The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
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Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#2Does anyone know if a lawsuit has been lodged questioning these practices?
I've always thought that my informed consent should also apply to cost of procedure - I have a right to say "NO" to something in the medical establishment. And had I known the price and the success rate, I would have said "No".
Now, I'm not asking "What is my exact rate?", although that would indeed be nice. But given minimal complications, I should be able to get a range of what to expect.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#3So, basically, if you visit any emergency room then your handing them a blank Check and they can write whatever number on there they want. That's egregious beyond belief. I'm never one to call for legislation and price controls, but in the face of such adversity, I think it may be our last hope. I think they should either provide a quote before they offer the services or there should be a law limiting the amount that can be billed per service.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#4Over here (in Europe) we get the impression that US has such a crazy healthcare system. Why aren't people marching in the streets? Is it not as crazy as it sounds for most users? If you're taken to ER how are you supposed to know if the doctors are all part of "your network" (whatever that even means)?
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#5At least the hospital in Newport took back their coding/billing into their own hands.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#6Over here (in Europe) we get the impression that US has such a crazy healthcare system. Why aren't people marching in the streets? Is it not as crazy as it sounds for most users? If you're taken to ER how are you supposed to know if the doctors are all part of "your network" (whatever that even means)?
Too sick.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#7So, basically, if you visit any emergency room then your handing them a blank Check and they can write whatever number on there they want. That's egregious beyond belief. I'm never one to call for legislation and price controls, but in the face of such adversity, I think it may be our last hope. I think they should either provide a quote before they offer the services or there should be a law limiting the amount that…
The problem is you can't know how healing somebody will turn out. The time and resource require to heal somebody are not fixed.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#8Does anyone know if a lawsuit has been lodged questioning these practices? I've always thought that my informed consent should also apply to cost of procedure - I have a right to say "NO" to something in the medical establishment. And had I known the price and the success rate, I would have said "No". Now, I'm not asking "What is my exact rate?", although that would indeed be nice. But given minimal complications, I…
Price transparency is pretty meaningless for ER care. Anything that is serious enough for an ER visit probably distracts you from making good economic choices, plus it's likely impractical to change ER (plus you'll pay for that ambulance ride!)
Further, it shouldn't be necessary for people to be making financial decisions in the middle of medical emergencies, even if it was easy.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#9So, basically, if you visit any emergency room then your handing them a blank Check and they can write whatever number on there they want. That's egregious beyond belief. I'm never one to call for legislation and price controls, but in the face of such adversity, I think it may be our last hope. I think they should either provide a quote before they offer the services or there should be a law limiting the amount that…
What if there was a group or coop or company somewhere, where people could get together and collectively fund their health care. Then this entity could make deals with providers like EmCare to ensure that the care provided was as efficient as possible.
Sarcasm aside: this problem is solved, and it's called insurance. Private entities sell it. The government does it too. It works. We just need to make sure everyone actually has it.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#10Over here (in Europe) we get the impression that US has such a crazy healthcare system. Why aren't people marching in the streets? Is it not as crazy as it sounds for most users? If you're taken to ER how are you supposed to know if the doctors are all part of "your network" (whatever that even means)?
Because those in the middle and upper class have employer-paid health insurance which protects from the worst of bills. You only go bankrupt if you're uninsured and usually only those in the lower-middle or lower class are uninsured.
And those in the lower echelon of society economically are those least able to have the time or money to march or lobby for change.