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Thoughts on healthcare bill

Hey my wife got an $800 bill for an ambulance to drive her 5 miles a while back. I asked her what did they do her answer was they gave her two baby aspirin the same brand as she had on her. So I asked why didn't you have them give you yours, they aren't allowed was her response. Oh the whole bottle of 100 caps was about $2, their two pills was $100 bucks each. They didn't even take her blood pressure or put an oxygen mask on her. Simply loader her in the ambulance, gave her the two pill and drove her to the hospital. Oh and the ambulance is the fire department not the hospitals which they could of called and would of been only $300. Oh well live and learn though the fire department is getting $5 every month till it is paid off.

Now here is the kicker, I get a call from her doctor explaining they sent her to the hospital. Now she had my car so I called a cab, went to get the car at a cost of $20 including a $3 tip. Drove back to the hospital with about the total cost including gas burned, cab with tip $25 bucks tops.
 
Keltin said:
I'm an Telecommunications Engineer with a Fortune 500 company. They pay the majority of my insurance. I pay 300 per month for the bit they dont' cover. My total poilicy on paper costs 1,200 per month.

Point is, if your company or job doesn't help like mine does, what do you do. "Saving money" ain't even close to what it takes to cover these bills. Not even.
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And this policy covers your family, yes?
 
My wifes ambulance bills last year were 13000 or 18000, I really cant remember it is becoming monopoly money.
 
joec said:
Hey my wife got an $800 bill for an ambulance to drive her 5 miles a while back. I asked her what did they do her answer was they gave her two baby aspirin the same brand as she had on her. So I asked why didn't you have them give you yours, they aren't allowed was her response. Oh the whole bottle of 100 caps was about $2, their two pills was $100 bucks each. They didn't even take her blood pressure or put an oxygen mask on her. Simply loader her in the ambulance, gave her the two pill and drove her to the hospital. Oh and the ambulance is the fire department not the hospitals which they could of called and would of been only $300. Oh well live and learn though the fire department is getting $5 every month till it is paid off.

Now here is the kicker, I get a call from her doctor explaining they sent her to the hospital. Now she had my car so I called a cab, went to get the car at a cost of $20 including a $3 tip. Drove back to the hospital with about the total cost including gas burned, cab with tip $25 bucks tops.
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Exactly!! :clap:

It’s utterly ridiculous. The medical world has got eBay charge-itis. An exorbitant fee for everything, and the fees are ridiculous. Yet, they are bordering on a monopoly (all HC is adjusting prices to similar levels) so what can we do. They charge what they want.

If the damn goobermint wants to get involved, they need to start by saying there is a damn cap on what you can charge for service. Charging me 80 to 100 bucks for aspirin is crap!
 
Keltin said:
I'm an Telecommunications Engineer with a Fortune 500 company. They pay the majority of my insurance. I pay 300 per month for the bit they dont' cover. My total poilicy on paper costs 1,200 per month.

Point is, if your company or job doesn't help like mine does, what do you do. "Saving money" ain't even close to what it takes to cover these bills. Not even.
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My wife's bills on Medicaid is quickly approaching 6 figures since the middle of June 2009. Because she has a pre existing conditions no insurance they put her on Medicaid and set our rate at 20% based on our income. Our part is what I'm talking about approaching 6 figures as the actual bill has long since exceeded that. Oh and this week an MRI = $1500, as well as one iodine isotope pill = $2500, a biopsy of her thyroid $875 as well as a day spent at the hospital as an out patient besides the doctors and lab techs as I haven't got the complete bill break down as of yet. This one might put us into the 6 figure range but not sure, though getting close.
 
