re: Medical procedures - Affordability

Before I do elective surgery on someone they have to pay a deposit, that way we don't get totally shafted. You'd be shocked (or maybe not) how many people just simply don't ever pay the bill after surgery. What is even funnier is that years after they'll make an appointment for something totally different and show up like they don't owe $1,000's of dollars

When I brung my gf to the er to see the baby ultrasounded I put "Donald trump" on the form so they could send the bill to him. Ain't my fault I got no insurance it's the govts fault

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I put "Donald trump" on the form

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el Gaucho

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With a name like that you’d be the last one he’s paying for.

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the average Medicaid and Medicare patient fricking sucks and is the most difficult to deal with

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Her Dr. told her it's great having a patient like her; and she is not a normal patient. So many detailed questions, what is expected of us, what we have to do in rehab, how to get back to 100%, worst case scenario, etc. We figured that this was normal Dr. Patient conversation Sounds to me like people just show up and say "give me another knee" and go home and recline in their lazyboy and enjoy fast food for the next six months or more.

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Before I do elective surgery on someone they have to pay a deposit, that way we don't get totally shafted. You'd be shocked (or maybe not) how many people just simply don't ever pay the bill after surgery. What is even funnier is that years after they'll make an appointment for something totally different and show up like they don't owe $1,000's of dollars

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I know several orthos who won't do any work on uninsured unless everything is paid up front and require preauthorization and deductibles/copays be paid up front for insured with a forefieture % for no-shows.

Want to be real sick to your stomach? Spend some time around medicaid patients that are <50. Make sure to thank them for your high as frick bills

No point being angry about something that will only get worse. Just invest properly and make sure you don’t have to live near these divkheads when you are old

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It’s a total disgrace how expensive stuff like that is

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Did you know that the surgeon only gets about $1,400 for that total knee replacement? And that also includes all of the post operative visits.

When you consider how much you would pay to replace your transmission in your car it’s not that crazy. What you pay the doctor isn’t out of control, it’s all the other costs.

Typically insurance will cover the cost of the procedure and a few other things.

Not included tends to be stuff like the anesthesiologist, the surgeon, the operating theater, etc.


As far as what other people pay, anyone with cash can negotiate a better deal beforehand while a lot of other people get the work done and then stiff the hospital.

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I know several orthos who won't do any work on uninsured unless everything is paid up front and require preauthorization and deductibles/copays be paid up front for insured with a forefieture % for no-shows.

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When it comes to emergent/hospital consult stuff I never ask about insurance. I do what needs to be done and then we figure out things later. Unfortunately that usually means I end up doing everything for free.

Anytime we see cash pay patients in clinic we give them the price of the visit, xrays, etc up front and require that everything is paid at the time of service. Honestly, it's a much better system than fighting insurance companies for every nickel.