Your Doctor May Be Clueless About Cost

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Online Payday Loans of AL 2:34AM May 01, 2009

It is really disheartening to hear medical professionals say that there is no way to know what they charge for services and that they have to wait for the insurance company to decide. After reading the comments above it sounds like these providers are taking stupid pills. Insurance companies don't make charges, they adjudicate claims. Providers create charges and then bill the bejeezis out of everybody, whether the care was any good or not. The fee for service system is so corrupt and corrupting that it has become an acid eating away the fabric of our economy.

Thomas Gibson of WA 11:05PM November 10, 2008

My primary care Dr. has no clue how much even "simple" things cost, and is unaware that if bill isn't paid within a certain time frame it goes to collection agency reflecting negatively on my credit. He sent me for simple blood tests quickly racking up hundreds of dollars in bills with no concept of the cost to me.
My health care plan was going to change to one with a $500 deductable, I mentioned it while working with one of the Docs I work with. He said it was cheaper overall and it was only $500! (per person in my family of 3) I don't have $500 at any given time to spare. Like most people (who have money) he seems to assume I blow my money or would have it, after I listed my pay and expenditures he realized I truly could not come up with that much even over the long term much less in the amount of time before it would be turned into a collection agency.
because of the bills already racked up I now have to forego other medications and tests until I pay off the outstanding balance...meaning I am letting other health problems get worse until I can afford to pay

Kathleen of PA 8:32AM November 08, 2008

Mona,
All you have to remember is that insurance companies are the intake side of the system and are reluctant when it comes time to be the payout side. They could care less about the final cost to the patient. Combine that attitude with, as in my company who redefines the term 'sweatshop', who will cheap their coverage of their employees to the point of ridiculous and you have the basis for a disaster in the making. I am on a cancer drug that, through no fault of mine is not available in infusible form, but rather, is available in tablet form only. The insurance company that handles my company's coverage says that they will cover the tablet form for 60% as opposed to 80% if it were liquid. That makes the final cost per every 21 days to me out of pocket to be $2840.00 per cycle. To say that I am disgusted with both the souless dweebs behind their cubicles as well as the HR department in my company is an understatement.

Greg B of WA 7:38PM November 01, 2008

Consumer driven health plans encourage consumers to shop around for the best value to make the most of their health care dollars. Unfortunately, health plans and providers are not always willing or able to provide consumers with true price information - before services are provided. Consumers are collaborating to share health care prices with each other. For example, Ouofpocket.com is a community search engine to help consumers look up prices for routine health care services, compare what other consumers paid for similar services and help consumers find the best value – before visiting a provider. Because insurance plans do not publish true price information for health care services, the site relies on consumers to post/share prices they paid for actual visits, to share with other consumers.

Mona Lori of IL 4:45PM October 15, 2008

We have sold our collective souls to the insurance industry. It takes longer to find out the cost to the patient of a service than it does to provide the service, which is already being provided at a discounted contract rate. If you are able to get any one at an insurance company to get you a cost for the patient they won't stand behind the statement once they make it. I have stood in pharmacies and watched insurace companies turn on their heels within 30 seconds of having agreed to pay. Unfortunately, we have had to adopt the policy that its the patient's problem because we can't keep our door open if we spent time trying to figure out the least cost alternative for them.

J.S. Landrum R.Ph. of NM 3:19PM October 15, 2008

If physicians consider cost in planning the management the healt of the patient will be jeopardised or the least compromised.Lets talk about the cost of the war at this time.

Ali D. Askari M. D. of 2:07PM October 15, 2008