Among Friends

[Scooby Doo]

So three weeks ago I had a heart ablation.  The bills are now coming in.  I was only there 10 hours, no overnight.  The hospital and equipment billed at $358,000!  The doctor was another $5,000.  Don't know about the anesthesiologist yet.  I am absolutely shocked!  There's another bill for tests at $4,900.  

Of course Medicare is not going to pay that amount.. They paid around $22,000 and my blue cross picked up $1,700.  So far.

I won't have to pay anything.  But what about people who don't have good insurance?  How do they survive?  I guess many don't.  But someone has to pick up the difference.  

Scary stuff.  I'll never complain about the cost of insurance again.  

I chuckled when I think back to when I had my first baby half a century ago.  The hospital bill was $425 and I was in there for 5 days.  The Dr. charged a flat rate of $225 for prenatal care.  

Times have changed is a vast understatement.

[Hmmmmm24]

And there are still plenty of people who don't have insurance at all. I thought that was against the law, but I guess no one cares about going after them.

I work at a company that processes medical payments. Many who don't have insurance or don't have enough coverage get charity care. Even for those amounts. I think it's ridiculous and the rest of us who have good insurance are paying higher rates to make up for those who can't pay.

[Puppy Lips]

The health insurance system is TOTALLY scr*wed up.

[On It]

Health care across the board is out of control. KTLA showed a bill that was leaked that had the actual cost of the procedure and then the adjusted cost. The markup was over 500%.  

Add drug costs, doctor visits, rehab and all the supplementary costs and we are clearly having a crisis. Even the insured are being stuck with a hefty copay. Mexico and Canada are selling drugs at a fraction of our costs. Somehow we have to put the brakes on this and change course.

Corporate greed is causing all of these outrageous fees. I do not believe these increases are legitimate inflation.

[SloopJohnB]

@Scooby Doo   Amazing, isn't it?  And not in a good way.  I had a test done in the neurological department and it was less than 30 minutes and my bill was over $129,000.  Thank goodness for insurance is all I can say.  🤕

[Love my grandkids]

@Scooby Doo  .Funny you should bring this up. I ran across some EOB's from my 2017 radiation for colon cancer (I thought I had shredded all of them for all my treatment that year). The cost of the machine ALONE that  dispensed the radiation, for 20 days, was almost $48,000!!! 

Thank God for Medicare and my UHC supplemental. I got excellent care and never paid a penny out of pocket.

After each chemo treatment I had to use a chemo pump for a couple of days after and EACH time the cost was $1500 X 8, that was a lot of money.

DS was born in 1969, $400 for 5 days in the hospital and doctor's prenatal fee was $200.

[HonestLife]

It's truly a sad situation with Healthcare. All of my local Hospitals and Private Practices have been swallowed up. We're treated like cattle and physicians don't stick around for long. This is what happens when the government decides to mandage healthcare. I've been living with severe pain in my feet for months. My PCP left, I can't get an appointment and it's a 4 hour wait even in the ER. I've resolved myself to just living with it. 

[On It]

@HonestLife I agree with your statement that local practices and hospitals are being swallowed up. This is a result of the mergers and acquisitions that have dominated every sector in the economy. Huge corporations are controlling every sector, and we are paying for their corporate greed due to the lack of viable competitors.

I disagree that the government is causing the problem. It would be in the government's interest to lower prices not increase them in the programs that are subsidized. 

[HonestLife]

@On It  I concur with your last statement. I'm just as frustrated as anyone who sees bills that are so outrageous. The last time I was in the hospital the charge for a single Tylenol was $15. These inflated prices are hurting everyone.

[BlueFinch]

Yes, we do help pay for those who can't, or won't, in multiple areas. I worked for a very large 'county' hospital where we took patients regardless of inability to pay. No one was ever turned away. Even people who didn't live here, including foreigners. 

I can remember looking at our patient board of 30 patients, often seeing only a couple who were insured. All others were noted as 'self' pay. Of course, we knew what that usually meant. Unlikely. So, those with insurance help keep the facilities up and running.

It's analogous with home insurance. People build in high risk areas.  Areas we'd all like to live in, but most of us know better. But when they have total losses, those of us who are more careful are gifted with increases in premiums. It's just the way it works.