Congress is set to ban most surprise medical bills • Hacker News Board

Re: Congress is set to ban most surprise medical bills

#21

Post by curiousgal » Mon, Dec 21, 2020, 4:13 PM UTC

lordnacho wrote: post #11

> Surprise bills happen when an out-of-network provider is unexpectedly involved in a patient’s care. Patients go to a hospital that accepts their insurance, for example, but get treated there by an emergency room physician who doesn’t. Such doctors often bill those patients for large fees, far higher than what health plans typically pay. How do courts uphold this? You go to a restaurant, they say you can buy the tas…

It's just appalling to see a nation as smart, rich and well accomplished as the U.S. being straight up retarded when it comes to healthcare.

Re: Congress is set to ban most surprise medical bills

#22

Post by nineplay » Mon, Dec 21, 2020, 4:15 PM UTC

standardUser wrote: post #3

The change does not apply to ambulances (except for air ambulances), ensuring the United States remains one of the few places in the world where a seriously ill person needs to debate if they're willing to risk their health and life to avoid a financially crippling trip to the hospital.

Ambulance companies are flat-out extortionists and they should be charged as such. We've received bills that say in large print "Your insurance will not cover this", then when I call my provider says "Of course we cover it, send us the bill"

While the bill is working it's way though insurance we'll get new bills, every week or so, "We have not received payment and this account will be sent to a collection agency." Call the ambulance company and they say "oh nevermind, it's marked pending".

It's a scam. They want to scare you. They want to scare you out of getting a negotiated insurance rate. They want to scare you into paying before the insurance comes though. They want you to have to call them and fight to get your money back after insurance pays

Re: Congress is set to ban most surprise medical bills

#23

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Dec 21, 2020, 4:15 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Congress is set to ban most surprise medical bills

#24

Post by mehrdadn » Mon, Dec 21, 2020, 4:15 PM UTC

cdjk wrote: post #19

jsperson wrote: post #13

That it takes such effort to pass a bill like this - 80% public approval, banning a clearly predatory practice, has turned me from a pure free market thinking into a believer in single payer healthcare. The free market just doesn't work when there is very little elasticity in consumption. I've been on the receiving end of a $15K air ambulance bill (thankfully covered by insurance) as well as the out of network specia…

The existing health insurance industry is far from free market. Try getting a price for a procedure or visit beforehand. Compare that to dental insurance. I’m always shocked when I get a treatment plant after 5 minutes that outlines exactly what the dentist needs to do, how much insurance will pay, and how much I will need to pay. Of course the set of possible treatments for dental work is a lot smaller, but it seems…

> I’m always shocked when I get a treatment plant after 5 minutes that outlines exactly what the dentist needs to do, how much insurance will pay, and how much I will need to pay.

What you don't know (unless you get 2nd/3rd/4th opinions from good dentists) is how necessary those truly are. Some dentists just work around things by recommending things you don't need. (Fill teeth, taking panorex, etc. unnecessarily)

Re: Congress is set to ban most surprise medical bills

#25

Post by bearjaws » Mon, Dec 21, 2020, 4:16 PM UTC

Having gone through cancer treatment here in the USA, I have received over a dozen 'after the fact bills' over the past 5 years, sometimes over 9months after the procedure, mainly involving blood work and CT scans.

I missed one bill that came months after chemotherapy for $87 in 2015, it only had a 60 day notice before sending to collections. Mind you I was on disability from my employer that paid well. -80pts on my credit score...

It took until last year to get my credit score back to the same level it was prior to starting treatment.

Re: Congress is set to ban most surprise medical bills

#26

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Dec 21, 2020, 4:17 PM UTC

curiousgal wrote: post #21

lordnacho wrote: post #11

> Surprise bills happen when an out-of-network provider is unexpectedly involved in a patient’s care. Patients go to a hospital that accepts their insurance, for example, but get treated there by an emergency room physician who doesn’t. Such doctors often bill those patients for large fees, far higher than what health plans typically pay. How do courts uphold this? You go to a restaurant, they say you can buy the tas…

It's just appalling to see a nation as smart, rich and well accomplished as the U.S. being straight up retarded when it comes to healthcare.

[deleted]

Re: Congress is set to ban most surprise medical bills

#27

Post by nottorp » Mon, Dec 21, 2020, 4:17 PM UTC

lordnacho wrote: post #11

> Surprise bills happen when an out-of-network provider is unexpectedly involved in a patient’s care. Patients go to a hospital that accepts their insurance, for example, but get treated there by an emergency room physician who doesn’t. Such doctors often bill those patients for large fees, far higher than what health plans typically pay. How do courts uphold this? You go to a restaurant, they say you can buy the tas…

From what I know about the US even your restaurant example has hidden service fees and mandatory tips and taxes that aren't on the menu?

Re: Congress is set to ban most surprise medical bills

#28

Post by dpeck » Mon, Dec 21, 2020, 4:17 PM UTC

curiousgal wrote: post #21

lordnacho wrote: post #11

> Surprise bills happen when an out-of-network provider is unexpectedly involved in a patient’s care. Patients go to a hospital that accepts their insurance, for example, but get treated there by an emergency room physician who doesn’t. Such doctors often bill those patients for large fees, far higher than what health plans typically pay. How do courts uphold this? You go to a restaurant, they say you can buy the tas…

It's just appalling to see a nation as smart, rich and well accomplished as the U.S. being straight up retarded when it comes to healthcare.

That is inappropriate word choice here or anywhere. Remove your slur.

Re: Congress is set to ban most surprise medical bills

#29

Post by mcshicks » Mon, Dec 21, 2020, 4:17 PM UTC

California has such a law already. I went to an ER at the beginning of the year for a minor fracture and had a "contract physician". I was pleasantly surprised when the bill was exactly my er visit copay. I had an equally unpleasant experience several years ago that cost me thousands of dollars.

https://dmhc.ca.gov/Portals/0/HealthCareInCalifornia/FactShe...

Re: Congress is set to ban most surprise medical bills

#30

Post by xyzzyz » Mon, Dec 21, 2020, 4:18 PM UTC

tthun wrote: post #8

If the underlying problem (in-network discounted rates for services and out of network excess that the service provider can charge - honestly this practice should be made criminal - imagine Sams club selling a computer to non-members for 10x the cost the members pay) is not addressed, the surprise bill just becomes someone elses prolem (other patients end up paying).

> imagine Sams club selling a computer to non-members for 10x the cost the members pay

I wouldn’t mind that actually. They can sell for 100x for all I care. I can just not buy it. A better analogy would be if you got a letter 2 months after you shopping visit telling you that the the package of cheese you bought is actually $2000 instead of $5, and no, they do not accept returns.