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Who pays House's patients' medical bills?

Posted on 12/9/10 at 9:05 am
Posted by Pectus
Internet
Member since Apr 2010
67302 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 9:05 am
Go with me here...

In a typical House episode there is the following:
-Extended hospital stay
-An intense regiment of medication
-Usage of defibrillator x2
-Multiple CT scans
-Multiple MRIs
-Multiple lab tests
-Experimental medication

Health insurance can only get these patients so far. With a deductible definitely being met and a pretty good co-pay, the House's average patient still would have at minimum $50,000 to pay.

My question is, where does this money come from? It is not from the patient. Some of them are really poor. It's probably not from the health care provider because they know of House's typical costliness. So that means it comes down to the hospital. So does the hospital comp the bill, or at least certain parts of it? Like the procedures that didn't work?

I am just wondering how the patients look forward to leaving when they must have a huge bill, how this hospital stays in operation, and how House and his team can still earn money.

If they covered this, or aspects of this in an episode please let me know.
This post was edited on 12/9/10 at 9:07 am
Posted by lusions
New Whoreleans
Member since Mar 2009
3055 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 9:09 am to
you know it's just a TV show, yeah?
Posted by Jay Quest
Once removed from Massachusetts
Member since Nov 2009
9821 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 9:12 am to
If it were California and if the patients were illegal then it would all be free. My bet is House is a major player in a medicade fraud ring.
This post was edited on 12/9/10 at 9:14 am
Posted by steelreign
Deridder
Member since Jan 2009
11086 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 9:12 am to
The taxpayers and Medicare are covering it all.
Posted by Freauxzen
Utah
Member since Feb 2006
37533 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 9:20 am to
Posted by Michael J Cocks
Right Here
Member since Jun 2007
47153 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 9:44 am to
I actually thought they covered this in an episode in one of the earlier seasons. Some of them have been pretty rich people, the others he was just very interested in the case so it seems as though he doesn't give a frick about the monies.
Posted by MedDawg
Member since Dec 2009
4476 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 12:28 pm to
I love watching House, but I am amazed sometimes that it takes them 3-4 days to think of ordering an extremely basic test like a CBC. Something that likely would have been routinely ordered on admission. And that's after House ordering MRI's and other complicated procedures.
Posted by PowerTool
The dark side of the road
Member since Dec 2009
21287 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 1:38 pm to
He just throws in all those extra tests to pile on the bill. It was fricking lupus all along.
Posted by lsu31always
Team 31™
Member since Jan 2008
107756 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 1:47 pm to
I thought it was a free clinic.
Posted by TigerinATL
Member since Feb 2005
61679 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 1:54 pm to
You are supposed to not think about it. If it was true to life his patients would die getting approval from the insurance companies.
Posted by Jcorye1
Tom Brady = GoAT
Member since Dec 2007
71703 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 2:16 pm to
I had half a lung removed, was in the hospital for two weeks, had tons of cat scans, hundreds of x-rays, and millions of tests (they really didn't know what was up and why half my lung basically rotted away) and it only cost us 3k because of our medical insurance.
Posted by ashy larry
Marcy Projects
Member since Mar 2010
5569 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 2:18 pm to
quote:

If they covered this, or aspects of this in an episode please let me know.


it's a teaching / non-profit hospital and they eat the costs on a lot of house's patients. cuddy has made remarks about how house's team costs the hospital money. i think the hospital does it for prestige. i don't watch the show anymore, but that is what i recall from earlier seasons.
Posted by Nick Papa Georgio
Member since Mar 2009
4664 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 3:07 pm to
goddamnit

You tell Obama to keep his Kenyan fingers off of my tv show's healthcare.

goddamnit

Posted by Green Chili Tiger
Lurking the Tin Foil Hat Board
Member since Jul 2009
47968 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 3:21 pm to
Princeton Plainsboro is a teaching hospital.

I would think that would make it very cheap and or free.
Posted by Cajun Revolution
Member since Apr 2009
44671 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 4:45 pm to
Obama....alright, enough with the stupidity...

Sounds like a Teaching Hospital...probably subsidized or is run through foundation/donations
Posted by LewDawg
Member since May 2009
75242 posts
Posted on 12/9/10 at 6:19 pm to
quote:

-An intense regiment of medication

Didn't know the military got involved...
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