Bringing transparency to ER prices, one hospital bill at a time • Hacker News Board

Re: Bringing transparency to ER prices, one hospital bill at a time

#11

Post by maxerickson » Wed, Oct 24, 2018, 1:06 AM UTC

taurath wrote: post #7

village-idiot wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the worst thing is that there’s no way to predict the cost. Even if you go to an ER that’s in network (good luck with that in an emergency), you might be assigned an out of network doctor and be charged out of network prices

Worse - you can get a bill in the mail later for some out of network doctor who looked at a chart without ever interacting with you, in addition to the hospitals charge.

My favorite is that the hospital will use the external consultation to charge more for the visit.

Re: Bringing transparency to ER prices, one hospital bill at a time

#12

Post by irrational » Wed, Oct 24, 2018, 1:07 AM UTC

halflings wrote: post #4

I moved to the US about a year ago. Went to ER for the first time ~3 months ago. I was charged about $4000 for: - Cleaning a wound (with water/desinfectant). - Some antibiotics. - A band-aid and gauze. I get how, with labor cost and all, that might cost $200. Maybe $300? I have no idea how this can cost $4000.

Not just ER. We went to urgent care with a bean stuck up my sons nose. The doctor spent about 30 seconds getting it out. We were in and out in 10 minutes or so. The bill was $2000.

Re: Bringing transparency to ER prices, one hospital bill at a time

#13

Post by robertAngst » Wed, Oct 24, 2018, 1:08 AM UTC

smacktoward wrote: post #9

As the person who submitted this story, I have a question: why was Sarah Kliff’s name removed from the headline? I submitted it with the same title it carries at CJR, which includes her name. The story is a profile of her and her work, so removing it makes the headline less informative, not more. And she’s not a celebrity, so mentioning her by name doesn’t make the headline any more clickbaity than it would be withou…

I find HN borderline propaganda.

Its the only educated place on the internet, but the front page and comments is what HN whales decide.

Re: Bringing transparency to ER prices, one hospital bill at a time

#14

Post by robertAngst » Wed, Oct 24, 2018, 1:10 AM UTC

halflings wrote: post #4

I moved to the US about a year ago. Went to ER for the first time ~3 months ago. I was charged about $4000 for: - Cleaning a wound (with water/desinfectant). - Some antibiotics. - A band-aid and gauze. I get how, with labor cost and all, that might cost $200. Maybe $300? I have no idea how this can cost $4000.

Medical is in bed with the government

https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?indexType=s

Heck, if you want to know why something in the US sucks, just look at that list.

Massive government corruption from legal bribery.

Re: Bringing transparency to ER prices, one hospital bill at a time

#15

Post by benmorris » Wed, Oct 24, 2018, 1:12 AM UTC

village-idiot wrote: post #6

halflings wrote: post #4

I moved to the US about a year ago. Went to ER for the first time ~3 months ago. I was charged about $4000 for: - Cleaning a wound (with water/desinfectant). - Some antibiotics. - A band-aid and gauze. I get how, with labor cost and all, that might cost $200. Maybe $300? I have no idea how this can cost $4000.

And the worst thing is that there’s no way to predict the cost. Even if you go to an ER that’s in network (good luck with that in an emergency), you might be assigned an out of network doctor and be charged out of network prices

We've had 2 children in the last 4 years and this concept was foreign to me. Our 2nd child we were billed for an out of network anesthesiologist at an in network hospital. Several thousand dollars in total, I called the insurance after reading online a bit about it. Eventually they said they would "resubmit" the claim for reconsideration. A few weeks later we got an EOB showing we didn't have to pay any of it. The whole experience we shocking to me, I can't imagine dealing with this sort of thing on a regular basis.

Even worse is receiving bills from various providers up to a year later. How are these people still in business?

Re: Bringing transparency to ER prices, one hospital bill at a time

#16

Post by robertAngst » Wed, Oct 24, 2018, 1:12 AM UTC

airstrike wrote: post #5

> If you are bitten by a raccoon, you can’t really decide not to get the rabies vaccine. It’s literally a life-or-death situation. But the price is incredibly high. This, to me, is a perfect example of why healthcare should be subsidized by the government (either directly or through a government-backed insurance plan that you receive as a fallback). Health isn't a good or service you choose to purchase. Demand is per…

That sounds great, but our US government has failed us for 30 years on healthcare.

Not sure why anyone thinks that tax dollars would make the problem better.

Re: Bringing transparency to ER prices, one hospital bill at a time

#17

Post by wahern » Wed, Oct 24, 2018, 1:13 AM UTC

airstrike wrote: post #5

> If you are bitten by a raccoon, you can’t really decide not to get the rabies vaccine. It’s literally a life-or-death situation. But the price is incredibly high. This, to me, is a perfect example of why healthcare should be subsidized by the government (either directly or through a government-backed insurance plan that you receive as a fallback). Health isn't a good or service you choose to purchase. Demand is per…

Obamacare provides that, at least in states that have accepted Medicare expansion. The story in other states with state-sponsored high risk pools seems complicated and arguably doesn't meet your criteria.

Re: Bringing transparency to ER prices, one hospital bill at a time

#18

Post by devwastaken » Wed, Oct 24, 2018, 1:14 AM UTC

robertAngst wrote: post #13

smacktoward wrote: post #9

As the person who submitted this story, I have a question: why was Sarah Kliff’s name removed from the headline? I submitted it with the same title it carries at CJR, which includes her name. The story is a profile of her and her work, so removing it makes the headline less informative, not more. And she’s not a celebrity, so mentioning her by name doesn’t make the headline any more clickbaity than it would be withou…

I find HN borderline propaganda. Its the only educated place on the internet, but the front page and comments is what HN whales decide.

I would save the word propaganda for what it's meant to mean, and not for dissatisfaction in the bias of a platform.

Re: Bringing transparency to ER prices, one hospital bill at a time

#19

Post by lucaslee » Wed, Oct 24, 2018, 1:23 AM UTC

halflings wrote: post #4

I moved to the US about a year ago. Went to ER for the first time ~3 months ago. I was charged about $4000 for: - Cleaning a wound (with water/desinfectant). - Some antibiotics. - A band-aid and gauze. I get how, with labor cost and all, that might cost $200. Maybe $300? I have no idea how this can cost $4000.

Urgent care or walk-in clinics will likely cost much less. If it's a simple wound, a CVS clinic will work too.

Some urgent care clinics post wait time online so you can find out how to see a doctor the fastest way.

Re: Bringing transparency to ER prices, one hospital bill at a time

#20

Post by lotophage » Wed, Oct 24, 2018, 1:23 AM UTC

airstrike wrote: post #5

> If you are bitten by a raccoon, you can’t really decide not to get the rabies vaccine. It’s literally a life-or-death situation. But the price is incredibly high. This, to me, is a perfect example of why healthcare should be subsidized by the government (either directly or through a government-backed insurance plan that you receive as a fallback). Health isn't a good or service you choose to purchase. Demand is per…

I've moved to the US from Australia, and the medical system here is pretty terrifying. People are always discussing "how to fix the homeless situation" here in San Francisco, but as I wander the streets I can't help but wonder how many of these people were bankrupted by a medical emergency.