| Posted by | Message |
NC_Tigah 
LSU Fan
Member since Sep 2003
40228 posts
 Online
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 5:50 pm to boxcar willie)
quote:
Why aren't the GOP pressing this issue (or the Dems for that matter)? It would be a winning issue with the people yet no one presses for it.
Many of them are lawyers.
|
| Back to top | |
tigerpimpbot 
LA-Monroe Fan
Judicial hell hole 1
Member since Nov 2011
14273 posts
Online
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 5:51 pm to XKEnut)
quote:
Has Blue Cross through company but paid $135 when he left.
quote:
said the visit cost $450, and they covered all but the $135 that he paid.
Sounds like he's got a shite BCBS plan from his employer.
|
| Back to top | |
boxcar willie
LSU Fan
kenner
Member since Mar 2011
2842 posts
Online
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 5:57 pm to NC_Tigah)
quote:
Many of them are lawyers.
then why don't the people make a bigger issue of it? Why don't the tea party people make an issue of it? I don't know anyone who would not be in favor of limiting the power of lawyers other than other lawyers. Seems like a winning issue for any politician to me.
|
| Back to top | |
Swampcat
LSU Fan
Member since Dec 2003
6065 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 6:03 pm to Eighteen)
It's not the insurance company its the damn doctors. Especially " specialty doctors. I saw my previous knee doctor for the first time, he spent maybe 2 minutes with me the total bill was 800.00 . I called my insurNce company to report, they said. That was normal. Doctors are greedy as hell, they are the biggest reasons our insurance premiums are so damn high
This post was edited on 11/13 at 6:08 pm
|
| Back to top | |
NC_Tigah
LSU Fan
Member since Sep 2003
40228 posts
Online
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 6:08 pm to Swampcat)
quote:
Doctors are greedy as bell, they are the biggest reasons our insurance premiums are so damn high.
Well there it is. 
|
| Back to top | |
VerlanderBEAST 
Michigan Fan
Member since Dec 2011
8276 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 6:08 pm to TheOcean)
quote:
After watching my Uncle die because of medical costs being through the roof I truly feel bad for poor people. Google how much it costs to take care of a type 1 diabetic and then look up how many kids suffer from it.
shhhh no one wants to hear that
|
| Back to top | |
NC_Tigah
LSU Fan
Member since Sep 2003
40228 posts
Online
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 6:13 pm to VerlanderBEAST)
quote:
shhhh no one wants to hear that
The ears of several Death Panel members just perked
|
| Back to top | |
accnodefense
Kennesaw St. Fan
Member since Dec 2010
2104 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 6:22 pm to XKEnut)
Prices are high because there is no "competition". Everyone just assumes their insurance will take care of it so the hospitals are able to charge what they want. Also to subsidize the cost of illegals. Next time just say you aren't a citizen and you should be fine.
When I was in California last year I dislocated my spine and blew 2 discs in my lower back in a weightlifting accident. I went to the hospital and all they did was give me ibuprofen, didn't take any x-rays or MRI or anything, just asked some questions. They then charged me $200 for it even after insurance. Not satisfied, I went to a chiropractor who did the x-ray and showed my dislocated spine and an MRI which showed the 2 herniated discs.
I still haven't paid the hospital bill to this day because not only did they get my diagnosis wrong, but they didn't do jack shite that I couldn't have done at home. If all I wanted was iboprofen, I could have done that at home.
|
| Back to top | |
Kickadawgitfeelsgood
Lafayette LA
Member since Nov 2005
7228 posts
Online
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 6:24 pm to TheOcean)
quote:
Insurance is one of the biggest scams in history. Some of the costs are just ridiculous.
Legalized criminals
|
| Back to top | |
boxcar willie
LSU Fan
kenner
Member since Mar 2011
2842 posts
Online
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 6:35 pm to Kickadawgitfeelsgood)
quote:
Legalized criminals
what we need is dual layer single payer with tort reform
|
| Back to top | |
Diamondawg 
Mississippi St. Fan
Mississippi
Member since Oct 2006
8271 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 6:39 pm to accnodefense)
quote:
the hospitals are able to charge what they want
Probably ought to stay out of healthcare reimbursement discussions.
|
| Back to top | |
Tiguar 
South Alabama Fan
Mobile
Member since Mar 2012
2873 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 7:12 pm to XKEnut)
Lots if hospitals are actually in the red.
