News, Biggest medical mystery: The bill. (insurance, 2009, companies, money)

[John1960]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ask most Americans how much it costs to visit a doctor and they probably do not know.

Ask doctors what their fees are and they're not likely to know that either.

Health care prices need more price transparency - Apr. 22, 2009

[GregW]

The private health insurance system know to the dime how much it costs and how much they can scam the system to their benefit at the expense of the patients and the Doctors.

[subsound]

No one ever knows what the bill is going to be, it depends on contracts, rate structures, medicare base rates (all major insurers move with government rates) and what the insurance company does/does not reject. Most major facilities have a good number of moderately trained people just to work claims and fight insurance companies, it's a massive burden and frustration on everyone to aggressively pursue claims.

I've worked insurance analysis and contracting to enforce reimbursement, even pursue lawsuits, it's depressing.

[texdav]

A simple visit to my doctor cost $100 then other things cost more. i pay $2.'00 for a simple office visit. Its much like calling to have a washing machine fixed ;you never know that cost either.If you going to have surgery its easy tio ask your insurance the cost and if you don;'t to ask the doctor.Kind of like people that go to the grocerey store and just pickup what they want not even knowing if its a good price or if its gone up since last time they bought the item.

[runningncircles1]

No one ever knows what the bill is going to be, it depends on contracts, rate structures, medicare base rates (all major insurers move with government rates) and what the insurance company does/does not reject. Most major facilities have a good number of moderately trained people just to work claims and fight insurance companies, it's a massive burden and frustration on everyone to aggressively pursue claims.

I've worked insurance analysis and contracting to enforce reimbursement, even pursue lawsuits, it's depressing.

And, that is why it's so expensive. All of these overhead and admin costs, litigation teams, etc. put more of a burden on health care here than our actual technologies.

[subsound]

Originally Posted by runningncircles1

And, that is why it's so expensive. All of these overhead and admin costs, litigation teams, etc. put more of a burden on health care here than our actual technologies.

Exactly. I can't complain too much, it gives me a good job and good insurance, but I don't get any special treatment.

[harry chickpea]

As a point of reference, I just got a historical newsletter in the mail. In it, was a note that in 1913 the doctors in the town had raised the cost of an appointment to seventy-five cents.

[gardener34]

We just got a new insurance plan, the employer decided to cheap out and it stinks.... I just paid $230 for a routine office visit for my child. A few years ago, we paid a $20 co-pay and that was it. those days are gone.
Whenever possible, I try and get a pre-treatment estimate. And at the looks of these prices I will be getting lots more of those. The thing is I hate to try and decide if what they are asking me to get it necessary or just another diagnostic test that costs $$$ and is a total waste of time.

[davidt1]

It cost too much because everybody in the industry is in it to make as much money as possible. A nurse making over $100K a year? A doctor over $300K? Add the middle man, the insurance companies, and it's easy to see why most Americans are f8cked.

It's used to be that people chose to work in the health care industry because they care and want to help people. Now all I hear is how much money they can make. I have as much respect for the health care people as I do lawyers.

[subsound]

Originally Posted by davidt1

A nurse making over $100K a year? A doctor over $300K?

Nurses don't make more then a 100k, most cap out at about 60k (save CRNA's, which aren't in this list, that cap around 100k) Nurse Salaries - Nursing Salary Surveys

Averages for physicians are also not over 300k (save surgeons, especially heart and neuro) Physician Salary Survey - In Practice 3 Years

It's the back office that needs to be lessened, not the people who are providing the care.