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Yes there are. It's not something new either. My uncle recently passed away from COPD. It got to the point that he was told that oxygen would no longer be provided. My cousin is a doctor which made it easier as he knew that the end was near either way. They could have opted to pay for the treatment themselves but decided the cost wasn't worth an extra couple days.
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The problem you see and allude to is money. And of course we need to do our level best in rooting out fraud and waste. In fact the main purpose of evidence based medicine (your death panel illusion) is to root out waste. But there is no limit on money. There surely could be limits with access to medical services if we don't pay for enough docs and infrastructure to properly manage all our future seniors.
We have done little to nothing to address waste. That might mean we could actually cut programs and we can't be having that.
I read this story and a lot of the comments.......just shocking, pathetic, dishonest and probably criminal in many cases.
An unannounced anesthesiologist, who is out-of-network, assists on your surgery (after you were assured that all surgery would be in-network) and sends you a bill for 30K.....because insurance only paid the in-network amount, WTF.
See, if there is ever to be REAL reform.........scam-billing will have to be made illegal.
I would do a lot of things to reform billing and costs. What ticks me off is when my doctor has another doctor read an x-ray. I've never seen this doctor and I have no idea who he is. I still get a bill from them. I contracted my doctor to diagnose my issue. If he can't read an x-ray and needs to farm that out he should pay for that. Yes, I realize he will just pass on the costs but I only get one bill. It would also make it easier for those who want to shop costs.
What "shyster's tricks and fees"? Were the terms of the arrangement not listed in the contract or something?
Contracts are supposed to be about a "meeting of the minds", something that arguably didn't happen here. If someone had slipped in a piece of paper where he signed over the deed to his house, should we just shrug it off?
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It's not the hospital's fault that people are "at their most vulnerable" when they show up. It's just how it is. And the need for all that legalese doesn't magically disappear just because someone is "at their most vulnerable."
This was not just annoying-but-necessary legalese, this is arguably deceptive.
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I'll agree that it's a difficult situation to be in, but nothing about that situation relieves you of your responsibilities and obligations. I was in that situation just a few short months ago. I know what it's like to be dosed with hardcore pain killers while writhing in pain on a gurney, and having to deal with the paperwork in that condition. It sucks. It's also life - deal with it.
It's a unique feature of the US system. You don't think there's room for improvement?
Yes there are. It's not something new either. My uncle recently passed away from COPD. It got to the point that he was told that oxygen would no longer be provided. My cousin is a doctor which made it easier as he knew that the end was near either way. They could have opted to pay for the treatment themselves but decided the cost wasn't worth an extra couple days.
We have done little to nothing to address waste. That might mean we could actually cut programs and we can't be having that.
Who told your uncle that oxygen would no longer be provided, and why? The private carriers might have their reasons. But with Medicare, if the resting O2 level is satisfactory they might not pay for oxygen. And resting O2 can be OK with COPD patients even on the deathbed. It might be hard to convince the patient and/or family, but this is no new mandate. Any shrewd doc knows full well how to get around this, by the way.
A great deal has been done to reduce waste. Most particularly by cutting reimbursements to docs providing their own ancillary medical services. Another is by limiting hospital payments to diagnoses vs costs of care. The former has dropped abuse of testing, but there has been a transfer of some of that service to the outpatient depts of hospitals where they command a larger fee, thus negating much of the savings. Through the DRG payment systems, hospitals have been addressing inpatient waste for over 30 years now.
I would do a lot of things to reform billing and costs. What ticks me off is when my doctor has another doctor read an x-ray. I've never seen this doctor and I have no idea who he is. I still get a bill from them. I contracted my doctor to diagnose my issue. If he can't read an x-ray and needs to farm that out he should pay for that. Yes, I realize he will just pass on the costs but I only get one bill. It would also make it easier for those who want to shop costs.
This is far from new. With many testings like x-rays there is a technical and professional component to the overall fee. Your doc certainly can read the film, but probably not to the level as the specially trained radiologist. This is a very common 'small print' occurrence. The information was probably disclosed to you at the time of your initial or subsequent visit, or at the time of the testing in small print.
Contracts are supposed to be about a "meeting of the minds", something that arguably didn't happen here. If someone had slipped in a piece of paper where he signed over the deed to his house, should we just shrug it off?
This was not just annoying-but-necessary legalese, this is arguably deceptive.
It's a unique feature of the US system. You don't think there's room for improvement?
These systems are so arcane and confusing that many times it takes an actual serious medical experience or encounter before the craziness sinks in. I see it all the time from the doctor side. And have experienced it enough times with myself and family from the patient side.
Who told your uncle that oxygen would no longer be provided, and why? The private carriers might have their reasons. But with Medicare, if the resting O2 level is satisfactory they might not pay for oxygen. And resting O2 can be OK with COPD patients even on the deathbed. It might be hard to convince the patient and/or family, but this is no new mandate. Any shrewd doc knows full well how to get around this, by the way.
I did not say it was a new mandate. I have noted before even that "death panels" are old and quite common so I do not understand the controversy and why everyone wants to deny them.
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A great deal has been done to reduce waste. Most particularly by cutting reimbursements to docs providing their own ancillary medical services. Another is by limiting hospital payments to diagnoses vs costs of care. The former has dropped abuse of testing, but there has been a transfer of some of that service to the outpatient depts of hospitals where they command a larger fee, thus negating much of the savings. Through the DRG payment systems, hospitals have been addressing inpatient waste for over 30 years now.
This is cutting costs, not eliminating waste and fraud. I posted links early and only posted a very small fraction of them.
I did not say it was a new mandate. I have noted before even that "death panels" are old and quite common so I do not understand the controversy and why everyone wants to deny them.
I think that after 40 years of caring for the dying I would have heard about these death panels.
Don't ya think?
Medicare or insurance doesn't ever deny coverage. At some point they don't send people home to die?
The privates certainly can and do. Medicaids also. Medicare almost never.
The decision to send people home to die rests with the patient, family and doctor.
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