. Can't organize an event without taking out an insurance policy. It isn't our legal system, or a culture of litigiousness. It is, like almost everything else, the medical costs.

If I trip and fall on your sidewalk, I might sue you. But it doesn't require me doing it, my insurance company might sue you (and your insurance company) etc. etc. Just an example.