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It explains how a fellow was billed for expenses by a hospital which were incurred after the patient, his wife, had died.
This happened about every two months, regardless of his subsequent explanations to them.
It was said to be a glitch in their clerical procedures, which they fixed.
When my mom died she had mountains of Medicare and private insurance and copays to keep track of. I had to create a chart of each bill and who paid what and who had yet to process it. Bills were sometimes submitted several times, although paid, showing, perhaps, that all the paperwork is a hassle for these organizations, as well.
The kicker was, that just under a year from her demise, when I was receiving no further bills and thought everything had been taken care of, I get a bill from a New York office of a surgeon for about $100,000. I checked my records, and yes, he had not been paid. I then called the hospital, asking if it is customary for such a time lag by physicians. They sent me paperwork explaining that they had billed me already for the service and I had paid them.
This is why I could not find the bill payment, because it was buried in a poorly itemized bill from the hospital, and the new one was to a different payee and address.
I thought of, years back, how some hospital in New Jersey was threatened with state takeover as it was caught sending multiple bills to patients over varying time periods, even though they had been paid. At that time the article said many recipients of these bills were not English speakers and sometimes afraid of getting involved in legal hassles and just paid the bill yet another time.
I thought of large estates with multiple beneficiaries and how easy it would be in those circumstances to lose track of bills and payments. I wonder how many people just pay these things without questioning? I wonder if some medical facilities send multiple bills in the hopes that this will happen?
I post this, just as a warning to others, just in case this happens to them.
It seems as though whenever we are at our most emotionally vulnerable there are those who would take advantage.
A friend I worked with made the mistake of posting her mom's death in the paper.
The rest of the family attended services, but she was too disraught and stayed home.
She was shocked to find someone prying open one of the windows in the house.
She fled out the back door and called the police, who came and caught the culprit.
I'm sure that we all know that crooks scan the papers for these notices, anticipating ripe pickings.
Banks also scour the papers to freeze bank accounts until the estates are settled.
I was once warned that giving the police your address when you go on vacation (yes, in some middle class communities) will sometimes result in your inclusion on a 'list' for robberies. People used to be advised to do this. Now, the advice is to tell your neighbor to watch the house, and do NOT notify any service that the house will be vacant, and get a lawn service to mow.
It's almost as though you must think like a paranoid, just to navigate safely in the world.
No insult intended to paranoids.
Last edited by goldengrain; 06-21-2008 at 10:52 AM..
INSANITY!!!!
We need to change our health care system, but fat chance of that happening
No one should have to deal with all this nonsense.
I agree with you so much.
Both my parents had deceased. I was living in that big house, all alone. I was morning my mom with thoughts and remembrances drifting to and fro, and then this big bill came back, with the impact of her demise starting all over again. Then it dawned on me, on top of this, that it would be almost a perfect fraud if the sender had been so inclined, providing him a perfect exit if found out . . . it is really a scary situation.
If we had one system instead of all medi- this and that, plus veterans and all of those insurance companies - we would certainly cut out a lot of the overhead, they would be easier to keep track of and it would be harder to perpetrate a fraud.
IMO it is just unbelievable that people that are going through serious illness, such as cancer have to battle the insurance companies on top of what they are going through. The same thing goes for those that have a parent or spouse or child die, having to go through all the hassle at a time when they are mourning. There has to be a better way. My husband was in an accident a few years ago, what an eye opener. Almost every bill that came we had to make a call to the insurance company or the doctor/hospital. It was such a mess and if this had happened to a single person, that has no one to help them, I don't know how they would cope.
I don't know what it will take to improve the situation!
And I wonder how many people do overpay? Funny thing is recently I went to the dentist and paid for the treatment on the spot, as is their policy. My insurance then paid for the treatment and sent them the check, instead of me. Do you think they ever sent me my money? Nope. Of course not. This happens with every dentist so far. They keep my money and the money from the insurance. It is then up to me to hound them for it and get it back.
__________________
The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. ~Henry David Thoreau
IMO it is just unbelievable that people that are going through serious illness, such as cancer have to battle the insurance companies on top of what they are going through. The same thing goes for those that have a parent or spouse or child die, having to go through all the hassle at a time when they are mourning. There has to be a better way. My husband was in an accident a few years ago, what an eye opener. Almost every bill that came we had to make a call to the insurance company or the doctor/hospital. It was such a mess and if this had happened to a single person, that has no one to help them, I don't know how they would cope.
I don't know what it will take to improve the situation!
And I wonder how many people do overpay? Funny thing is recently I went to the dentist and paid for the treatment on the spot, as is their policy. My insurance then paid for the treatment and sent them the check, instead of me. Do you think they ever sent me my money? Nope. Of course not. This happens with every dentist so far. They keep my money and the money from the insurance. It is then up to me to hound them for it and get it back.
Yes.
A friend had an elderly mom who was active in her senior citizen center. She attended a lecture on aging with a bunch of other members given by a guest speaker, a psychiatrist.
She received a statement a month later. The doctor had charged each person's Medicaid account.
The thought that middle class people with insurance are declaring bankrupty is way over the top.
One thing that the Obama and Clinton plans each included is that the insurance companies use the same forms. I worked in dp and was surprised at how being forced to use a form can reorg a business to pile like functions together, etc.
I have a feeling the form will not only make for more efficient and understandable services, but coax those companies into more uniformity in the way that they do business. That will be very helpful if the situation arises in which we have national health care.
From my perspective the first Clinton attempt at this became boggled in all the necessary minutia of the various companies, leading her to invite some of them into her committee discussions.
So, we are heading in the right direction, but like our response to global warming, way too slowly.
