I feel like there must be something I'm missing here. Isn't providing health care the core purpose of a hospital? Why are they outsourcing that? Outsourcing might make sense for ancillary stuff (e.g. running the cafeteria), but I'm confused why they'd look to outsource their core job. And if the outsourcing company can do it so much more efficiently, why don't they just open their own hospitals and take all of the profit?
The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
41–50 of 481 posts
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#42So, 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…
This is the fundamental problem of treating healthcare like any other market distributed good; you just don't have the ability to use consumer choice. People using an emergency room are not in a position to negotiate price or seek an alternative service. An unconcious accident victim can't say, "That price is crazy I am going to the hospital across town." Single payer is the only viable solution.
I recently hurt myself and needed an ambulance to take me to an ER. They asked me if the nearest one was ok. Worrying about network was simply not going to be possible, I was in massive pain and wanted it to be helped out asap
Turned out alright, I think. I'm still concerned I'll get an "oh by the way" bill in the mail.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#43Over 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)?
It is exactly as crazy as it sounds, unfortunately. But due to many years (decades!) of pre-meditated political maneuvering, one of our political parties has managed to inextricably relate any kind of desire for "single-payer" or "socialized" medical system with effectively being a communist USSR apologist. No exaggeration.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#44I am having problems with my insurer at this very moment. I went to an in-network hospital for an ER visit, which turned into an 8-day stay (yes, it was serious). Evidently, none of the doctors at the hospital are in-network, however, (claims from various technicians are still "in processing", so I don't know how they will turn out) despite the fact that the hospital itself is definitely in-network. I had no choice a…
Also experiencing something similar right now - pathology for a day procedure ended up being out of network and I have a $3500 bill. This is insane.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
I went to ER a couple of months ago for a relatively minor issue and stayed for a few hours total. This was in-network hospital, doctors and so on. Purely by co-pays this ended up being a ~$800 bill after all the insurance kicked in. If I didn't have a comfy software engineer salary, and instead lived paycheck to paycheck, this would've been devastating, even with insurance.
Which is ridiculous. We're at the point where the insurance is just covering the cost of the overhead that necessitates having insurance in the first place. There's no way the real charge should be $800, let alone co-pay.
This is exactly right.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#46Start with the fact that even the hospitals themselves do not even know the cost/price of their procedures and goods.
Notice here, in 2013, an article about how "For the very first time, the federal government is publicly releasing the "rate card" (the full charge before insurance company discounts) prices hospitals throughout the nation charge for the one hundred most common procedures and services." https://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2013/05/08/the-great-...
Yet two years later, a CEO of a hospital cannot even get the costs at the hospital of which she is CEO: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/08/health/what-are-a-hospita...
Price discovery, the most basic element of a free market, is literally impossible, even for expert executives within their own organizations. Vast price discrepancies exist for procedures just a few towns apart. Discovery for consumers in advance is impossible, and of course absurd in the situation where you are being rushed to the nearest hospital in an emergency.
Do not let anyone get away with claiming that this is somehow a "Free Market" until reliable prices, and outcome rates (with case difficulty information) are as easily available as prices and reviews on Amazon.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#47Over 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, literally, one side of the street would be the Republicans and the other side of the street would be the Democrats. Nothing would get done as neither side feels the need to concede anything.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#48I am having problems with my insurer at this very moment. I went to an in-network hospital for an ER visit, which turned into an 8-day stay (yes, it was serious). Evidently, none of the doctors at the hospital are in-network, however, (claims from various technicians are still "in processing", so I don't know how they will turn out) despite the fact that the hospital itself is definitely in-network. I had no choice a…
This sounds like fraud to me. Fight it legally! A co-worker told me that this happened to her, and that made me not take the in-network only plan, but I got the PPO instead. I still think it's illegal or morally not right what they are doing, so we should all fight this practice!!!
Sadly this is how hospital stays are conventionally billed. The cost of being admitted covers only the bed and routine nursing, literally everything else is billed separately. As unfair as it is, the best patients can do is vehemently question the necessity of any interaction with a physician, or else get billed for it. And good luck with that if your case is complicated and you're getting referrals to a wide range of specialists.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#49So, 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…
Yep. Took my wife to the ER last week for suspect appendicitis or diverticulitis. Last time this happened a CT scan alone was $3k ($11k prior to insurance reduction). My HDP is $4,500 OOP max per family member; $8,500 for family. What really pisses me off is that the HSA max contribution has not kept up with family OOP max. I contribute the max every year and can't end up with $8,500 saved. I had a decent insurance p…
It's doubtful we would be in a different situation without Obamacare. Health care costs have been rising faster than inflation for literally decades. There are too many bad actors at every level trying to grab whatever they can, while they can.
Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
"You only go bankrupt if you're uninsured" With copays and out of network stuff a lot of people will go bankrupt in case of a serious illness.
> With copays and out of network stuff a lot of people will go bankrupt in case of a serious illness. By law, those are capped for people with insurance. The maximum that you will have to pay out-of-pocket can be no more than about $7,000, and many private plans set the cap at a lot less. $7,000 is a non-trivial amount, but it's not a large number of people that both are insured and can't afford their out-of-pocket m…
Max contribution to an HSA is about $6,800/year. I have been putting $600/month into it for three years and have never been able to get more than $6k saved; family of 4 and no dental insurance (employer dropped it).
This is the equivalent of a car payment for the rest of my working life.