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Not true. It depends on the clinical evaluation code level, of which there are five. Medicare rates are quite low and do not reflect regular insurance rates.
While the medicare rates are quite low, this is what insurance companies base their reinbursement rates off of. They actually buy cd's with pricing codes based on zip code.
Thats the problem we're seeing today, medicare isnt paying enough, so insurance companies arent paying "their fair share", leaving the cash payer to pickup the difference, which of course they cant usually since its often such an inflated bill that people just choose not to pay.
There is no such thing as a catastrophic policy; hasn't been for many years. What exists is high-deductible policies. IME, people with those policies try to get their dr's to prescribe over the phone, and get other services by phone instead of making an office visit.
There actually was until recently. I carried one for almost a decade until Obamacare pretty much banned them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arus
Yes I"m sure you just have $800,000.00 laying around so that you can get a heart transplant anytime you want.
Its not about "someone else" paying our bills. Its about insurance helping to defer costs of medical services that only the rich can afford.
Thats what insurance was intended to be fore. Bills you cant afford. Not routine doctor visits
People don't realize that is what health insurance is for, the little stuff are things that anyone could pay out of pocket, even if it cost more than a co-pay.
I remember a thread around here discussing how insurance should pickup the tab for routine doctor visits using the argument that if people paid out of pocket, they wouldnt go and we need people to go because a healthy society is cheaper..
Now all of a sudden, the left wing kook argument is, well if you cant afford it, die..
What a weird 180 degree flip you guys have made/..
Aw, you're adorable. Can I have whatever you're having? It might make me sleep better at night about my fear of paying for a relapse.
I had $6000 in the bank when I was diagnosed with cancer a month after my 23rd birthday. Even with insurance, I cleared out my savings in under 2 months and went into serious debt. There isn't enough charity care to cover everyone - and when I wanted to drop to part time at my job under doctor's order, I couldn't because it would jeopardize not only my insurance, but my ability to pay for rent (living with roommates - I wasn't going crazy here) and medications.
Few people can attempt to pay out of pocket for chronic or acute illness.
Aw, you're adorable. Can I have whatever you're having? It might make me sleep better at night about my fear of paying for a relapse.
I had $6000 in the bank when I was diagnosed with cancer a month after my 23rd birthday. Even with insurance, I cleared out my savings in under 2 months and went into serious debt. There isn't enough charity care to cover everyone - and when I wanted to drop to part time at my job under doctor's order, I couldn't because it would jeopardize not only my insurance, but my ability to pay for rent (living with roommates - I wasn't going crazy here) and medications.
Few people can attempt to pay out of pocket for chronic or acute illness.
Doctor stops accepting insurance, lowers prices and posts costs online
By Mike Krumboltz
A family practice doctor in Maine is refusing all forms of health insurance, including Medicare, in order, he says, to provide better service to his patients.
Dr. Michael Ciampi told the Bangor Daily News that he wants to practice medicine without being dictated to by insurance companies.
On April 1, Ciampi lowered his prices and posted the costs online. For example, an office visit in which patients discuss "one issue of moderate complexity or 2-3 simple issues" costs $75. When Ciampi accepted insurance, the visit would run $160, according to the Bangor Daily News.
The fact that Ciampi lists the prices, he says, means no surprises for his patients.
Say you're an established patient who can't make it to the doctor's office but wish to speak to him over the phone? A 10-minute conversation will run you $20. Each additional five-minute block will cost you $10. A minor surgery, like the draining of a boil will cost between $100 and $150.
Dr. Ciampi told the paper that some patients have left his practice, but that all seem to understand what motivated him to make the change.
Via the Banger Daily News:
______________________________________
Insurance companies no longer dictate how much he charges. He can offer discounts to patients struggling with their medical bills.
He can make house calls. "I’m freed up to do what I think is right for the patients," Ciampi said. "If I’m providing them a service that they value, they can pay me, and we cut the insurance out as the middleman and cut out a lot of the expense."
______________________________________
Ciampi told the paper that he collects payment at the end of each session (he doesn't send bills), and he sees each patient himself. Patients with insurance can submit their receipts to their insurance company for reimbursement, if the insurance company allows for that, according to Ciampi's family practice site.
We don't charge for phone calls at our office. What a huckster!
And what if they won't, seems like a big risk to take if you have a heart attack. Something that pricey, I would want the money up front, it would suck if you died before paying them and there was no way for them to get the money for trying to treat you.
I remember a thread around here discussing how insurance should pickup the tab for routine doctor visits using the argument that if people paid out of pocket, they wouldnt go and we need people to go because a healthy society is cheaper..
Now all of a sudden, the left wing kook argument is, well if you cant afford it, die..
What a weird 180 degree flip you guys have made/..
The person who made the claim that if you can't afford it, die, is a right wing voter...try to keep up.
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