Planning on dropping Health Insurance. Change my mind.

[ultrarunner]

Had a patient cancel today... said was not paying the deductible and to bill... hospital admin said can you pay any portion now at time of service... even a nominal $50 on his 2k plan deductible.

The idea is having even a small payment with balance due receipt clearly established obligation...

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I have no trouble paying, after my insurance company tells me how much. The problem is they ask for more up front than what it turns out to be.

 

[ultrarunner]

It’s a problem that is reoccurring.

A simple procedure can generate 4 separate invoices.

Facility, Surgeon, Anesthesia and Lab...

If complications extend OR time costs escalate.

On the other hand patients are refunded if time is less than billed.

Add that never collected invoices are a reality.

Hospitals often found in between patient and insurance which is contract between patient and insurance as to patient portion and between insurance and facility as to reimbursement...

Just about clear as mud.

We did have flat all inclusive one payment for some procedures which ran afoul because it doesn’t provide transparency.

Had a patient that was short a few years ago and I said I will cover it if needed... He was a dear friend of my Grandparents.

Lets just say that did not go over well... I said we have done similar for doctors in that they can agree to guarantee payment...

Guess for Chief Engineer is an overstep?

 

[two_bit_score]

I have no trouble paying, after my insurance company tells me how much. The problem is they ask for more up front than what it turns out to be.

Ask them to guarantee to double your money back for any amount over the balance after insurance.

 

[drssg]

I have been asked to prepay, and it doesn't bother me. I'm sure it's driven by people who don't pay their bill. We like to complain about the high cost of medical care, and that's a significant portion of the underlying problem.

 

[ultrarunner]

Yep... there are so many things that make you scratch your head... few things as complicated as Healthcare with many levels of regulation and so many involved...

A Doc brought a special instrument for special procedure and ran it through central processing for sterility assurance... just like it has always been.

Legal got involved as did compliance and Stark Law... after several weeks of review it was determined the Doc was owed 80 cents for the 2 minutes it was used...

Doc said he is framing it with a hundred dollar frame to display.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Another year down that I didn’t use health insurance, now going on 4 years since I started this post that I have paid into a system, I don’t use……. Here’s to another year of being held hostage by the USA healthcare system.

 

[jyoutz]

A short stay in the hospital will make that $2200 look like chump change.

About 2 days in hospital, but not ICU.

 

[Byronaa19]

Food for thought ..... just the ambulance bills for an accident can be more than most can pay easily out of pocket. If they call in a helicopter, that alone can be $5,000 or more.

My helo ride was $30,000.00 for a 20 mile ride.

 

[MossRoad]

Another year down that I didn’t use health insurance, now going on 4 years since I started this post that I have paid into a system, I don’t use……. Here’s to another year of being held hostage by the USA healthcare system.

See post 431 - We just celebrated my mother in-law's 14th anniversary of 'liver day' on Feb 28. Three quarters of a million dollars paid by insurance.