absurd

this is how the hospitals make up for treating people who do not have health insurance.

even bandaids are expensive, about $5 when i worked there, if i remember correctly. keep watching the bills! hope your wife finds continued relief for her pain. those blocks worked for me a while, then ended up with major surgery.

I was scheduled for heart surgery at ECM and they put me to sleep, but had to wake me back up for an emergency surgery. They still charged my insurance company $5800. Better them than me.

quote:

Originally posted by thehippiegirl:
even bandaids are expensive, about $5 when i worked there, if i remember correctly. keep watching the bills! hope your wife finds continued relief for her pain. those blocks worked for me a while, then ended up with major surgery.

there is nothing there to fix, we have been to Health South, Kirkland Clinic and St. Vincents and they all say that they can't do anything.

quote:

Originally posted by excelman:
this is how the hospitals make up for treating people who do not have health insurance.

I don't think he was saying he does not have insurance. I think he's fussing about what his insurance company was billed. Perhaps he has a doctor who will see a patient, prescribe and provide medication for $15.00. I don't know of one.

quote:

the First time they sent a bill of what they intended to charge the Insurance Co.

quote:

there is nothing there to fix, we have been to Health South, Kirkland Clinic and St. Vincents and they all say that they can't do anything.

i have a friend with the same problem, he just gets by as best he can. i'm so sorry...

The blocks do nothing for me either. I had surgery here locally, mistake, and now no Dr. out of town will touch me. And I will not go back to the local neurosurgens. I get by and do what I can.

quote:

Originally posted by Sassy Kims:

quote:

Originally posted by excelman:
this is how the hospitals make up for treating people who do not have health insurance.

I don't think he was saying he does not have insurance. I think he's fussing about what his insurance company was billed. Perhaps he has a doctor who will see a patient, prescribe and provide medication for $15.00. I don't know of one.

quote:

the First time they sent a bill of what they intended to charge the Insurance Co.

Oh I have medicare and C+ both and then a prescription drug card BLUE RX but this is just a way of them screwing us, I told the woman that I wouldn't pay, I don't own a thing or haven't for the last 5yrs and 27 days so let them charge.

quote:

Originally posted by prince albert:

quote:

Originally posted by Sassy Kims:

quote:

Originally posted by excelman:
this is how the hospitals make up for treating people who do not have health insurance.

I don't think he was saying he does not have insurance. I think he's fussing about what his insurance company was billed. Perhaps he has a doctor who will see a patient, prescribe and provide medication for $15.00. I don't know of one.

quote:

the First time they sent a bill of what they intended to charge the Insurance Co.

Oh I have medicare and C+ both and then a prescription drug card BLUE RX but this is just a way of them screwing us, I told the woman that I wouldn't pay, I don't own a thing or haven't for the last 5yrs and 27 days so let them charge.

Just a question - Not to be nosy,but do you have a copay with your insurance? If so, maybe that is what the $15.00 bill is.

Have you ever gotten a printout of what your insurance pays for your medicines at your pharmacy? If not, it might shock you.

I'm not trying to argue with you, I agree that no one should be charged excessively, even insurance companies.

no I don't have a co-pay or anything, it is for a pain pill, my wife gets them 90 at the a time at the Dr. the second time I told her that we wouldn't pay for it well they didn't give her one but when they billed us the $15.00 due bill was there, I told her that we would go to helen Keller if they wanted us to and she said that all of them do it now. this is the way I see it they are going to push $15.00 down your throat and after awhile it will go to $30.00 and so on

yes I get a printout each month from blue cross I pay $4.00 for all generics and some of the medicines i pay $4.00 -and blue Cross will pay 80 cents

You insurance may not be paying 100% on everything.

I have excellent insurance but it will only pay up to 80% on certain procedures and medicines.

Most of the time it is 100%, but I still have an office co-pay.

I would call your insurance company and have them explain to you: 1) what the hospital charged the insurance co. 2) what the insurance is not paying

Also, it sounds like you have 2 or 3 insurances. Have you given all of that info. to the nurses/doctors etc.?

I know when I billed insurance it is difficult to bill several companies, especially if some information is missing.

You definitely shouldn't be charged for something you didn't receive. That is fraudulent. You pay for insurance or your employer pays, so you also are more than eligible to call your insurance company and voice concerns.

It could be your insurance refusing to pay for something, a billing error on the hospital's end, or it could be something fradulent. Either way, I would check into it more if you suspect anything is wrong.

quote:

Originally posted by Sassy Kims:

quote:

Originally posted by excelman:
this is how the hospitals make up for treating people who do not have health insurance.

I don't think he was saying he does not have insurance. I think he's fussing about what his insurance company was billed. Perhaps he has a doctor who will see a patient, prescribe and provide medication for $15.00. I don't know of one.

quote:

the First time they sent a bill of what they intended to charge the Insurance Co.

What I was actually trying to say was that the hospitals treat a lot of people who have no insurance and in the end, do not pay anything for their treatment. The hospital has to make up that difference, they don't just write it off as one may think.
They make up the difference by charging more to those of us who do have insurance, and those of us who do pay their medical bills.
Therefore, the pill that should cost pocket change is now $15, as well as other treatment that is up-charged. This contributes to the escalating medical cost in the country, and is one of the primary reasons our insurance premiums have gone up so much. (in my personal case more than doubled since 2001 )

It's all the illegals who come into this country with the express purpose of lining up at the emergency rooms for FREE medical care (not free to us though...we're paying for it through the nose ) and to pop out their anchor babies. The hospitals aren't allowed to turn anyone away for non-payment anymore but excelman is right...they sure make up that cost somewhere and it's through us - the hard working, law abiding, insurance paying AMERICANS who get to foot the bill. And if you think it's bad now, just wait if Obama or Hillary get into the white house. It will be twice as bad as before.

Top Down Beemer, How do you think illegals get here? You have a few illegals that come one by one, but they are usually the ones that get caught and turn back. The ones that make it come by the truck loads and I can name you several Alabama farms that's working illegals now, because they can get illegals to drive a John Deer tractor a lot cheaper than they can get legals. Next time you see a John Deer driving down the road, plowing a field in rural Alabama, you will notice they are Mexicans driving them. Go to Sand Mountain Alabama when it's time to gather crops and see who's gathering potatoes. You would be surprised how many illegals that our good old Alabama farmers are working.