If healthcare costs are so astronomically high, why are so many Americans supportive of mandatory insurance that forces insurance companies to pay those prices? It sounds as bizarre. It's like if a normal pair of shoes cost $1000, and people decided shoes are a right and everyone should subsidize each other's $1000 shoes. How about fixing the root problem first: a pair of regular shoes shouldn't cost a thousand dollars! Find the laws that enable this to happen (patent, IP laws, etc) and change them! Forcing everyone to pay those prices seems to mainly benefit the very people charging those ridiculous prices and enables it to continue.
Medical equipment pricing is completely broken when a sling costs $200
111–120 of 370 posts
Re: Medical equipment pricing is completely broken when a sling costs $200
#112I just got an itemized bill today for a minor fall I took a couple months back.. On top of the nearly $6k in other charges from the hospital, they charged $531 for one dab of superglue or "liquid stitches" on my forehead for something that would have healed by itself. One of my friends died two years ago from pneumonia. He didn't go to the hospital when symptoms first started because he was afraid of the bills that w…
I had a deep split over my eye (metal ring tossed while I was still down range) and knew going to the ER for stitches would end up costing thousands for a five minute stitch job, so I pinched it together and put on superglue. Healed better than stitches and cost me nothing. I hate our medical system too.
When you say superglue, do you mean an off the shelf superglue that you would pick up at a hardware or craft supplies store? Did it just dissolve on its own after X number of days?
Re: Medical equipment pricing is completely broken when a sling costs $200
#113Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am not a lawyer or financial advisor. But I’ve heard that you can’t be sent to collections if you make a good faith attempt to pay your (medical) bill. Which in practice might mean you just pay $5 while you wait for the itemization
Our first born came with a $42k bill. Hospital and doctor said we were covered by our insurance pre-auth, but come bill time apparently pre-auth was null and void b/c it was requisite on a negotiation that fell through. Each side had a different story and their representatives acted absolutely helpless. We were broke at the time we found out about the pregnancy and memories of the first two years of my boy's life are…
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Re: Medical equipment pricing is completely broken when a sling costs $200
#114Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am not a lawyer or financial advisor. But I’ve heard that you can’t be sent to collections if you make a good faith attempt to pay your (medical) bill. Which in practice might mean you just pay $5 while you wait for the itemization
Our first born came with a $42k bill. Hospital and doctor said we were covered by our insurance pre-auth, but come bill time apparently pre-auth was null and void b/c it was requisite on a negotiation that fell through. Each side had a different story and their representatives acted absolutely helpless. We were broke at the time we found out about the pregnancy and memories of the first two years of my boy's life are…
You absolutely did the right thing in not paying a cent. There is virtually zero chance you will ever hear another word about it.
The $42k is a fantasy figure which they collect approximately 0% of the time. It's the easiest $42k you ever saved.
Re: Medical equipment pricing is completely broken when a sling costs $200
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
I went to the ER with chest pains seeming like a heart attack. They did an EKG, determined it wasn't a heart attack, then a blood test, which determined it was low potassium, and did a chest x-ray just in case. I received a saline IV and potassium pills as treatment, and went home after a couple of hours. The bill was about $18,000 for this. The insurance negotiated rate was about $1,500, of which I had to pay about…
>I don't understand why this isn't prosecuted. Simply examine the way the issue was presented by frontrunners in the supposedly liberal party of the United States on the debate stage yesterday. Two candidates call for true universal coverage, a few call for a public option but brand it as universal coverage to confuse viewers, and several (with moderator and broadcast sponsor support) outright mislead by stating that…
Elizabeth Warren’s plans are very vague, and only a few weeks old at this point. We still know very little about what she actually proposes. Bernie Sanders’ plans are about 5 years old at this point, and have been modified, but are rather solid.
Re: Medical equipment pricing is completely broken when a sling costs $200
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am not a lawyer or financial advisor. But I’ve heard that you can’t be sent to collections if you make a good faith attempt to pay your (medical) bill. Which in practice might mean you just pay $5 while you wait for the itemization
Our first born came with a $42k bill. Hospital and doctor said we were covered by our insurance pre-auth, but come bill time apparently pre-auth was null and void b/c it was requisite on a negotiation that fell through. Each side had a different story and their representatives acted absolutely helpless. We were broke at the time we found out about the pregnancy and memories of the first two years of my boy's life are…
Why aren’t US citizens queuing up to emigrate?
At this stage, it seems like the US is the “land of the free”, whereby “freedom” is defined as the ability to freely exploit everyone.
Re: Medical equipment pricing is completely broken when a sling costs $200
#117Yes it's called lack of competition. It's hard to blame them when you face jail time for offering an alternative
Re: Medical equipment pricing is completely broken when a sling costs $200
#118Earlier quoted context omitted.
It might be that a blunt refusal would look bad in court if the billed party took them there.
I've thought about this aspect, but the thing is, how would you ever even show you were refused without a recording? (Say if you're in a 2-party-consent state? Which they would obviously not consent to?)
Civil cases are based on preponderance of evidence, and your testimony is evidence. If they refute it and they're lying, that's a felony, and I don't think these professionals are being paid enough to commit felonies for their employer.
Re: Medical equipment pricing is completely broken when a sling costs $200
#119Has anyone here ever worked in this industry? I'm curious what the justification for these prices is? I can't imagine it is quite the scrooge mcduck caricature where the people reaping these profits are literally trying to defraud people. I would love to talk to a health insurance insider or something and ask them to justify this stuff.
Two guesses: 1) return money to investors at all costs. 2) inability of us to get any sort of Tort reform going in this country.
Re: Medical equipment pricing is completely broken when a sling costs $200
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've thought about this aspect, but the thing is, how would you ever even show you were refused without a recording? (Say if you're in a 2-party-consent state? Which they would obviously not consent to?)
Civil cases are based on preponderance of evidence, and your testimony is evidence. If they refute it and they're lying, that's a felony, and I don't think these professionals are being paid enough to commit felonies for their employer.
This reminds me of another question I've had -- does anyone ever get prosecuted for false testimony? I feel like I don't really hear of this happening, which has always baffled me.