Feeling backed into a corner

MrJoshua wrote: In reply to Ashyukun: I think that depends on the hospital and your approach. Where I find that to be a painful truth is when you use your insurance for a procedure that isn't covered. If you run it through ins you pay the billed amount. If you pay out of pocket at the time of service some hospitals discount the bill by 60-70 %.

Which is... against their provider contract with the insurance companies, and illustrates pretty much exactly what's completely wrong about the whole shebang.

Providers artificially inflate their charges on services to use as a bargaining chip when negotiating contracts with insurance companies. The old "if you want $500, ask for $1000" trick.

The thing is, the negotiations are supposed to be based on a REAL amount that the providers would be billing people. Some do, some don't.

And they can't act like they aren't making money hand over fist even with the insurance negotiated amounts. The sheer amount of money i pay out even to providers who have services paid/processed at only say.... 44% is still completely obscene.

MrJoshua wrote: In reply to Ashyukun: I think that depends on the hospital and your approach. Where I find that to be a painful truth is when you use your insurance for a procedure that isn't covered. If you run it through ins you pay the billed amount. If you pay out of pocket at the time of service some hospitals discount the bill by 60-70 %.

It would be interesting to see what the hospital would bill me if I hadn't reported having insurance- the hospital staff can't see what KIND of insurance (the High-Deductible, preventative-only policy) I have, just that I have insurance. Near as I can figure, they sent the bill to my insurance company, which sent it back to them with the notes that a) what they had billed was $X amount higher than what they will pay and b) they needed to bill me for that amount due to the nature of my policy. I then get a bill from the hospital for the amount that the reduced amount that my ins said they listed the procedure/visit as costing. So it APPEARS that having the insurance saved me about 30% or so of what I would have paid- but it would be interesting to see what they would have billed me if I'd just been paying out of pocket from the get-go...

yamaha wrote:

MrJoshua wrote:

Bobzilla wrote: Anyone else find it a bit odd that the group that wants everyone to have the choice of life also wants to publicly execute insurance execs?

Yep-save the helpless and kill the more fortunate.

I vote kill em all

At least that is being consistent.

In reply to Swank Force One:

I check this thread every day just to read your input. I then thank science I have military retired health care!!!!!

In reply to Javelin:

They've been closing VA Hospitals around here.....

yamaha wrote: In reply to Javelin: They've been closing VA Hospitals around here.....

TriCare, not VA, thank every deity!

yamaha wrote:

MrJoshua wrote:

Bobzilla wrote: Anyone else find it a bit odd that the group that wants everyone to have the choice of life also wants to publicly execute insurance execs?

Yep-save the helpless and kill the more fortunate.

I vote kill em all

Duke wrote:

Xceler8x wrote:

Duke wrote: Umm, hello?

What's up with the attitude? I'm trying to see your point of view not antagonize you. How about you do the same.

Wasn't intending to be a dick, but assuming I succeeded anyway, I'm sorry.

Ah ok. Sorry if I jumped the gun there too. ARGH! I know we agree on more than we disagree on here!

Btw - you bring up some great points in your posts.