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Medical Billing

pawzpawz Member, Moderator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 21,156 Founders Club
in Tug Tavern
Last September I unfortunately had to make a trip to the ER. At the chagrin of some here, I lived. Sorry, not sorry. Relatively speaking it was a minor issue.

But for the 10 minutes total I spent w/ an ER physician (not counting the hospital bill), I was billed $630.

My insurance gets involved and that bill drops to $220.

How the fuck does that happen?!



Clearly the actual price for services rendered is $220. Had I not had insurance (read: poor) I would have been stuck paying $630.

In ANY OTHER profession a billing practice like this would be criminal.



Fuck Obamacare or any other bullshit brought forward by Congress recently. Until there is clarity, transparency and recourse for the common bloke, our system is fucked.


How have we arrived at a point where this is OK?!

Having insurance is nice, but it does not-a-fucking-thing to control costs.



I'm all for free-market economies, but the market needs to be fundamentally reorganized so that the providers compete for patients. There's plenty of fucking patients.

Hell, the little-bit-o'-liberal in me would entertain the idea of tax dollars paying for health care; if the providers competed for the business.



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  • KaepskneeKaepsknee Member Posts: 14,886
    pawz said:

    Last September I unfortunately had to make a trip to the ER. At the chagrin of some here, I lived. Sorry, not sorry. Relatively speaking it was a minor issue.

    But for the 10 minutes total I spent w/ an ER physician (not counting the hospital bill), I was billed $630.

    My insurance gets involved and that bill drops to $220.

    How the fuck does that happen?!



    Clearly the actual price for services rendered is $220. Had I not had insurance (read: poor) I would have been stuck paying $630.

    In ANY OTHER profession a billing practice like this would be criminal.



    Fuck Obamacare or any other bullshit brought forward by Congress recently. Until there is clarity, transparency and recourse for the common bloke, our system is fucked.


    How have we arrived at a point where this is OK?!

    Having insurance is nice, but it does not-a-fucking-thing to control costs.



    I'm all for free-market economies, but the market needs to be fundamentally reorganized so that the providers compete for patients. There's plenty of fucking patients.

    Hell, the little-bit-o'-liberal in me would entertain the idea of tax dollars paying for health care; if the providers competed for the business.



    Actually if you didn't have insurance, you would have ended paying around the $220 you paid out anyway.

    But how are we getting screwed by providers and insurance companies??????
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  • UW_Doog_BotUW_Doog_Bot Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 15,979 Swaye's Wigwam
    It works like this in all kinds of sectors of the market. Do you think Walmart pays the same rate for services that you do? Of course not. Hell, providers give you different rates based on your own subscription level. ex."Buy 1 full price or buy 2 and the 3rd is 50% off". Imagine the kind of rate you would get if you agreed to buy 100,000 of something. That's what insurers are doing.

    Prices can be very discriminatory in a free market.

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  • BaphometBaphomet Member Posts: 1,511
    UW_Doog_Bot said:



    Prices can be very discriminatory in a free market.

    What do free markets have to do with the US?
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  • UW_Doog_BotUW_Doog_Bot Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 15,979 Swaye's Wigwam
    Baphomet said:

    News flash, these issues existed well before Obamacare.

    And if we had single payer healthcare, a professional bill reviewer would be in charge of making sure none of this BS was happening.

    Just like they make sure that our airforce isn't paying $5000 per hammer.

    Lol, you haven't ever worked for a military supplier have you?
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  • BaphometBaphomet Member Posts: 1,511
    UW_Doog_Bot said:

    Baphomet said:

    News flash, these issues existed well before Obamacare.

    And if we had single payer healthcare, a professional bill reviewer would be in charge of making sure none of this BS was happening.

    Just like they make sure that our airforce isn't paying $5000 per hammer.

    Lol, you haven't ever worked for a military supplier have you?
    That was the joke
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  • UW_Doog_BotUW_Doog_Bot Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 15,979 Swaye's Wigwam
    Baphomet said:

    UW_Doog_Bot said:

    Baphomet said:

    News flash, these issues existed well before Obamacare.

    And if we had single payer healthcare, a professional bill reviewer would be in charge of making sure none of this BS was happening.

    Just like they make sure that our airforce isn't paying $5000 per hammer.

    Lol, you haven't ever worked for a military supplier have you?
    That was the joke
    Whoosh on me then. I'm used to Honda in the tug.

