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There are other consequences; social consequences. I mean unless he hangs out with (and is related to) exclusively scum sucking bottom feeders of society who have no scruples and don't care if their peers do.
If he has any friends or family who value integrity, personal accountability, dignity, and honesty, he'll have to either a) keep his entire situation secret from people he cares about or b) lose the respect of those particular friends and/family.
The respect of my friends and family are worth more than $1200. So I'd gladly pay the money and not have to endure being "that girl" who cared more about money than honesty, integrity, and dignity. It's a matter of priorities. What's more important to the OP? Which is he prepared to lose? Some money, or the respect of people who value honesty, integrity? If his friends and family are all thieves and scofflaws, then hey sure, swim in the same cesspool and join the party. As long as you realize that's what people who are NOT in the cesspool will see.
I don't see the big deal here. If he can game the system, more power to him. I don't get touchy about it. It's all about working the angles. If I can speed without getting a ticket, I would too. The only reason I don't ditch my bills in that matter is that I don't want to deal with bad credit For 7 Years. If I didn't care about my credit, I wouldn't pay either. Some make the tradeoff that they will take temporary bad credit, in exchange For Savings. I don't want the bad credit, so I do differently. Many of my friends, on the other hand are willing to deal with the bad credit, so don't pay. I have no problem with that. Kinda like the speeder who is willing to get the ticket...fine with me, if they want to make that tradeoff...drive slow, no ticket, or drive fast with ticket..either choice is cool. Pay bill, good credit, or don't pay, bad credit..whatever floats your particular boat, I'd Say.
Pay bill, good credit, or don't pay, bad credit..whatever floats your particular boat, I'd Say.
This completely leaves out the effect of the failure to pay on the person to whom the debt is owed. With respect to medical care, the people who end up paying for those who do not are largely other patients with no insurance.
For consumer debt, the folks who are cheated are the owners or stockholders of the business.
If you do not pay your debts when you are capable of doing so and just do not want to you are a thief, whether you get arrested and go to jail or not.
This completely leaves out the effect of the failure to pay on the person to whom the debt is owed. With respect to medical care, the people who end up paying for those who do not are largely other patients with no insurance.
For consumer debt, the folks who are cheated are the owners or stockholders of the business.
If you do not pay your debts when you are capable of doing so and just do not want to you are a thief, whether you get arrested and go to jail or not.
I am not a thief. I am simply playing this game that we call American healthcare by the same rules that doctors and insurance companies do. I didn't ask for any of these misfortunes to come to me.
There are other consequences; social consequences. I mean unless he hangs out with (and is related to) exclusively scum sucking bottom feeders of society who have no scruples and don't care if their peers do.
If he has any friends or family who value integrity, personal accountability, dignity, and honesty, he'll have to either a) keep his entire situation secret from people he cares about or b) lose the respect of those particular friends and/family.
The respect of my friends and family are worth more than $1200. So I'd gladly pay the money and not have to endure being "that girl" who cared more about money than honesty, integrity, and dignity. It's a matter of priorities. What's more important to the OP? Which is he prepared to lose? Some money, or the respect of people who value honesty, integrity? If his friends and family are all thieves and scofflaws, then hey sure, swim in the same cesspool and join the party. As long as you realize that's what people who are NOT in the cesspool will see.
Whats funny is that I made a post on Facebook about my situation and I had several people cheer me on saying to not pay a dime. lol. No one told me I was being unethical about my choice to not pay. Insurance companies and doctors are not viewed very favorably in society today. Many Amercicans view them as being overtly greedy and just out to take your money. They can only screw us around so much before we say we aren't going to pay anymore.
I am not a thief. I am simply playing this game that we call American healthcare by the same rules that doctors and insurance companies do. I didn't ask for any of these misfortunes to come to me.
Your "misfortunes" are not the issue.
You have a contract with your insurance company. It is your responsibility to make sure you understand it. You dropped the ball on the pre-existing condition clause in your contract.
Now you've decided the doctor and the hospital should pay for your mistake. If you do not pay them, you are stealing their services.
I suspect that somewhere in the paperwork you signed at both the doctor's office and the center where you had the surgery there is a document says you agree to pay them if your insurance does not.
Neither the doctor nor the hospital has any say in what your insurance covers. That is between you and the insurance company (and possibly your employer.)
The doctor and hospital have contracts with your insurance company, often at a greatly reduced rate. If you have not already asked your insurance company to show you the pre-existing condition language in your contract, do that. After they prove it to you, see if the doctor and hospital will reduce their charges to what they would have expected to get from the insurance company. Some will do that.
To stiff the doctor and hospital because you do not like your insurance policy is not right.
This completely leaves out the effect of the failure to pay on the person to whom the debt is owed. With respect to medical care, the people who end up paying for those who do not are largely other patients with no insurance.
For consumer debt, the folks who are cheated are the owners or stockholders of the business.
If you do not pay your debts when you are capable of doing so and just do not want to you are a thief, whether you get arrested and go to jail or not.
Whatever...I Say if you get away with it, more power to you.
You have a contract with your insurance company. It is your responsibility to make sure you understand it. You dropped the ball on the pre-existing condition clause in your contract.
Now you've decided the doctor and the hospital should pay for your mistake. If you do not pay them, you are stealing their services.
I suspect that somewhere in the paperwork you signed at both the doctor's office and the center where you had the surgery there is a document says you agree to pay them if your insurance does not.
Neither the doctor nor the hospital has any say in what your insurance covers. That is between you and the insurance company (and possibly your employer.)
The doctor and hospital have contracts with your insurance company, often at a greatly reduced rate. If you have not already asked your insurance company to show you the pre-existing condition language in your contract, do that. After they prove it to you, see if the doctor and hospital will reduce their charges to what they would have expected to get from the insurance company. Some will do that.
To stiff the doctor and hospital because you do not like your insurance policy is not right.
Big deal, I Say, if he is willing to eat bad credit For 7 Years, ride it out..I could care less about morals and ethics. If I did, I wouldn't have 7 gf's Though I'm Married, LOL. Work the angles, baby....
You might get sued for it. If you recall you likely signed a waiver that stated something along the lines of "If claim is denied by insurance carrier the insured will be responsible for the charges for service".
Before you do anything rash check with your company's benefits administrator. I, too, have never heard of a claim being denied for a pre-existing condition on an employer group policy although anything is possible I suppose.
You haven't heard of it because in MD the laws are much stricter than in other parts of the country where there still is a pre-existing condition waiting period.
To the O.P. I would take all your bills, research what the Medicare Reimbursment rates are for what you are being billed for and the total will probably end up being around $500. Offer to pay that in payments.
I might also have a discussion with the doctor and suggest that since the first surgery didn't fix it he should stand behind his work and not gouge you on the second surgery and get those costs reduced substantially.
I am not a thief. I am simply playing this game that we call American healthcare by the same rules that doctors and insurance companies do. I didn't ask for any of these misfortunes to come to me.
You agreed to be financially responsible for a certain health visit. You are now claiming that you have no intention of honoring that responsibility. That makes you a thief. You are a thief. Justify it or not, you're a thief.
You agreed to be financially responsible for a certain health visit. You are now claiming that you have no intention of honoring that responsibility. That makes you a thief. You are a thief. Justify it or not, you're a thief.
No he isn't...****, my wife orders stuff from catalogs in fake names with "bill me later" and never pays..that's not stealing..that's working the angles, baby.
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