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re: Medical billing nightmares: anybody want to share stories?
Posted on 11/12/15 at 12:44 am to TheChosenOne
Posted on 11/12/15 at 12:44 am to TheChosenOne
Actually, in your case, with 6 weeks of intensive care for your newborn and 2 weeks of hospitalization for your wife, you actually made out very well. I mean, that's why you have insurance, for when you really need extreme care. You were on the hook for about 3% of the total cost. I guess if you factor in your premiums, it was more 6-7%, but you should be happy.
This post was edited on 11/12/15 at 7:54 am
1
Posted on 11/12/15 at 12:47 am to JayDeerTay84
quote:
$1.5K for the doctor to literally catch the baby.
That was actually the fee for managing your wife during the entire pregnancy. You can argue that is still high, but that includes every single visit during the pregnancy not just to "literally catch the baby." But maybe you just showed up after 40 weeks, and that's all the OB did.
This post was edited on 11/12/15 at 9:24 am
Posted on 11/12/15 at 3:32 pm to AndyJ
quote:
Actually, in your case, with 6 weeks of intensive care for your newborn and 2 weeks of hospitalization for your wife, you actually made out very well. I mean, that's why you have insurance, for when you really need extreme care. You were on the hook for about 3% of the total cost. I guess if you factor in your premiums, it was more 6-7%, but you should be happy.
I agree, that's why I said it wasn't really a nightmare because I came out way ahead. shite, I'll pay for insurance the rest of my life and it won't add up to the amount that I would have paid out of pocket without insurance for those medical bills.
That said, it was still a nightmare dealing with some of the bogus and incorrect ("clerical errors") charges.
Posted on 11/12/15 at 8:18 pm to TheChosenOne
I hear you. The system is a total fricking ness
Posted on 11/12/15 at 11:15 pm to AndyJ
Probably the last person anyone wanted to hear from in this thread but here goes. Doctors hate this system too - there is no transparency and it damages the doctor/patient relationship.
Most employed physicians have no idea what is charged for the services provided - the patient's costs are laundered by metrics like RVUs, base salaries, and negotiated 'preferred' contracts that constantly change.
I can speak from a patient's POV as well. When we had our first child we had to play the collections threat game WITH THE HOSPITAL WHERE I WORK due to a billing misunderstanding.
Most employed physicians have no idea what is charged for the services provided - the patient's costs are laundered by metrics like RVUs, base salaries, and negotiated 'preferred' contracts that constantly change.
I can speak from a patient's POV as well. When we had our first child we had to play the collections threat game WITH THE HOSPITAL WHERE I WORK due to a billing misunderstanding.
Posted on 11/13/15 at 7:05 am to Cole Beer
We had a baby a couple months ago and I got a good job offer the day our baby was due. Because of this we put my son on my wife's insurance even though she had a $2500 deductible plan. We knew we were going to be spending at least $2500 for the birth and were fine with that. Well they test him for jaundice before we leave the hospital and they say his levels are raised so we need to go get a blood test for him in two days. Two days later his number is still high so we have to go check back into the hospital for one night to have him sit under a light. Since we left the hospital and came back, my son was now his own person and not covered under my wife. So boom we got hit with another $2500 deductible to sit under a freakin light. Next time I will tell them I am not leaving the hospital until his number comes down and they can rack up the charges under my wife's name who already hit her max out of pocket.
Posted on 11/13/15 at 2:19 pm to AndyJ
quote:
That was actually the fee for managing your wife during the entire pregnancy. You can argue that is still high, but that includes every single visit during the pregnancy not just to "literally catch the baby." But maybe you just showed up after 40 weeks, and that's all the OB did.
Not it wasn't. We paid the doctor upfront $900 9 months prior. Plus all the co pays for each visit, plus ultrasounds , etc...
Each visit was billed separately. I've got the bills to prove it. Each damn test, visit, and basically conversation was billed.
Speak more out of your arse.
Posted on 11/13/15 at 2:27 pm to AndyJ
quote:
Lol. You're a liar.
Got proof?
I literally don't understand how you could possibly think to know what we had to pay.
Edit: You are an idiot if you think you simply rack up a bill for all your wife's doctor visits and just get billed after the baby is born.
This post was edited on 11/13/15 at 2:30 pm
Posted on 11/14/15 at 12:24 am to JayDeerTay84
These stories are part of why I an such a huge fan of high deductible plans/HSAs.
If nothing other than a lessening of reliance of "I pay out of the arse for premiums and now you aren't really covering?"
If nothing other than a lessening of reliance of "I pay out of the arse for premiums and now you aren't really covering?"
Posted on 11/14/15 at 6:23 am to Cole Beer
The real question here is where is all of this money going and how much are they giving to politicians to keep this system going.
Posted on 11/16/15 at 9:34 pm to TheChosenOne
quote:
the ordeal spanned over two calendar years, so I hit the $6k out of pocket max twice )
Maternity coverage is a huge scam. Not only do you have the deductible reset January 1, but you also have a separate deductible for mother and baby.
Posted on 11/17/15 at 8:56 am to Volvagia
quote:
These stories are part of why I an such a huge fan of high deductible plans/HSAs.
In my area at least, the high deductible/HSA plans cost about the same as the bronze level plans. It is stupid.
Posted on 11/17/15 at 9:04 am to Bestbank Tiger
quote:
Maternity coverage is a huge scam. Not only do you have the deductible reset January 1, but you also have a separate deductible for mother and baby.
Seems when we had our 2 kids, all of the OB visits while the wife was pregnant were treated as one visit so we only paid the co-pay the first visit. Then when she had the baby, we paid the $250 deductible. This was almost 9 years ago though when we had our second. I was actually surprised at how streamlined the process was.
Posted on 11/17/15 at 9:04 am to Bestbank Tiger
quote:
Maternity coverage is a huge scam. Not only do you have the deductible reset January 1
sounds like you should knock them up 1/1 to avoid that
Posted on 11/17/15 at 9:19 am to Bestbank Tiger
quote:
Maternity coverage is a huge scam
The only frustrating part was having to deal with multiple bills from multiple people:
Hospital
Physicians Group from the providers in the hospital
OB/GYN practice
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