The local govt tax funded ambulance I work with charges 100 dollars for our tax payers, to avoid being used as a taxi. The next district over which has paramedics for advanced life support, we are bls, charges over 1000 dollars. If it is a Medicare call they will only pay 80% so for the same call they collect 800 and we get 80 dollars and we are not allowed to go after the unpaid balance from the pt. I see if the health care system is taken over by the Feds that we will have to raise our bill to try and cover the write down in bills.
 
before you go there think about how much the insurance industy sucks out of the health care system. Instead of tonsilectomies and mamograms you buy mulitmillion dollar buildings, lots of exectuives and helicopters and thousands of employees and a bunch of other expenses that could really be heatlhcare.
jpr62902 said:
Well, how many people are you insuring for $1200.00/month?
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mak2 said:
before you go there think about how much the insurance industy sucks out of the health care system. Instead of tonsilectomies and mamograms you buy mulitmillion dollar buildings, lots of exectuives and helicopters and thousands of employees and a bunch of other expenses that could really be heatlhcare.
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I just asked how many people he's insuring for $1200.00/month. Why this ancillary comentary? Let the man answer.
 
jpr62902 said:
Well, how many people are you insuring for $1200.00/month?
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Two. Rather pricey, but it beats paying 3,000 lab time bills.

Yet, what I'm paying in no way exonerates the medical scene from charging 100 bucks for aspirin or 700 for a room.

Your point was to SAVE money to pay for this stuff.

How the hell can you possibly save enough in a year for an 800 dollar ambulance ride, 3,000 dollar lab time, and 12,000 procedure followed by 2,000 in meds.

Where….EXACTLY……..is YOUR idea of being frugal and SAVING money making this nightmare of a medical bill more manageable?

Please. Explain that to me.
 
Keltin said:
Two. Rather pricey, but it beats paying 3,000 lab time bills.

Yet, what I'm paying in no way exonerates the medical scene from charging 100 bucks for aspirin or 700 for a room.

Your point was to SAVE money to pay for this stuff.

How the hell can you possibly save enough in a year for an 800 dollar ambulance ride, 3,000 dollar lab time, and 12,000 procedure followed by 2,000 in meds.

Where….EXACTLY……..is YOUR idea of being frugal and SAVING money making this nightmare of a medical bill more manageable?

Please. Explain that to me.
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Don't be naive. A hospital room is not a hotel room. Have you checked all the connections for electric, oxygen, communications, etc, that are in there? And what about the nurses to monitor the patient's condition? Again, they have to make sure you're ok to take aspirin.

You're still dodging my prior comments about major medical insurance. Your comments are based on out of pocket cost, when insurance could take care of the lion's share ...
 
jpr62902 said:
Don't be naive. A hospital room is not a hotel room. Have you checked all the connections for electric, oxygen, communications, etc, that are in there? And what about the nurses to monitor the patient's condition? Again, they have to make sure you're ok to take aspirin.

You're still dodging my prior comments about major medical insurance. Your comments are based on out of pocket cost, when insurance could take care of the lion's share ...
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Please!

You are dancing and not addressing the brunt of the matter.

I can grab a room with broadband, satellite TV feed, HD feed, Adult TV feed, WiFi feed, free coffee, free ironing boards and iron, and more, for 50 bucks.

But the hospital charges 700 for 50% of what a major hotel gives you. How is it, in YOUR mind, that you figure it is right for a Hospital to charge that much when similar establishments can do the same AND MORE for far less.

What is it that Motel 6 knows about taking care of a room and renting it out that the Hospital hasn’t figured out yet.

Oh wait….the hospital does not care! They charge what they want with total disregard for fair price and competition.

The Nurse and Doctors that come see you. Please. They have their own billing. Do NOT try to confuse that with what the Hospital charges you. It’s separate and has nothing to do with Hospital rates.

You keep saying I’m dodging your previous comments? Where? What do you need addressed?

I’m plain spoken and put my POV out there and you haven’t even begun to find justification for the crap I’m seeing.

So, if you have a specific point you want addressed, and prefer to ignore all of my points, then please point it out to me.
 
Keltin said:
Please!

You are dancing and not addressing the brunt of the matter.

I can grab a room with broadband, satellite TV feed, HD feed, Adult TV feed, WiFi feed, free coffee, free ironing boards and iron, and more, for 50 bucks.

But the hospital charges 700 for 50% of what a major hotel gives you. How is it, in YOUR mind, that you figure it is right for a Hospital to charge that much when similar establishments can do the same AND MORE for far less.

What is it that Motel 6 knows about taking care of a room and renting it out that the Hospital hasn’t figured out yet.

Oh wait….the hospital does not care! They charge what they want with total disregard for fair price and competition.