They can't deny service if people can't afford the bill and uninsured folks tend to use the ER as a PCP and not pay the bill.
People who do pay get overcharged to compensate.
This is one scenario where obamacare (or some kind of centralized system) would actually lower healthcare costs .... assuming that the private insurance companies and doctors remain honest (  )
This post was edited on 11/13 at 7:12 pm
|
| Back to top | |
Diamondawg
Mississippi St. Fan
Mississippi
Member since Oct 2006
8271 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 7:25 pm to Tiguar)
Can someone summarize the attached link for me
Medicare Cost Report and get back with me on how hospitals get reimbursed for services?
|
| Back to top | |
ljhog 
Arkansas Fan
Lake Jackson, Tx.
Member since Apr 2009
8881 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 7:35 pm to XKEnut)
quote:
Sounds like a scam to me
So how much overhead do you think this doctor has? Think the PA needs to get paid? How about the receptionist and whoever is doing his billing?
$450 for a visit to a specialist ain't that bad. Sounds like your son has crappy insurance.
|
| Back to top | |
VOR 
New Orleans Saints Fan
New Orleans
Member since Apr 2009
33144 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 8:01 pm to NC_Tigah)
quote:
Many of them are lawyers.
NC's solution to everything. Kill the lawyers.
I'm not going to repeat myself as I have over the years by linking studies that demonstrate that malpractice costs are not quite the problem as portrayed because people are going to believe what they (want to) believe. That said, I'm not opposed to reform of the med-mal recovery system we currently have.
I will repeat myself on the following however. When I was in high school, health insurance for most people I knew only covered surgical procedures, hospitalization and ER. We actually paid for regular doctor visits and prescriptions. We were not anywhere near "well off" but it wasn't a problem. We could afford it. We only bought hospitalization and surgery insurance and all was cool. Somewhere, some way . . . the system was broken.
|
| Back to top | |
Diamondawg
Mississippi St. Fan
Mississippi
Member since Oct 2006
8271 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 8:08 pm to VOR)
quote:
Somewhere, some way . . . the system was broken.
Yeah - the government got involved in 1965 - Medicare.
|
| Back to top | |
SmackoverHawg
Arkansas Fan
Member since Oct 2011
5864 posts
Online
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 8:18 pm to ljhog)
My overhead runs around $350000 a year. Our supply and equipment costs are rising far faster than the rate of inflation. People think all that suture, needles, nurses, computer, defibrillators, xray machines, ultrasound, medicine, etc. are free?
Also we do not set the prices, insurance does. A doctor would be an idiot to charge less than insurance allows. Private insurance companies have been the single biggest factor in the rising costs of healthcare. They make money by investing your premiums. The more they handle, the more they make. Their margins are about 3% over premiums, however they also make interest on this money. So over time they want prices to rise.
|
| Back to top | |
bmy
LSU Fan
Member since Oct 2007
20229 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 8:23 pm to udtiger)
quote:
It is a scam. If it was pure fee for service, with no insurance (or Medicare/Medicaid gumming up the works). The visit would have likely cost only about $100 total.
|
| Back to top | |
tigerfoot
LA-Monroe Fan
Alexandria
Member since Sep 2006
14172 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 8:55 pm to accnodefense)
quote:
I went to a chiropractor who did the x-ray and showed my dislocated spine and an MRI which showed the 2 herniated discs.
So this chiropractor found a dislocated spine, its a freaking miracle.
|
| Back to top | |
VOR
New Orleans Saints Fan
New Orleans
Member since Apr 2009
33144 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 9:07 pm to SmackoverHawg)
quote:
Private insurance companies have been the single biggest factor in the rising costs of healthcare. They make money by investing your premiums. The more they handle, the more they make. Their margins are about 3% over premiums, however they also make interest on this money. So over time they want prices to rise.
Very good point. It's amazing how supposedly astute conservatives on this board miss the mark when it comes to insurance. Not just health insurance but others as well. I remember how the marine casualty insurance a-holes suckered in clients in the 80's because they were making money with high interest rates. Then they fricked over the clients when it came time to pay the claims.
|
| Back to top | |
