Our screwed-up heath care system
- Thread starter SEIOWA CLONE
- Start date
Don't get me started on Mercy in Des Moines. I will never darken their doors again. I will risk dying in a ambulance on the way to a farther away hospital first.
Long story short, I had an issue while visiting in Des Moines. I went to a clinic on a Saturday morning and they sent us to Mercy (their affiliated hospital) because they couldn't do what I needed at the clinic. Next thing I know they have me in room and are starting admitting procedures. I keep asking for what I know will clear up in a hurry my problem. But they keep delaying. Finally after about 4 hours they give me what I have been asking for all morning and it knocks down my problem within half an hour. On the way out the door they ask us what we were going to pay toward our bill today. I should have said, "I will pay once my insurance has taken care of their part." But stupidly we wrote a check for $1000 toward our bill.
Let's just say that they started billing us - as you know separate bills for each doctor, the hospital, the clinic, etc. They took our $1000 and applied toward one $900 bill. What happened to the other $100? No one could tell us. They were threatening us with collections when we had barely gotten our Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from our insurance company. It took about 9 months to get them to fix our billing - all while they continue to threaten to sue us for the little remaining that we owed, which we were disputing.
If you have insurance and gave them insurance information don't volunteer to pay anything on the way out, even if they ask.
Long story short, I had an issue while visiting in Des Moines. I went to a clinic on a Saturday morning and they sent us to Mercy (their affiliated hospital) because they couldn't do what I needed at the clinic. Next thing I know they have me in room and are starting admitting procedures. I keep asking for what I know will clear up in a hurry my problem. But they keep delaying. Finally after about 4 hours they give me what I have been asking for all morning and it knocks down my problem within half an hour. On the way out the door they ask us what we were going to pay toward our bill today. I should have said, "I will pay once my insurance has taken care of their part." But stupidly we wrote a check for $1000 toward our bill.
Let's just say that they started billing us - as you know separate bills for each doctor, the hospital, the clinic, etc. They took our $1000 and applied toward one $900 bill. What happened to the other $100? No one could tell us. They were threatening us with collections when we had barely gotten our Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from our insurance company. It took about 9 months to get them to fix our billing - all while they continue to threaten to sue us for the little remaining that we owed, which we were disputing.
If you have insurance and gave them insurance information don't volunteer to pay anything on the way out, even if they ask.
Insulin gets all the headlines but out of pocket MRI cost is like 100x what it is in any other developed country.
I paid 4500 out of pocket after insurance for two mri a few years ago to confirm my kidneys are healthy. Would have been free or couple hundred bucks in any other developed nation.
I paid 4500 out of pocket after insurance for two mri a few years ago to confirm my kidneys are healthy. Would have been free or couple hundred bucks in any other developed nation.
1600 out of pocket (after paying boatloads for insurance) for two of those is getting absolutely screwed compared to the rest of the world too.
How bad has it gotten when the Pharmaceuticals now have a drug to ween opioid addicts from the drug they're responsible for? This is no accident.
Google says
Germany 1250
Norway 260
England 392
Canada 1600 (ranges for different - used what I had)
France 280
.So Costs are all over the place for the 800 MRI I had.
Also curious on waits. Google also said
Germany 44 days
Canada 11 weeks
England less than 6 weeks guaranteed
Norway 4 weeks
Germany 1250
Norway 260
England 392
Canada 1600 (ranges for different - used what I had)
France 280
.So Costs are all over the place for the 800 MRI I had.
Also curious on waits. Google also said
Germany 44 days
Canada 11 weeks
England less than 6 weeks guaranteed
Norway 4 weeks
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Providers and insurance companies both love to complain about each other, but its an unholy symbiotic relationship. They charge so much because the insurance company will pay that much. Or they charge 4000 for a procedure they know will be dropped to 1500 by Wellmark, then complain about the 2500 as uncovered medical. Blah blah blah. We all have these stories. A necessary evil, I guess.
Totally different issue, but yes, it did happen on the job, and my wife is the one that files all work comp. issues with the city. When I asked her about turning it in, she said she was thinking about not doing it, too much paperwork for her. I kind of came unglued and told her the paperwork was better than bills for what BC will not cover.
Bingo. Paying for the fast-pass line in the US.
1600 out of pocket (after paying boatloads for insurance) for two of those is getting screwed compared to the rest of the world too.
My first MRI was cheaper and just kidneys but I had to pay entire deductible (because I'm healthy and barely use healthcare system), second was larger area scan and more expensive.
Good news is I was fine. Bad news is the price of my insurance policy from my employer and myself, deductible and patient responsibility for two MRI scans for the year was astronomically high compared to anywhere else on earth.
Not necessarily. My company just switched from Welmark to Anthem.
My dad had a heart attack and ended up passing away almost 3 years ago. Ambulance was called to transport him to the closest hospital but unfortunately he passed away while enroute. He had VA insurance and I spent 3 months arguing with various people about paying the ambulance bill. The last person I spoke with said that the VA only pays for ambulance transport to an out of network hospital if it is medically necessary. The closest VA facility was a little over an hour away and our local hospital was 10 miles. She asked me to provide documentation that the trip was medically necessary - to which I replied, "Is his death certificate sufficient evidence?" It finally got paid after that.
A “for profit” system is about as dumb a thing you can have for healthcare.
And some of the people on here with this awesome health insurance live in a dream world compared to what the vast majority of Americans get.
I love the vague “I paid” as if anybody has any clue about the total cost paid between them and employer.
@SDCyclonesFamily that is horrible to have to deal with that stuff on top of a death. Seems far too common.
I really hate to bring this up. About a year ago, my wife's lower back started hurting, for now reason. After two doctor visits, the pain was so bad, she took an ambulance to the hospital. 12 days in the hospital and an MRI later, they diagnosed two cracks in her sacrum, pretty much the lowest point of the back. She was then put on inpatient rehab for 7 days.
Close to three weeks later, she was released home. Over the next five weeks, she was in pain, but it was controlled by by drugs. She could move around, but not very well. After five weeks, she had problems with her breathing and heart rate and a doctor sent her to the ER. In the ER, they discovered cancer. Within a week, we knew she had cancer in her bones, which caused the fracture in her sacrum, cancer in her lungs, abdomen, and liver. 7 weeks later, she passed away. Why it took 8 weeks to discover she had cancer just boggles our mind.
Close to three weeks later, she was released home. Over the next five weeks, she was in pain, but it was controlled by by drugs. She could move around, but not very well. After five weeks, she had problems with her breathing and heart rate and a doctor sent her to the ER. In the ER, they discovered cancer. Within a week, we knew she had cancer in her bones, which caused the fracture in her sacrum, cancer in her lungs, abdomen, and liver. 7 weeks later, she passed away. Why it took 8 weeks to discover she had cancer just boggles our mind.
Very sorry to hear of your loss. My sympathies and well wishes.
So sorry to hear this. My thoughts and prayers.
If it’s insurance through an employer, it may not be the same. We live in Iowa, but the employer is based in a different state and our BCBS is through that state.
Guessing those were done at a hospital? Unsolicited but free advice... Avoid imaging at a hospital at all costs. Imaging done at an outpatient imaging center is typically less expensive. If you're going to hit your deductible for the year it doesn't really matter where it's done. You're going to pay somebody that money anyway.