Don't we feel foolish in trusting the professionalism of some of these healthcare workers, and finding out that they very easily become crooks?
Never easy is it, and they make it tougher. Here's something that might lighten things up a bit.
Mom passed away after a lengthy illness, the inch-by-inch kind. She had nothing at the end, owned no property of any value. Basically we thought we got her out "clean" as she wanted to leave that way. Estate settled quickly with no problems.
About two years later, a bottom feeder creditor started to pester us at our house, her last listed address. Seems she had a credit account that showed up nowhere in her papers, no evidence to us she ever had it. Being that our feeling was they missed out, we thought nothing more of it, told them she was deceased. But then they kept calling and I started to get steamed and decided to have some fun.
They kept asking us where mom was, how do they get in touch with her as this was a serious matter. Where was Martha at? My response was delivered straightfaced....."well, honestly it depends entirely on what the good Lord thought of the life she led on Earth, she could be up above or down below, I'm really not sure as she hasn't been in touch for some time. I imagine you have connections below, ask them to check there. If they don't have her, she's above and I doubt your kind will reach her there."
Still they insisted I was lying and perhaps they'll file suit to recover and bring her in that way. My response was something like "that would be a miracle of unprecedented proportions, especially since she was cremated and her ashes scattered to points unknown. But if you can pull it off and bring her in, let me know, I'd love to see her again."
For some reason, they finally gave up. Mom would have been proud.
Never easy is it, and they make it tougher. Here's something that might lighten things up a bit.
Mom passed away after a lengthy illness, the inch-by-inch kind. She had nothing at the end, owned no property of any value. Basically we thought we got her out "clean" as she wanted to leave that way. Estate settled quickly with no problems.
About two years later, a bottom feeder creditor started to pester us at our house, her last listed address. Seems she had a credit account that showed up nowhere in her papers, no evidence to us she ever had it. Being that our feeling was they missed out, we thought nothing more of it, told them she was deceased. But then they kept calling and I started to get steamed and decided to have some fun.
They kept asking us where mom was, how do they get in touch with her as this was a serious matter. Where was Martha at? My response was delivered straightfaced....."well, honestly it depends entirely on what the good Lord thought of the life she led on Earth, she could be up above or down below, I'm really not sure as she hasn't been in touch for some time. I imagine you have connections below, ask them to check there. If they don't have her, she's above and I doubt your kind will reach her there."
Still they insisted I was lying and perhaps they'll file suit to recover and bring her in that way. My response was something like "that would be a miracle of unprecedented proportions, especially since she was cremated and her ashes scattered to points unknown. But if you can pull it off and bring her in, let me know, I'd love to see her again."
For some reason, they finally gave up. Mom would have been proud.
Yes, this is so funny.
Good for you.
Some people are not intimidated easily.
I work for a health insurance company. Not my job of choice, I'm currently going to school for social work.
Anyway, there is nothing I hate more than having to request additional information from a family of a deceased patient. Whenever there's something that looks accident related, we have to investigate in case a third party is liable.
I've had to request this from a man whose wife drown in their pool after suffering a seizure, and I've had to request it from a woman whose husband fell while trimming a tree and died. It's horrible that we even have to question such things, but unfortunately it's the standard policy.
It's callous, but the insurance company doesn't want to pay something they shouldn't and all the providers (doctors and hospitals) want to get what's coming to them. I agree with everyone saying there needs to be drastic changes made to our healthcare system. I think patient/family advocates should also be available/accessable to help families sort out billing/insurance in times like these.
I work for a health insurance company. Not my job of choice, I'm currently going to school for social work.
Anyway, there is nothing I hate more than having to request additional information from a family of a deceased patient. Whenever there's something that looks accident related, we have to investigate in case a third party is liable.
I've had to request this from a man whose wife drown in their pool after suffering a seizure, and I've had to request it from a woman whose husband fell while trimming a tree and died. It's horrible that we even have to question such things, but unfortunately it's the standard policy.
It's callous, but the insurance company doesn't want to pay something they shouldn't and all the providers (doctors and hospitals) want to get what's coming to them. I agree with everyone saying there needs to be drastic changes made to our healthcare system. I think patient/family advocates should also be available/accessable to help families sort out billing/insurance in times like these.
Unfortunately, there are too many organizations processing 'illness documents'. I think we would save much overhead in the situation with just one government system handling all of this.
Not that I like government, but there are too many people becoming destitute from the current system, and we just cannot afford it.
I think insurance companies are 'nickel and dimeing' their way out of jobs. I can understand the profit motive, and these companies are operating the way they should. It's just the function itself belongs in the public domain.
For those who can afford it, we have a good health care system. It is true that many people from around the world come here, but we often call for medical assistance around the world and cart them here for help. Sometimes we have to bribe them into cooperation.
We need to consolidate. There is no longer a need for veteran's hospitals. Our veterans would be better served by the organizations that serve the rest of us. People come back from war with all sorts of disorders, some being suspect as having been experimented on because when the armed forces tells them to take a vaccine they must take it, even with no explanation or description of what they are getting. Many pregnant women were penalized for objecting, willing to be imprisoned rather than to expose their kids to an experimental drug. They come in with Gulf War Syndrome and Agent Orange poisoning, often get lousy treatment or shown the door. Some are given drugs that are mood altering with little or no 'talk' therapy. Some get twisted and do damage to themselves and their families. Many are living under bridges. Certainly, the Veteran's Administration should no longer be entrusted to the well being of these people.
If we had one system covering all of us there would have to be more uniformity, fewer people falling through the cracks because of all of these different regulations.
Last edited by goldengrain; 06-23-2008 at 12:59 PM..
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