The Nurse and Doctors that come see you. Please. They have their own billing. Do NOT try to confuse that with what the Hospital charges you. It’s separate and has nothing to do with Hospital rates.

You keep saying I’m dodging your previous comments? Where? What do you need addressed?

I’m plain spoken and put my POV out there and you haven’t even begun to find justification for the crap I’m seeing.

So, if you have a specific point you want addressed, and prefer to ignore all of my points, then please point it out to me.
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Keltin, by all means, if you're in need of attentive medical care, feel free to get a room at Motel 6. Meanwhile, perhaps you could take better stock of healthcare professionals. That $700.00 "hotel" room involves much more than you think ...
 
mak2 said:
The point is in healthcare the market cant control the prices like most other things.
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No, the point is that he equated a hospital room to that of a room at a Motel 6. You know that's a ridiculous comparison.
 
jpr62902 said:
Keltin, by all means, if you're in need of attentive medical care, feel free to get a room at Motel 6. Meanwhile, perhaps you could take better stock of healthcare professionals. That $700.00 "hotel" room involves much more than you think ...
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No. Not at all, and it’s that foolish mentality that lets it live on and bite us all in the ass.

The Hospital is NOTHING more than a hotel. The staff, the janitors, the managers, the room attendants, the cleaning crew, the sales force…..all the same as Motel 6.

The ONLY thing that makes it different is that the Hospital also has Nurses and Doctors on staff.

And GUESS WHAT! The Doctors and Nurses have their own separate billing section on your bill and insurance claim. Check it one day. It’s itemized. Doctor’s and Nurses are paid to see you.

So……if you ignore that little bit, we can easily see the REST of the bill which is, basically, a hotel bill.

So please tell me how you figure it is justified for an establishment to charge 1,000 extra over the Doctor’s and Nurses’ bills when it’s easily proven it does NOT take that amount of money to run a room service?

I’m not seeing anything in your posts where 100 dollars for Tylenol is justified or 700 dollars for a room is justified?

Seriously, if your POV is that it is ok to charge 100 dollars for Tylenol, then I guess we are done here.
 
Here is one more point that seems to be lost on the those around here that seem to think they aren't paying now and health care for all will cost them more.

If Jose the illegal Mexican, Joe six pack currently unemployed or Joe the young stupid millionaire that thinks he don't need no insurance winds up sick with the flu and goes to the emergency room at the local public hospital. All 3 will get the same top notch service regardless of their illness and expense for their care will be basically the same. Now when released all 3 for different reasons simply leave as uninsured. Now their bills are split into 3 parts. The first is the part the hospital adsorbs, a small portion of the total bill based on a % of the real costs to the hospital, the next part of the payment larger % and based on the full bill is then passed on to among the paying customers aka insured. Now the last part which is the largest as it is based the rest of the total remaining bill is passed on to the state, which is most cases passes it up the line to the Feds in one form or other. So what has just happened is you as a tax payer have paid for the single most expensive form of health care that exists on the planet in both your taxes and increased insurance premiums not that they needed more reasons to jack you up.

Now if the same three people had a private doctor and called them at the first sign of feeling bad their costs would have been a whole lot less for the same treatment, perhaps a shot and a script the same they got at the ER on their dimes worth of insurance. It really is that simple folks you are paying now but just don't know it for the single most expensive form of health care on the planet. Anything the government would come up would be cheaper at this point that what is passed to you all now. It really is that simple as to what the problem is. One other note is keep in mind their is another cost with the current insurance system on top of this, the profit margin of your insurance company which is also pretty large over all.
 
Keltin said:
No. Not at all, and it’s that foolish mentality that lets it live on and bite us all in the ass.

The Hospital is NOTHING more than a hotel. The staff, the janitors, the managers, the room attendants, the cleaning crew, the sales force…..all the same as Motel 6.

The ONLY thing that makes it different is that the Hospital also has Nurses and Doctors on staff.

And GUESS WHAT! The Doctors and Nurses have their own separate billing section on your bill and insurance claim. Check it one day. It’s itemized. Doctor’s and Nurses are paid to see you.

So……if you ignore that little bit, we can easily see the REST of the bill which is, basically, a hotel bill.

So please tell me how you figure it is justified for an establishment to charge 1,000 extra over the Doctor’s and Nurses’ bills when it’s easily proven it does NOT take that amount of money to run a room service?

