Medical Billing Errors - WTHELLO

[snox801]

What's amazing to me is these "errors" are always in the favor of of the billing party. These errors happen in phone, cable and even restaurant bills but they are usually only a few dollars compared to hundreds or thousands on medical bills!

I got one from the power company. For my old house no one living in it currently. $211 thought no way.
180 of it was an access fee. Huh?

 

[snox801]

The top 5 countries for cancer treatment are Australia, Netherlands, United States, Canada, and Finland in that order. The US being the only country that does not provide Universal Healthcare or a public option for their insurance. The United States overall healthcare system is ranked 37th in the world.

Lasik averages about $2200 an eye from a reputable eye surgeon which is what it was 15 years ago. You can go cheaper if you go to an eye doctor and even cheaper if you want to go to someone who bought a used machine and went to a week long certification, which is the same as 15 years ago.

False USA is by far the best five year survival rate. I will look up stats when out of work. They are provided in several spots. And 15 years ago lasik was not new. It already hit the current price. What about plastic surgery that take much longer. You are seeming to only pick certain parts of what I said.
Why does no wealthy person go to those countries you mentioned for cancer if they are better? Money is no object to them they want the barest care which is and has been the us for a long time. I can't think of the last time I heard of a wealthy person heading to Cuba or Canada or Sweden for treatment.

 

[JimFromTN]

Wealthy people do travel to other countries for healthcare. When they do travel, it would not be to Cuba because they are just known for living long and being healthier than people in the US. They also get free healthcare which I am sure helps. There are plenty of other countries that they travel to. Its known as medical tourism. Ironically, Canada ranks number one on some lists. The US is not even on the any top ten list. Rand Paul went to Canada for surgery back in 2019. About 250,000 americans go abroad to get medical care every year.

 

[lyle2231]

Welcome to the Michigan system.
My son turned 3 when I got a call from collections for his birth. First I heard of it.
I called about 5 months after he was born and asked for all bills. Paid them.
The excuse was the hospital did receive a bill from two of the doctors.
In fact just yesterday my wife got a notification form collection for another medical bill for the kids.
Spent the whole afternoon calling and nobody has record of the service provided and the account balance is zero. They confirmed with collection it was not a scam but neither party knows why we owe that.
I'm to the point where I my file a suit against them.
They twice now have affected my credit which is very important to me.
Won't stand well for them when I have never paid a bill late in my life.
Im convinced everything g the government tries to fix they f up.

If you put the gummit in charge of a desert they'd run out of sand!

 

[lyle2231]

it is absolutely untrue that our system has by far the best quality of outcome of any country period. We are probably somewhere around 40th in the world, if that high. Cuba has a longer life expectancy and a lower infant death mortality rate. We do, on the other hand, spend more per capita on healthcare in this country than any other country in the world.

We don't need a universal healthcare system, we need a universal health insurance system. A prime example is medicare. I don't know anyone on medicare that is waiting in any lines or can't get any life saving procedures. All providers accept it and they all get paid. You don't have bean counters determining whether or not its more profitable to let someone die or not. The other great thing is you can't be turned down or over charged for pre-existing health conditions. Old people would be dropping like flies if they didn't have medicare because they are uninsurable and they would be dying penniless. No one is going to insure an 80 yr old with a heart condition.

As for lasik, its the same price it always was. There has always been a cheap option. When I had my lasik done, you could have it done for $300 an eye from someone who bought a used machine and attended a week long training. Sometimes you would see places offering to do it for $100 an eye. These people aren't necessarily eye doctors or had any training in the field. Are you going to trust your vision to them? If you do, you must not value your eyesight. It is a good example of what happens when you have a free market where there is not enough regulation.

As for you example of $1300 bill and they charged you $389, thats the price they charge the insurance, maybe a little more. Most if not all providers will give you a reduced rate if you are uninsured but can pay cash or plop down a credit card. The reason for the enormous cost of most healthcare is because they are trying to get a percentage of it and never expect it to be paid in full. Also, they charge as much as they do to help cover the cost of people who are uninsured and don't have the money. In other words, they probably could have charged you $250 but they need you to help pay for the guy who skipped on his bill.

Back in 2000 I had a week in the hospital. State Farm paid their share, my end was something around $4k. I waited until collections hired the lawyer. Went to court settled for $2k. I questioned every line item while in court. I figured turn about was fair play.

 

[snox801]

You understand we are talking about healthcare, not mcdonalds or walmart? They are not going to let people die simply because they can't afford to pay the bill which apparently you are suggesting. One way or another, you are going to help pay for it.

You are basically comparing a boob job to heart surgery. If you have to have heart surgery, are you going to shop around for the best price? Heart surgeons aren't going to try and out price the other to get more surgeries. If they did, you probably should not go to them. Seems like the women you know that shopped around for the best price on a boob job, didn't fare well. Normal, sane people try to find the best, not the cheapest.

Wealthy people have health insurance and don't need to go somewhere else. If you have health insurance, you can get some of the best healthcare in the world here. Besides that, if they did go get it somewhere else, it would probably be India or Thailand where they have built the best hospitals in the world and charge a fraction of the price we charge here.

