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XKEnut 
LSU Fan
Member since Jan 2010
883 posts
| So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:00 am)
I'm hardly an ObamaCare fan but somewhere this crap has to stop.
My grown son has lived in Dallas for most of his life and every Fall has bad allergies that lead to sinus infection, etc. This Fall was particularly bad, it went on for a month so after 3 visits to his GP was referred to an ENT. He was there for 30 minutes, saw the MD for 5 minutes and spent the other 25 talking to his nurse assistant. Has Blue Cross through company but paid $135 when he left.
Insurance company sends him a statement which said the visit cost $450, and they covered all but the $135 that he paid. Sounds like a scam to me and we wonder why our health insurance and medical bills are outrageous.
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udtiger
LSU Fan
Louisiana
Member since Nov 2006
18056 posts
 Online
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:02 am to XKEnut)
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.
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BigAppleTiger
LSU Fan
New York City
Member since Dec 2008
5167 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:03 am to XKEnut)
Although true this argument will gain no traction here.
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TheOcean 
Florida State Fan
Tampa Bay, FL
Member since Aug 2004
23294 posts
Online
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:03 am to XKEnut)
Insurance is one of the biggest scams in history. Some of the costs are just ridiculous.
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.
I have family that spend thousands a month because their son is type 1.
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Eighteen
LSU Fan
Member since Dec 2006
15494 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:04 am to XKEnut)
the medical and insurance/healthcare system is definitely broken and needs to be reformed
ETA: but Obamacare is not the answer, IMO
This post was edited on 11/13 at 10:11 am
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PsychTiger
LSU Fan
Land Mass
Member since Jul 2004
15895 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:04 am to XKEnut)
I liked the first thread better. My title of quote:
So my son visits an ENT, gets 4 nurses pregnant
had a lot more potential.
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TJG210
LSU Fan
New Orleans
Member since Aug 2006
18455 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:05 am to XKEnut)
WTF?
Why did he go to a GP instead of going straight to the ENT?
I only go to a GP if I need a physical, otherwise they are a waste of time. I have the same issues with bad allergies and probably get a sinus infection 3x year, but I go, pay my $30, and get on my way.
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slackhouse 
USA Fan
Member since Aug 2005
15232 posts
Online
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:05 am to BigAppleTiger)
high cost of health care isn't a reason to go to Obamacare. In fact, Obamacare is going to do nothing to lower the overall cost. I'll copy and paste what I posted yesterday about this:
quote:
then, why aren't you arguing for measures to control the cost instead of a complete overhaul of the system? You are stating one thing as the problem, and then fixing something different.
hypothetical comparison: the auto industry has gone outrageous in the cost for automobiles. It is ridiculous that it costs $40,000 for a nice SUV that has 3 rows. So, to fix this you think the government should completely take over the car industry. Kill private companies and private jobs. Take more tax money and create more government positions. All because prices are too high.
That makes no sense.
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udtiger
LSU Fan
Louisiana
Member since Nov 2006
18056 posts
Online
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:06 am to Eighteen)
quote:
the medical and insurance/healthcare system is definitely broken and needs to be reformed
agreed.
however, ACA is NOT the solution.
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SoulGlo
LSU Fan
Shinin' Through
Member since Dec 2011
1990 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:07 am to XKEnut)
"Insurance" is the problem. Somebody else is paying the bill, so there is no consumer/provider relationship to control prices. Government becoming an insurance company only makes it worse.
We must go back to a market situation to control prices, not command and control from insurance companies and government.
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PuntBamaPunt 
Vanderbilt Fan
Member since Nov 2010
4674 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:07 am to TheOcean)
Thousands? Do they not have insurance?
Supplies/Insulin shouldn't cost that much.
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Y.A. Tittle
LSU Fan
Member since Sep 2003
44056 posts
Online
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:07 am to XKEnut)
quote:
So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins.
I'm hardly an ObamaCare fan but somewhere this crap has to stop.
So, what is your understanding of what ObamaCare will do to rectify this particular issue?
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ChicagoTiger
LSU Fan
New Orleans
Member since Feb 2007
5179 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:08 am to XKEnut)
Don't ever go to the Er in an ambulance or helicopter, I'll tell you that.
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Baloo
LSU Fan
Formerly MDGeaux
Member since Sep 2003
41117 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:08 am to slackhouse)
quote:
Obamacare is going to do nothing to lower the overall cost
Nor is it intended to. It's about getting people covered. which is why I find people demonizing it for the spiraling costs of healthcare to be tilting at windmills.
But that's here nor there.
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BTHog 
Arkansas Fan
Member since Jul 2012
7123 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:08 am to udtiger)
quote:
however, ACA is NOT the solution.
yep, at SOME point , SOMEONE is going to have to address the way doctors and hospitals GOUGE insurance companies.
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Eighteen
LSU Fan
Member since Dec 2006
15494 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:08 am to SoulGlo)
After I injured my wrist the doc I went to kept pushing me to wear this brace for another couple weeks after the cast was off...I was hesitant because I didn't really think I needed it but he then he said it was "free" (really, covered by insurance) and that I could only wear it for a few days
I looked at the bill later and saw that it was $600 for that stupid piece of cloth that even the doc admitted I probably didn't need
If that "brace" was in the open market/was me paying out of pocket, no way they would be able to charge $600 for it. But since it's covered by insurance...
Such a joke
This post was edited on 11/13 at 10:10 am
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XKEnut
LSU Fan
Member since Jan 2010
883 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:10 am to Y.A. Tittle)
quote:
So, what is your understanding of what ObamaCare will do to rectify this particular issue?
You got me man but what's going on now is highway robbery.
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Diamondawg 
Mississippi St. Fan
Mississippi
Member since Oct 2006
8264 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:13 am to XKEnut)
Any sinus/soft tissue x-rays?
Any blood work (CBC) to rule out infection?
Highly doubt the "nurse assistant" was a nursing assistant if he spent that much time talking to her/him.
Only thing Obamacare will do to this scenario is 5 years from now, he would have had to wait 6 months for the appointment.
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TJG210
LSU Fan
New Orleans
Member since Aug 2006
18455 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:13 am to XKEnut)
quote:
You got me man but what's going on now is highway robbery.
Does he not have a stated co-pay when he visits the doctor?
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TK421
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2011
5133 posts
| re: So my son visits an ENT, gets $450 bill for 5 mins. (Posted on 11/13/12 at 10:13 am to Baloo)
quote:
Nor is it intended to
That's NOT what Obama promised.
quote:
It's about getting people covered
By forcing them to purchase insurance? 
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