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  • 2001400ex2001400ex Member Posts: 29,457
    UW_Doog_Bot said:

    Baphomet said:

    UW_Doog_Bot said:

    Baphomet said:

    News flash, these issues existed well before Obamacare.

    And if we had single payer healthcare, a professional bill reviewer would be in charge of making sure none of this BS was happening.

    Just like they make sure that our airforce isn't paying $5000 per hammer.

    Lol, you haven't ever worked for a military supplier have you?
    That was the joke
    Whoosh on me then. I'm used to Honda in the tug.

    You don't see my wwoooooossshhhhh.

    HTH
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  • 2001400ex2001400ex Member Posts: 29,457
    pawz said:

    Last September I unfortunately had to make a trip to the ER. At the chagrin of some here, I lived. Sorry, not sorry. Relatively speaking it was a minor issue.

    But for the 10 minutes total I spent w/ an ER physician (not counting the hospital bill), I was billed $630.

    My insurance gets involved and that bill drops to $220.

    How the fuck does that happen?!



    Clearly the actual price for services rendered is $220. Had I not had insurance (read: poor) I would have been stuck paying $630.

    In ANY OTHER profession a billing practice like this would be criminal.



    Fuck Obamacare or any other bullshit brought forward by Congress recently. Until there is clarity, transparency and recourse for the common bloke, our system is fucked.


    How have we arrived at a point where this is OK?!

    Having insurance is nice, but it does not-a-fucking-thing to control costs.



    I'm all for free-market economies, but the market needs to be fundamentally reorganized so that the providers compete for patients. There's plenty of fucking patients.

    Hell, the little-bit-o'-liberal in me would entertain the idea of tax dollars paying for health care; if the providers competed for the business.



    That's 2 arguments we are on the same side of today. I have even been fucked by an ER over a 3 minute ordeal too.

    What a cool day man.
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  • Pitchfork51Pitchfork51 Member Posts: 27,019
    I was there for like an hour and had to pay soemthing like 1200

    wtf
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  • SledogSledog Member Posts: 34,212 Standard Supporter
    $10.00 per aspirin tablet is cheap!
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  • SwayeSwaye Moderator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 41,511 Founders Club
    I don't use the white man's medicine. Problem solved.
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  • 2001400ex2001400ex Member Posts: 29,457
    Swaye said:

    I don't use the white man's medicine. Problem solved.

    photo CECFD627-07C7-4702-9B95-D6A331DDDF38_zpsgwqs069j.jpg
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  • GrundleStiltzkinGrundleStiltzkin Member Posts: 61,506 Standard Supporter
    2001400ex said:

    Swaye said:

    I don't use the white man's medicine. Problem solved.

    photo CECFD627-07C7-4702-9B95-D6A331DDDF38_zpsgwqs069j.jpg
    Wow, pretty racist.
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  • RaceBannonRaceBannon Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 106,801 Founders Club
    You always get a cash discount. Doctor gets his money now not after the insurance company decides to give it to him and with no overhead to fill out the bullshit forms
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  • ApostleofGriefApostleofGrief Member Posts: 3,904
    They should just display prices, or you get some kind of estimate like for auto repairs. Doctors, especially specialists, are very rich and they enjoy the money and making more...
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  • UW_Doog_BotUW_Doog_Bot Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 15,979 Swaye's Wigwam
    Pitchfork51 said:

    I was there for like an hour and had to pay soemthing like 1200

    wtf

    It's because you are paying for all the people who don't pay their medical bills. Which is because the government requires providers to provide care regardless of a patients ability to pay...
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  • pawzpawz Member, Moderator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 21,156 Founders Club
    ApostleofGrief said:

    They should just display prices, or you get some kind of estimate like for auto repairs. Doctors, especially specialists, are very rich and they enjoy the money and making more...

    This. Would solve a lot of problems.


    A headache for the receptionist I'm sure. But fuck them.
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  • CuntWaffleCuntWaffle Member Posts: 22,499
    GrundleStiltzkin said:

    2001400ex said:

    Swaye said:

    I don't use the white man's medicine. Problem solved.

    photo CECFD627-07C7-4702-9B95-D6A331DDDF38_zpsgwqs069j.jpg
    Wow, pretty racist.
    Hondo the racist can't keep bottling it in. Most hardcore Hillary liberals can't after so long. Sad!
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  • UWhuskytskeetUWhuskytskeet Member Posts: 7,113
    I miss the days of cheap ER visits!
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