I’m not seeing anything in your posts where 100 dollars for Tylenol is justified or 700 dollars for a room is justified?

Seriously, if your POV is that it is ok to charge 100 dollars for Tylenol, then I guess we are done here.
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Hmmm .... Hospital = Motel 6.

Sorry, not buying it. But then again, perhaps your hospitals aren't as good as the ones we have up here? To us, running a hospital is hardly anything akin to "room service." Instead, our medical providers focus on actual medical care and release folks when the patient is fit to be "set free."

Seriously. Don't equate hospitals to hotels. It's just a dumb argument.
 
As someone who has been in a few hospitals in my life some good some not so good the best would have food that is up to a Denny's and the room is on par with motel 6. Sorry to bust your bubble but I've has spent some time in Duke, Jackson Memorial (FL), UK (Kentucky), a couple in Louisiana, 1 in Texas as well as several over seas. Don't ask me to compare the best in the US to the worst overseas, it will simply break your heart.
 
jpr62902 said:
Hmmm .... Hospital = Motel 6.

Sorry, not buying it. But then again, perhaps your hospitals aren't as good as the ones we have up here? To us, running a hospital is hardly anything akin to "room service." Instead, our medical providers focus on actual medical care and release folks when the patient is fit to be "set free."

Seriously. Don't equate hospitals to hotels. It's just a dumb argument.
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You can’t be serious?

Do your Doctors sweep the floors?

Do your Surgeons change the beds?

Do your neurology specialists empty trash cans?

That’s one wild Hospital you are going to!

Do they offer scratch off tickets for room discounts too????

In my Hospitals, the Doctors, Nurses, and Specialists that keep my ass alive are COMPLETELY separate from the running of the room I’m in.

In fact, those same Doctors always tell me to make an appointment and see them in their own personal offices away from this “hotel” - uh sorry…..Hospital.

Not sure who or what you have been seeing, but you might want to check into better medical care, especially since it seems your contention is it’s ok to pay the high dollar for something you aren’t getting.

Uh……just to make sure, you do realize that the Doctors and Surgeons are NOT employed by the Hospital. You know that right? They are basically free-lance and can attach themselves to multiple facilities, including their own private practice.
 
Keltin said:
You can’t be serious?

Do your Doctors sweep the floors?

Do your Surgeons change the beds?

Do your neurology specialists empty trash cans?

That’s one wild Hospital you are going to!

Do they offer scratch off tickets for room discounts too????

In my Hospitals, the Doctors, Nurses, and Specialists that keep my ass alive are COMPLETELY separate from the running of the room I’m in.

In fact, those same Doctors always tell me to make an appointment and see them in their own personal offices away from this “hotel” - uh sorry…..Hospital.

Not sure who or what you have been seeing, but you might want to check into better medical care, especially since it seems your contention is it’s ok to pay the high dollar for something you aren’t getting.

Uh……just to make sure, you do realize that the Doctors and Surgeons are NOT employed by the Hospital. You know that right? They are basically free-lance and can attach themselves to multiple facilities, including their own private practice.
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K, your sarcasm is well received.

But still misplaced. Next time, direct it at those who are too stupid to grasp your simplistic, ironic comments.

Really? Doctors and\or surgeons sweeping floors? Is that a reasonable interpretation? Nope. But given your prior posts here, not unanticipated.

I live in a community where the hospital care is top notch. It wasn't 2 weeks prior that I took my brother home from a local hospital and he received the BEST of care. And btw, it was funded by his own (independent contractor) health insurance premiums. AND the admission was for an ailment that has plagued him for 30 years, so don't give me the pre-existing routine.
 
jpr62902 said:
And btw, it was funded by his own (independent contractor) health insurance premiums. AND the admission was for an ailment that has plagued him for 30 years, so don't give me the pre-existing routine.
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So pre existing is a routine for you. If what you say is true then are are really lucky. To be honest though I'm beginning to think you are the one yanking chains here not us. No one I have ever spoke to including my son who is a doctor now in private practice but several years in Charlotte Presbyterian Hospital ER would think he needed high boots based on some of the stuff you have posted. Talk about BS you need to convince me man.
 
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