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We had a $26,000 bill recently for 2 nights in a hospital. No care was performed besides some blood tests and regular pain meds. Idiots tried billing some random insurance company that I’d never even heard of, even though we provided all of the proper info.
In short, we have a 3rd party paying system in this country where we are conditioned not to be price sensitive for healthcare. Where do you see price of healthcare or anything that accept "insurance" post the price of the service? You were conditioned into paying your co-pay ($20, $40, $60, 20%, etc) and you as the consumer never questioned or care about the price of the service.
Do you want to know the price of the TV or steak you get from the market? Of course you do. But if the market say we accept insurance for the steak. You just need to co-pay is $5 for each steak. Now they can charge the insurance company $500 for steak.
And where do the insurance companies get the $500 to pay for the steak? Of course you. They will bill you for $600 and pay the market say $400. They pocket the $200 for doing the service for your behalf.
In short, we have a 3rd party paying system in this country where we are conditioned not to be price sensitive for healthcare. Where do you see price of healthcare or anything that accept "insurance" post the price of the service? You were conditioned into paying your co-pay ($20, $40, $60, 20%, etc) and you as the consumer never questioned or care about the price of the service.
Do you want to know the price of the TV or steak you get from the market? Of course you do. But if the market say we accept insurance for the steak. You just need to co-pay is $5 for each steak. Now they can charge the insurance company $500 for steak.
And where do the insurance companies get the $500 to pay for the steak? Of course you. They will bill you for $600 and pay the market say $400. They pocket the $200 for doing the service for your behalf.
Yes, system is failing.. i wonder how much longer it can last.
a couple of years ago i passed out at the cheesecake factory in freehold raceway mall. it was entirely my fault as it was a hot day, i was busy running around getting ready for my daughter's graduation and hadn't eaten or had any water since the day before. long story short, it turned out i was severely dehydrated. so before i can figure out wth is going on, I'm on a gurney being loaded inside of an ambulance that is taking me down the road (maybe 1/2 a mile, if that) to centrastate.
i got the bill after my insurance had paid their portion and they charged me $4000 for the short ride to the hospital! okay, so it's not $9000, but seriously? reading this story pisses me off all over again.
I was just talking to a woman in my complex whose husband needed an ambulance. $3400. Insurance won't cover because his condition was not life-threatening, which they did not know when they called the ambulance but was later determined at the hospital.
Part of the problem is that volunteer ambulance corps are disappearing because there are no more volunteers. Same is happening in many communities with fire departments. There will soon be a need for paid firefighters in a lot of places that never had them before.
The more government involvement the more expensive everything gets and the more effed up. Haven't we noticed the pattern?
That's not true. The ambulances in Houston are operated by the Fire Department and work very well. Private ambulances would refuse most of the calls that HFD makes.
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