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I guess that is a new trick that these "non-profit" hospitals have up their sleeve. She rushes to the hospital for pain, they ignore her and then charge her $1,059.
She never saw a physician, they basically registered the women and ignored her and then they rush over a bill.
I love how these hospitals say that it was just a tracking mistake with their ultra-sophisticated computer systems they have in place. It is pretty evident that they set the computer up that way and blame the clerical mistakes on their expensive computer systems.
Many of these hospitals have lots of tricks up their sleeve. Whether it is ignoring patients so they have go to a different hospital or intentionally giving terrible treatment so they have to come back multiple times it is just a game the fat-cat "non-profit" healthcare executives like to play.
It's not new nor was it a mistake. I had one of these after I got tired of waiting. Told check-in I'm leaving and I left. Sometime later got a bill for $1180. Called my insurance company and they said that they had processed it already. They paid them $221 and my part was zip. Depending on one's insurance company, once it hits "Allowable Charges" line most of these become 10%-20% of what was billed. It's the administration fee.
If that was me, their chances of it getting paid are slim and none!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pruzhany
It's not new nor was it a mistake. I had one of these after I got tired of waiting. Told check-in I'm leaving and I left. Sometime later got a bill for $1180. Called my insurance company and they said that they had processed it already. They paid them $221 and my part was zip. Depending on one's insurance company, once it hits "Allowable Charges" line most of these become 10%-20% of what was billed. It's the administration fee.
Unfortunately you'd be paying it or talking to a collection agency. The absurd sticker prices are meant as leverage for negotiating with insurers (contract with us at the rate we want or we'll charge your customers these insane prices out of network!) and for the most part have no meaning but every once in a while someone without insurance and with assets to seize will fall through the cracks and get hit with one of these insane charges.
There should be a law restricting emergency services out of network or to the uninsured to 2x the Medicare rate (1x Medicare rate is usually slightly profitable, but could be more profitable or a loss depending on how the hospital is run) to keep non-profit status. 50% margin is more than enough for an entity that in theory is supposed to serve the public and is exempt from taxation to do that.
Unfortunately you'd be paying it or talking to a collection agency. The absurd sticker prices are meant as leverage for negotiating with insurers (contract with us at the rate we want or we'll charge your customers these insane prices out of network!) and for the most part have no meaning but every once in a while someone without insurance and with assets to seize will fall through the cracks and get hit with one of these insane charges.
There should be a law restricting emergency services out of network or to the uninsured to 2x the Medicare rate (1x Medicare rate is usually slightly profitable, but could be more profitable or a loss depending on how the hospital is run) to keep non-profit status. 50% margin is more than enough for an entity that in theory is supposed to serve the public and is exempt from taxation to do that.
The law's already clear. There's no contract, so it's quantum meruit. If the hospital charges other people less than they charge you, then their services don't merit what they're charging you.
Unfortunately you'd be paying it or talking to a collection agency. The absurd sticker prices are meant as leverage for negotiating with insurers (contract with us at the rate we want or we'll charge your customers these insane prices out of network!) and for the most part have no meaning but every once in a while someone without insurance and with assets to seize will fall through the cracks and get hit with one of these insane charges.
There should be a law restricting emergency services out of network or to the uninsured to 2x the Medicare rate (1x Medicare rate is usually slightly profitable, but could be more profitable or a loss depending on how the hospital is run) to keep non-profit status. 50% margin is more than enough for an entity that in theory is supposed to serve the public and is exempt from taxation to do that.
Actually this is the dance between hospitals and insurers, so insurers can do premium increases. OTOH this is a reason to either have Medicare from birth to death or socialized healthcare.
Emergency rooms are a racket. My 3 year old granddaughter went to the emergency room for stitches after a fall. They kept her for observation for several hours just in case she had a concussion. One of the items they were watching for was vomiting. They eventually leave the hospital and a few minutes later she vomits so they rush back to the ER. Rather than treat it as a continuation of the prior visit being she was only gone for 15 minutes, they treated it as a whole new separate event to bill for.
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