New health care law... FYI

[SPIKER]

The very old and ill will see a benefit from AHCA when they enroll they will get a lower cost as they can only charge 10x what a normal healthy 20 something pays. What this means is anyone that is normal and healthy will see a 2 to 5 fold increase of their health insurance costs. Already seen it myself when we renewed our company healthcare costs in last 3 years my costs has tripled and I didn't go once to doc. I no longer have it thru employer was too expensive, I'm not on VA ONLY healthcare. Therefore OBAMACARE forced me onto GOVERNMENT CARE which is their intent anyhow. Republicans are still fighting to stop the individual mandates and or the taxes/fines lobbied onto us.

Not sure how the DOC or Hospital can charge full deductible as you may end up in some other doctor office and they would be entitles to charge you not the 1st one...

Mark

 

[Jstpssng]

The very old and ill will see a benefit from AHCA when they enroll they will get a lower cost as they can only charge 10x what a normal healthy 20 something pays. What this means is anyone that is normal and healthy will see a 2 to 5 fold increase of their health insurance costs. Already seen it myself when we renewed our company healthcare costs in last 3 years my costs has tripled and I didn't go once to doc. I no longer have it thru employer was too expensive, I'm not on VA ONLY healthcare. Therefore OBAMACARE forced me onto GOVERNMENT CARE which is their intent anyhow. Republicans are still fighting to stop the individual mandates and or the taxes/fines lobbied onto us.

Not sure how the DOC or Hospital can charge full deductible as you may end up in some other doctor office and they would be entitles to charge you not the 1st one...

Mark

Once you pay your deductible they won't have to worry about it. What get's frustrating is when they cancel appointments for 4 months, then finally get you in on Jan 3... putting you in a new year and paying again.

 

[powerpace]

I am posting this here so more can see than if it were in the front porch or friendly politics...this is not meant to be a political post...just an informative one. It seems with the new system Docs and Hospitals are asking patients to pay their annual deductible all at one time...Here is the article....I thought it important so we don't get shocked next time we go in for an appointment.

Patients Pay Before Seeing Doctor as Deductibles Spread - Bloomberg

Are they going to reimburse a person for if they don't receive the services up to that level. I can see a problem if the doctor refers to a specialist after the first or second visit. I doubt the Dr. or Hospital will want to cut a check for services NOT rendered on the spot.

 

[aczlan]

Are they going to reimburse a person for if they don't receive the services up to that level. I can see a problem if the doctor refers to a specialist after the first or second visit. I doubt the Dr. or Hospital will want to cut a check for services NOT rendered on the spot.

I suspect its setup so if you have a procedure scheduled that costs $300 and you have $1000 left of your deductible, you pay $300 up front, not $1000.

Aaron Z

 

[powerpace]

The story says:


I may be wrong :shocked:, but depending on what a person is at the doctor for some will walk out of the office, go to the emergency room, and get treatment. Unless it has changed, emergency rooms have to treat you whether you have money or not. That will just incur higher costs for the rest of us.:thumbdown:

That is one reason heathcare is so high. The can't recoup the costs of nonpayers, they must recover from the insured. The Hospital treats to a basic level then your out the door. They are not required too keep you till your cured. Hospitals have resorted to "Dumping" non-paying patients after they are stabilized. This has been going on for many years. I have been associated with the medical industry in one way or another since 1975. My wife is a ER Nurse and a Nursing Instructor at the local Community College.

L.A. poised to go after Las Vegas hospital in patient-dumping cases - Nevada Patient Busing - The Sacramento Bee

 

[powerpace]

I suspect its setup so if you have a procedure scheduled that costs $300 and you have $1000 left of your deductible, you pay $300 up front, not $1000.

Aaron Z

That has been in effect for a long time. Each time I went to the local Non-Profit ER several years ago. Payment was expected even with full coverage insurance.
I do not go to that hospital anymore. My wife works at a for-profit hospital that has rates that are less than the Non-profit and they write off costs not paid for by my wifes insurance. They make a profit every year.

 

[tkappeler]

Many people have been brainwashed into thinking that any big company has HUGE profit margins. I used to work for a large east coast HMO (back in the the prime HMO days). They paid out to docs and hospitals 87 cents of every dollar of premium collected. The remaining 13% was their operating expenses AND profit. And that was considered high. Many competitors were operating on 9%-11%. Tupperware and many household product companies have higher margins yet we don't here about them as greedy.

Many docs have learned that owning the surgical facilities let's them double dip. They get paid for the "surgery" or procedure, the facility collects their fees for their part and it goes into one pocket. Each entity it entitled to the service they provide. Nothing illegal or immoral here, just good business sense.

 

[WM75Guy]

The story says:


I may be wrong :shocked:, but depending on what a person is at the doctor for some will walk out of the office, go to the emergency room, and get treatment. Unless it has changed, emergency rooms have to treat you whether you have money or not. That will just incur higher costs for the rest of us.:thumbdown:

Not exactly. Since it was adopted the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) states when you present to the Emergency Department (ED) you are entitled to a Medical Screening Exam to determine if an emergency exists. If it does the you have to be stabilized. If it does not you can be screened out and referred to the appropriate place for treatment. Payment does not enter into the decision. In the past many EDs did treat regardless if it was an emergency or not. Now they are doing screenings and referring if it is not an emergency.

Our population has decided payment for healthcare is a government or someone other than the patient's responsibility. They use the ED for a family doctor. They also want instant gratification and don't want to wait till tomorrow to see the doctor in the office for their sore throat. Since most hospital EDs are not tax supported they cannot afford to provide free healthcare to everyone.