The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills • Hacker News Board

Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills

#371

Post by chrishynes » Tue, Jul 25, 2017, 1:57 AM UTC

kobeya wrote: post #368

dboreham wrote: post #357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are a couple of forces at work: 1. Medical folks charge more over time, for...reasons. 2. Previously insurance could be sold tailored to the customer's ability to pay; but that insurance didn't actually cover many useful things and had a low cap (hence was almost worthless). ACA disallowed that and made insurance industry offer policies that cover the stuff a regular person needs covered. So you could have the…

I made significant use of my healthcare pre-ACA ($30k-$50k charges before insurance). All of it was in-network, covered, and a small annual premium. The very year ACA took effect my health plan was canceled, my doctor went off-network, my new plan had 3x the annual premium and has grown 30% year over year, as have deductibles, and I fight tooth and nail every single charge to make sure it is in network and covered. Y…

"The very year ACA took effect my health plan was canceled, my doctor went off-network, my new plan had 3x the annual premium and has grown 30% year over year, and I fight tooth and nail every single charge to make sure it is in network and covered."

Same here, and I hear the same exact story from most people I talk to. Plans dropped, premiums skyrocketing. Here in Phoenix we've got a single insurer left, and we'll see if we have anybody next year.

What I haven't seen is stories of average joes who were substantially helped by ACA. Sure, if you didn't have coverage before by cost or pre-existing condition, or get subsidies now, maybe you're happier. But the vast middle class, not so much.

Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills

#372

Post by kobeya » Tue, Jul 25, 2017, 1:58 AM UTC

J_Sherz wrote: post #165

com2kid wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In contrast, to America working for a good employer: 1. Schedule with GP. Say I am in pain. Get in within 2 days. 2. Get a referral to Physical Therapy. Asked if I have any preference where to go. My doctor knows my network and gave me a number of choices that were within network (a number of which were within walking range of where I lived). 3. Call PT office. Schedule an appointment. They apologize that their next…

Just to add another perspective also working in America for a good employer: 1. Schedule with GP, get appointment very quickly. 2. GP has no idea who is "in network" for you and doesn't seem to care very much. They also don't understand the different insurance plans so have no idea if you're covered for certain types of referral. 3. Schedule appointment with a specialist. Ask for up front cost estimate for consultati…

I've never had a GP that doesn't care about their patient's in-network costs. Get a new one.

Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills

#373

Post by chasing » Tue, Jul 25, 2017, 2:04 AM UTC

kobeya wrote: post #366

chasing wrote: post #361

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it feeds my conspiracy thinking that the Democrats are actually largely indistinguishable from Republicans Have you been watching anything that's been happening with the healthcare debate over the past, oh, 25 years? The Democrats have been trying with varying degrees of success to inch this country in the direction of a more sensible healthcare system and the Republicans have pitched a generation-long hissy fit ab…

Take your politics elsewhere.

That's more of a history lesson than a political one. Democrats and Republicans have wildly different perspectives on healthcare. Democrats tend to believe it's a universal human right. Republicans seem to think whatever solution the free market decides is the right solution, even if it means not everyone gets access to healthcare.

It's been that way for decades.

Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills

#374

Post by madengr » Tue, Jul 25, 2017, 2:08 AM UTC

robocat wrote: post #289

madengr wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

New Zealand example full unsubsidised price list for CT scan: http://www.riverradiology.co.nz/diagnostic-solutions/price-l... $500 NZ versus $11000 US - maybe there is something wrong with your health system.

Just maybe...

Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills

#375

Post by erentz » Tue, Jul 25, 2017, 2:09 AM UTC

sliverstorm wrote: post #333

dragonwriter wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many attorneys will provide a free or very low cost initial consultation; you may have an unrealistic picture of what the actual cost of legal services for this particular scenario would be, and may benefit from actually finding out before assuming they are too expensive.

Attorneys have a reputation of charging $600 a visit, much like the hospital bills one is trying to escape.

I paid my last attorney around $250 per hour and was very satisfied. Something like this might only be a couple of hours. Have an initial meeting with the attorney (usually free). They'll develop a strategy with you, in this case it would probably be to document the situation and send a letter explaining that a lawyer is engaged. Then the whole thing might stop there.

Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills

#376

Post by Spooky23 » Tue, Jul 25, 2017, 2:17 AM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #301

mistermann wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, which increases revenue for the medical establishment, while also helping some people (and harming others) in the process. For me to consider the Democrats as the true party of the people rather than a tool of corporations, I'd want to see the cost side of health care addressed as well. My question is: was it?

I don't think you're going to get anywhere productive with analyses that connect all commercial health care spending with top-to-bottom regulatory capture by the health care industry. Essentially what you'd be saying is that any system short of federally-run single-payer was a sign of corruption. Also: this idea that the "Democrats are the party of the people" and the "Republicans are the party of corporations" is pr…

Democrats are a big tent party and idealology doesn't rule as a result. When they get ideological they pay dearly, as gay marriage demonstrated. (Lots of older white and black voters stayed home or voted GOP)

Republicans can't win the numbers game so they hammer home on right wing populism. Unfortunately, the last 30-40 years hasn't been kind to the "Main Street" centrist republicans of the past.

Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills

#377

Post by dingo_bat » Tue, Jul 25, 2017, 2:19 AM UTC

coreyp_1 wrote: post #22

I 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…

> $600 per visit

Is this considered normal? I honestly think I'll take my chances than pay that much per minute. Of course I'm thinking in ₹ and my current salary in ₹, which must be vastly lower in absolute terms than the average American.

Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills

#378

Post by tehlike » Tue, Jul 25, 2017, 2:44 AM UTC

icebraining wrote: post #218

jsisksod wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US is larger than 50 developed nations combined, so yes, we are Totally Special.

Then setup a single-payer system per state. What's the excuse against that?

isn't california trying to do this?

Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills

#379

Post by chrismealy » Tue, Jul 25, 2017, 2:44 AM UTC

rwmj wrote: post #4

Over 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)?

A lot of white Americans would rather be fucked over than risk helping non-whites.

Re: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills

#380

Post by e59d134d » Tue, Jul 25, 2017, 2:50 AM UTC

dungle6 wrote: post #97

eatbitseveryday wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Luckily I have friends in the industry and it turns out if they fail to inform you within 48 hours that you're not in network you don't have to pay the out of network cost. Curious, can you perhaps provide evidence of this? Seems like a good thing to know. > Call an attorney. This is itself a cost, and maybe only makes sense if you owe ≥ $10k but for procedures billed as $1k when they should be $400 I don't think w…

If you have excellent credit you can simply not pay and make them do the work. I had a $1500 dispute. I was getting tired of wasting time. When it went to collections I drafted the standard leave me alone. The funny thing is now the collection company has screwed up twice on some things. It is their prerogative to sue. I doubt they will. If they do it, it will be annoying but I can respond in kind with a countersuit.…

Agreed, this is just part of business for hospitals. We as honest people feel ashamed if we cannot pay bills. But I make an exception medical bills and other unpredictable broken industries (if any).

If someone bought a car or house, they knew their obligations exactly. If they declare bankruptcy, I would lay some fault with them, if not all.

But with medical billing, you cannot get a straight answer. If they cannot tell you what a simple procedure would cost you, then you don't owe them anything.

Also hopefully if enough people don't pay surprise bills, then medical industry would have motivation to simplify their systems.