The Tyranny of Medical Bills in America

[Gulag]

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The person was injured in a bike accident and was hospitalized for three days.

[mezzoduomo]

Wow, Gulag!  Thanks again for pointing out how much America SUCKS! I can't tell you how illuminating this kind of information is. If you happen to be in America right now, you'll no doubt be leaving as soon as possible, since there couldn't be a worse place to be. If you're not in America, it's pretty obvious that you'll stay away forever and at all costs, as any rational person would.

PS: The documents you provided don't match up with the stories attached thereto.

[BernardLanguillier]

If those are real... this is incredible.

Even in Japan whose health's coverage is probably only second worse after the US among developed countries, I paid only 3,500 US$ for a 3 hours long surgery with 3 hosptal nights in a private room in a first class facility in central Tokyo. That is prior to private insurance pay back and not taking into account likely tax reduction that could cover half of the premium anyway.

As a European, I already consider those Japanese price levels as being outrageously expensive... but they are 10-20 times lower than the bills shown here.

Cheers,
Bernard

[amolitor]

People don't realize that hospital bills are merely a starting point for negotiation.

Since the insurance companies demand discounts the prices start out absurdly high, to allow for discounts. Even the discounted rate paid by insurers is high, since those monies have to cover people who cannot afford the full fare.

Health care in the USA is essentially on a sliding scale, unfortunately in order for the scale to slide you have to a) know that it's a sliding scale and b) be prepared to negotiate, quite hard.

The whole system is essentially a gigantic make-work project at this point, with endless reams of staff pointlessly printing out data from one system and keying it into another, with bills and paperwork being filed, refiled, copied, sent, delivered, copied again, refiled, and so on. The biggest single problem with chucking it all out and doing something sensible is the massive economic hit caused by putting all these clerks on the street.

[NancyP]

Reimbursement by insurance companies is usually ~ 20% of the price billed. Therefore hospitals inflate the prices 5-fold - otherwise they would go out of business fast.

[tom b]

Come to Australia. Four of the top most liveable cities.

Canada isn't so bad too, hey LuLa.

Cheers,

[BernardLanguillier]

Reimbursement by insurance companies is usually ~ 20% of the price billed. Therefore hospitals inflate the prices 5-fold - otherwise they would go out of business fast.

OK, so real cost is 20,000 US$, hospital bills 100,000 US$, insurance company pays back 20,000 US$, who pays the remaining 80,000 US$?

Cheers,
Bernard

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

OK, so real cost is 20,000 US$, hospital bills 100,000 US$, insurance company pays back 20,000 US$, who pays the remaining 80,000 US$?

Nobody, it is written off.

[Colorado David]

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That is a miracle of modern medicine.  You had an allergic reaction, took Benadryl, Pepcid, and an oral steroid and can't remember the surgery at all.  Wow.

[AlterEgo]

Reimbursement by insurance companies is usually ~ 20% of the price billed. Therefore hospitals inflate the prices 5-fold - otherwise they would go out of business fast.

they do not simply pay % of the price billed, insurance companies have price per service established with the hospital in network and pay percent of that price (if in network then the hospital agrees to certain prices, regardless of what it "bills") - that may be 100% or 80/20 or 90/10, whatever - otherwise your beloved hospitals 'd inflate the price 100-fold... so the question is - why really inflate ?

[BernardLanguillier]

Nobody, it is written off.

Wow... that sounds like a system fully compliant with modern accounting standards!

Cheers,
Bernard

[AlterEgo]

Wow, Gulag!  Thanks again for pointing out how much America SUCKS!

american medical billing does... don't behave like Fox News personality by perverting the reality

[Isaac]

Jan. 29, 2015 What Consumers Should Know About Rising Health Care Costs

[BernardLanguillier]

Jan. 29, 2015 What Consumers Should Know About Rising Health Care Costs

Interesting and nuanced article, thanks for sharing the link.

The negative side effects of the "litigation culture" are fascinating.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Alan Klein]

One of the big problems is because of the low fees paid by Medicare, many of the better doctors are opting out and will not accept their schedule payments.  So older people who is the group who needs the most and best care are starting to get left behind with many so-so doctors.  This is beginning to feed over to younger people as well as Obamacare kicks in.  Of course, well heeled people will be able to pay the better doctors.  So in the near future, there will become a two tiered system of care, something that really didn't exist before.    Instead of the government helping those who truly need care and couldn't  afford it, the government systems of Medicare and Obamacare now created will make overall medicare care for the country worse than before.

[tom b]

So now you are blaming the government, not the doctors. Wow, I'm glad I'm growing old in Australia. I think I used the word dysfunctional before.

Cheers,

[David Anderson]

Australia is the place for Americans to be.. 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Is it me, or did I miss the relevance of this thread to photography?

Oh, wait, there was Radiology mentioned on the bill, and the bills were scanned ...

Never mind, carry on.

Cheers,
Bart

[Rob C]

Is it me, or did I miss the relevance of this thread to photography?

Oh, wait, there was Radiology mentioned on the bill, and the bills were scanned ...

Never mind, carry on.

Cheers,
Bart

Bart, it doesn't have to be related to photography: it's the Coffee Corner, a space designed to allow friendly discussions beyond the often boring matter of photography. It allows readers/contributors an opportunity of further 'getting-to-know-you' time.

IMO, that's a huge problem with the more topìc-constricted threads: they become circular, unlike real-life situations where conversation takes its natural course. You can't plan conversation; you can plan strategy and spin, though; which would attract you the more?

Rob C

[stamper]

Is it me, or did I miss the relevance of this thread to photography?

Oh, wait, there was Radiology mentioned on the bill, and the bills were scanned ...

Never mind, carry on.

Cheers,
Bart

Bart, 4781 posts and you don't know what the Coffee Corner is?