41–50 of 135 posts
> Tens of thousands of people each year receive a series of shots to prevent rabies after a possible exposure. It normally costs between $1,200 and $6,800. Not in this case. Even that "normal" cost is absolutely crazy.
so a whole story about a billing mistake, which they could have figured out without involving the news org?
So there is more to the story.
That's a shitty bill. It's also insane that US doctors and hospitals aren't required to post prices, keep prices reasonably within an allowed range, and are allowed to price gouge customers for however much they want without limit. In Redding CA, I ran across a woman with a nasal infusion pump tube taped to her face in a coffee shop. She was hurriedly collecting paperwork for a hearing across the street. It turns out…
That's a shitty bill. It's also insane that US doctors and hospitals aren't required to post prices, keep prices reasonably within an allowed range, and are allowed to price gouge customers for however much they want without limit. In Redding CA, I ran across a woman with a nasal infusion pump tube taped to her face in a coffee shop. She was hurriedly collecting paperwork for a hearing across the street. It turns out…
Hospitals have been required to post price lists for several years. https://www.cms.gov/hospital-price-transparency
The insurance company paid $58000 for the treatment? How the hell did they not get the hospital to get things fixed? My insurance made me submit proof, rejected it, submit proof again, partially approve, call them and then finally reimburse my $18 covid take home tests. But somehow they don’t do the same to hospitals?
What's their incentive to reduce the cost? They make money as a % of care paid out (max profit is capped). More costs == more profits and the costs are just passed onto the people paying for insurance (both employees and employers)
Pay, or pay and die.
It's the weakness and disorganization of the consumers who emboldens them.
The insurance company paid $58000 for the treatment? How the hell did they not get the hospital to get things fixed? My insurance made me submit proof, rejected it, submit proof again, partially approve, call them and then finally reimburse my $18 covid take home tests. But somehow they don’t do the same to hospitals?
What's their incentive to reduce the cost? They make money as a % of care paid out (max profit is capped). More costs == more profits and the costs are just passed onto the people paying for insurance (both employees and employers)
Agreed while this is excessive, many hospitals do this to cover the uninsured who don't pay their bills. Hospitals have to care for such patients due to EMTALA. Consequently many non-academic hospitals are under huge financial stress ( https://www.kqed.org/science/1981588/half-of-california-hosp... ) and go after anyone that can pay to the point of bankrupting them. The US medical system is simply dysfunctional.
That's an epic understatement. I'm of the opinion that the root cause is the insurance companies.
so a whole story about a billing mistake, which they could have figured out without involving the news org?
Where does it say it's a billing mistake?
NorthBay Healthcare is a non-profit hospital.
This is a very, very obvious billing mistake. And while I have zero evidence for what I am about to say, I would be willing to bet that ABC7News did not even share the case they were preparing to discuss with the hospital. They just wanted to run the story, and so they asked the hospital for generic comment about a patient's large bill.
I've looked for follow-up to this two-month old story, and I can't find any. But I am sure it's a billing mistake.
That's a shitty bill. It's also insane that US doctors and hospitals aren't required to post prices, keep prices reasonably within an allowed range, and are allowed to price gouge customers for however much they want without limit. In Redding CA, I ran across a woman with a nasal infusion pump tube taped to her face in a coffee shop. She was hurriedly collecting paperwork for a hearing across the street. It turns out…
Hospitals have been required to post price lists for several years. https://www.cms.gov/hospital-price-transparency
The trouble is even if the price list says $500 for something, they'll charge you $8000 for "general classification" and $2000 for a Tylenol.
I have a remote heart monitor at my bedside that, upon pressing a button, wirelessly retrieves data about arrythmia incidents from my implanted defibrillator and sends any incidents to the hospital. Every time I hit the button, even if there are ZERO incidents for them to review, I get hit with a $300 bill for some "general classification". So I hit the button less often than I'm supposed to.