This just boggles my mind.
About a month ago, I went into the hospital for an eye operation. I was admitted as an outpatient. I was in and out in about 4 hours. I occupied a pre-op room with probably 20 other people and a post-op room with maybe 10 other people. I never saw the operating room, but the doctor said the operation would last about 20 minutes or less.
The hospital bill only, no doctors, was almost $13,600. WTF???
Now, Medicare knocked it down to about $3000, and I pay 20% of that.
Why in the hell does the hospital even bill $13,600 for a procedure that they know they are only going to get $3000?
To me is sounds like they are screwing the uninsured. Who else would have to pay $13,600?
UPDATE 1:
Let's not forget the anesthesiologist. He charged a little over $700. Insurance knocked it down to a little less than $200. Again, I pay 20%.
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Jerry, I am the uninsured. I went to the ER for real bad chest pains, which supposedly was not heart related.
ReplyDeleteTotal time in hospital, 3 hours.
A couple of xrays, some pain medicine, no diagnosis, and an admonishment to see my private doctor.
Cost was $6000.00. They cut it down to $4000 and are allowing me to make payments.
I feel privileged.
Now here is the next reality. Because I went to the hospital, I have a preexisting condition that keeps me excluded from insurance in the future.
Wonderful...
Thanks for stopping by my blog...
I broke a wrist and was billed 15K for outpatient surgery. Throw in the ER trip, followup visits, and rehab, and the total exceeded 20K.
ReplyDeleteThe new health care law will eventually allow most people to have health insurance, but it's not really directed at controlling costs. Really, that requires a single payer or something like it, and that won't happen in our lifetimes.
As soon as HC BECOMES 25% of our GDP. America will be forced to go to single payer.
ReplyDeleteWhich is much more cost effective, and is what it should have been all along.
Unfortunately is was never on Obama's, or the spineless democrats table.
Instead they wasted over a year of their, and our time on this republocrat HC.
Dave, I must admit that you put up a good argument, but not good enough.
ReplyDeleteI know I got off on the Wrong Foot with you.
you seem like a pretty reasonable Lib. But the rest of the libs around here are Hopeless
Yep you nailed it..
ReplyDeleteIt just sound like Insanity.. no logic at all.
And they call this a Civilized World.. living in America??
I read in an Allen Cohen book.. called The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore..
Just view the World as a NUTTY Place to LIVE.. and laugh....!! Most things are Illogical...Senseless..
It is like Darwin's Theory of the Survival of the Fittest... that is how I view LIFE... like a Game.. of Survival.. Modern Survival. :)
Dave didn't make an argument; he stated a probability.
ReplyDeleteIt's aggravating when someone responds to an opinion by dismissing it without saying why, then resorts to ad hominem insults. When accusing millions of people of being hopelessly unreasonable, it's not a bad idea to employ a bit a reason in the argument, instead of pulling just another con con.
Ditto, K. I think "none..." sort of has it all backwards.
ReplyDelete