I know they won't let them die. Many charities and churches will and do help with cost. Look back 50 years and the amount of help church's and other social fabric not ran by the government helped.
None will die. Well unless you die while on a waiting list for rationed health care.
I'm not saying we can't find a better system but what some people are saying is wrong.
Let think about how you are looking at it.
Your telling me that I have to pay for someone's health care by force of gun or freedom. "Because that's what the government does" it's all backed by force.
You think stealing my money by force to pay for someone else's healthcare is the right thing to do?
Or in my world let me decide on if I want to use my hard earned money that could be used for my family to bail out able bodied adults that simply won't work or make poor choices with money. Cell phone or health care? And most choose phone then whoa is me when something happens.
Listen I know the frustration I have to purchase my insurance at an insane premium.
My son is special needs and requires therapy 4 days a week. All on my dime. I'm very blessed but to make me cover for someone else's health care by taking my money that I could spend on my son is wrong.
Would you give up your money that could help your family for someone else. Nope but the system you are going for is juts that.

 

[snox801]

Wealthy people do travel to other countries for healthcare. When they do travel, it would not be to Cuba because they are just known for living long and being healthier than people in the US. They also get free healthcare which I am sure helps. There are plenty of other countries that they travel to. Its known as medical tourism. Ironically, Canada ranks number one on some lists. The US is not even on the any top ten list. Rand Paul went to Canada for surgery back in 2019. About 250,000 americans go abroad to get medical care every year.

That tourism is based on things our fda won't approve like stem cell blood therapy.
And some may go other places but the vast majority come here. Brock lesnar live in Canada free health care. He had to come to the us for treatment of diverticulitis because the wait was so long and the care not on par with what a pro athlete needs.

 

[snox801]

Wealthy people do travel to other countries for healthcare. When they do travel, it would not be to Cuba because they are just known for living long and being healthier than people in the US. They also get free healthcare which I am sure helps. There are plenty of other countries that they travel to. Its known as medical tourism. Ironically, Canada ranks number one on some lists. The US is not even on the any top ten list. Rand Paul went to Canada for surgery back in 2019. About 250,000 americans go abroad to get medical care every year.

These are not life saving surgery. Yes dental and other things can be cheaper because they don't have malpractice laws like we do.
So it's not even a fair comparison.
I know people that go to Mexico for dental work. Great but I've never seen someone travel to Cuba for cancer. See that works both ways.

 

[JimFromTN]

These are not life saving surgery. Yes dental and other things can be cheaper because they don't have malpractice laws like we do.
So it's not even a fair comparison.
I know people that go to Mexico for dental work. Great but I've never seen someone travel to Cuba for cancer. See that works both ways.

That's not true. People go for serious issues like needing heart surgery. It's not uncommon at all.

 

[Dr. Vette]

We don't need a universal healthcare system, we need a universal health insurance system. A prime example is medicare. I don't know anyone on medicare that is waiting in any lines or can't get any life saving procedures. All providers accept it and they all get paid.

Unfortunately that's not accurate.
There are a lot of practices and physicians who don't accept Medicare, and once you're 65 you have to find a new doctor. Hospitals will accept it, but not all private offices.

And we may get "paid" but if we were all paid at Medicare rates we wouldn't stay in business. We accept it as a courtesy to longstanding patients but not as a money-maker or even break-even proposition.

 

[snox801]

That's not true. People go for serious issues like needing heart surgery. It's not uncommon at all.

Not very wealthy people it tends to be middle class. I bet a 5 second search would pop up hundreds of rich people coming. To the states for serious care. You won't find a massive amount of wealthy Americans going somewhere for that.

 

[snox801]

Unfortunately that's not accurate.
There are a lot of practices and physicians who don't accept Medicare, and once you're 65 you have to find a new doctor. Hospitals will accept it, but not all private offices.

And we may get "paid" but if we were all paid at Medicare rates we wouldn't stay in business. We accept it as a courtesy to longstanding patients but not as a money-maker or even break-even proposition.

Correct and to expand on that. Where is the money gonna come from? The Nordic countries system is not even sustainable and they have incredible tax rates. Most like Canada barely spend anything on defense because they know big brother USA is gonna save them.
Insurance works just fine if the government gets out of the way.
So does health care.

 

[JimFromTN]

Unfortunately that's not accurate.
There are a lot of practices and physicians who don't accept Medicare, and once you're 65 you have to find a new doctor. Hospitals will accept it, but not all private offices.

And we may get "paid" but if we were all paid at Medicare rates we wouldn't stay in business. We accept it as a courtesy to longstanding patients but not as a money-maker or even break-even proposition.

Here is an article you probably would not be too fond of

Limiting Private Insurance Reimbursement to Medicare Rates Would Reduce Health Spending by About $350 Billion in 2021 - Issue Brief - 9656 | KFF

Introduction The United States spends nearly twice as much as much per person on health care as comparable countries, and much of this is driven by higher prices paid by private health insurers. The high and rising cost of private health care has led to premiums and deductibles for...

www.kff.org

 

[snox801]

Well again why has nobody told me how it is ok for you to steal money from me to pay for someone else's healthcare.
I have bought my own healthcare since I was 21, Why because I am responsible. I work a labor job most my adult life and could afford it.
While my friends were out buying toys and eating out I was not. Now by force of government I also have to pay for them.