Hospital Bill

[BillsGirl]

Re: Hospital Bill

Hospitals are very to work with you if you do not have insurance, when I was 20 I was making a fair amount of money for a 20 year old with no schooling and I had somtach pains so with no insurance I went to the hospital come to find out it was my appendix which is very costly with no insurance my bill was $23,000 when all was said and done I got a letter from the hospital about 2 weeks after the surgery saying Hey we know you can't pay don't worry about it we clear the debt from your name and we'll use you as a tax credit!!

[mjrube94]

Re: Hospital Bill

Wow, Bills Girl, you're lucky to have had such a great experience. On Sunday, our paper had a big article about how the uninsured/underinsured get screwed so badly by hospitals, because they get charged the full rate, versus the low negotiated rate that the insurance companies get. They told the story of one man who suffered several strokes, and it was terrible to read about how the hospital sent collection agencies after him when he couldn't pay. The hospital's response: they have bills to pay and if they don't get their money, they won't be around to help the next sick person. True, I suppose, but harsh to read...

[jmjj215]

Re: Hospital Bill

That whole thing about insurance companies "negotiating down" prices really bugs me though. A doctor, let's say, normally charges $50 per visit. But because he knows the insurance companies want to be able to say to their customers that they negotiate down prices, he lists his service at $90. The insurance company then negotiates that "price" down to $50 so the doctor is happy, and the insurance company is happy. In the mean time, you have the uninsured who have to pay $90 ?! This happens all the time. If I were a general practictioner I would try so hard to not associate w/ the insurance companies. Maybe I would go on a cash up-front plan, and offer discounted rates. I could still make as much as other doctors because I wouldn't need 1-3 full-time people handling stupid insurance claims. All cash, all the time.. (sorry for the rant)

[BillsGirl]

Re: Hospital Bill

wow mjrube, I never really thought I was all that lucky until I read that, I figured what they did to me was pretty common?? It's kinda sad the uninsured gets treated that way!! There are low cost clinics, I was debating wether or not to take myself to one when I had my sotmach pains and when I spoke to a nurse she told me she thought it was appndix or kidney stones and told me to get to an er right away! apart from the low cost clinics there are also low cost doctors (my aunt goes to one) that charge low flat fees for people with no insurance who need to see a doc!

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Hospital Bill

Im with you Jmjj, If I were a doc I couldn't in clear conscinese charge different people different amounts, I'd be so a straight fee kindof gal. And yep prolly lower than the insurance negotiated rates, since we wouldn't have to charge extra for the full time insurance people.

[JBinKC]

Re: Hospital Bill

I have offered 40% of a bill on procedures covered out of network that were not disclosed to me by my provider and they took the offer. My contention is they did not disclose to me a price on the procedure (which I would have told them to go to hell if they did). I told them that the contract was not valid without a price disclosed.