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+--- Thread: Tips and tricks for negotiating with Hospital? (/showthread.php?tid=176147)
Re: Tips and tricks for negotiating with Hospital? - rgG - 02-06-2015
It looks like your new provider either doesn't have very good negotiated rates or perhaps prices went up even with your old provider, and you just don't know. Either way, I don't see how there is a lot you can do. You can call you insurance company and ask for an explanation, but I doubt you will get much info.
Now, I know with the advent of the ACA that all plans purchased by an individual give you one free yearly physical at no cost or deductible to the covered individual. Does it not work that way with employer sponsored plans?
Re: Tips and tricks for negotiating with Hospital? - cbelt3 - 02-06-2015
rgC-- the "Physical" is 'paid for'. Labs ? Nope. Much like the Colonoscopy is paid for. But if they go and get ONE eeny little polyp ? BAM ! Surgery !
Go to Vegas ? The house always wins.
Re: Tips and tricks for negotiating with Hospital? - hal - 02-06-2015
Declare bankruptcy - that is probably the only time they'd be willing to negotiate. Perhaps if you told them that this will tip you over the edge, the might be willing to do something, but more likely, they'll wait you out.
sorry, that's all I got...
Re: Tips and tricks for negotiating with Hospital? - rgG - 02-06-2015
cbelt3 wrote:
rgC-- the "Physical" is 'paid for'. Labs ? Nope. Much like the Colonoscopy is paid for. But if they go and get ONE eeny little polyp ? BAM ! Surgery !
Go to Vegas ? The house always wins.
Yes, but he seemed to indicate that all he had was a physical and blood work. I don't think the blood work part was $1050.
Re: Tips and tricks for negotiating with Hospital? - C(-)ris - 02-06-2015
Physical, blood work, vaccines, flu shot. It all added up. The office visit was about $120 if I would have gone in to talk with no tests, shots. Some items were covered 100% as preventative. My deductible hasn't been met yet, so I am paying for the full cost after negotiated discount and the preventative's. I had 3 different labs run, each was around $100. So of the $1500 they billed, $1000 of it was covered as preventative or with discounts, and $500 was my responsibility since my deductible hasn't been met.
I've just never had labs cost that much before. I may investigate having the routine labs done elsewhere and the results sent in.
Re: Tips and tricks for negotiating with Hospital? - Rick-o - 02-06-2015
Yow! I don't think I'll complain about my recent $200. doctor's bill after reading about your charges.
My insurance allows six PCP (Primary Care Provider) visits this year with a $25. co-pay. Up from four allowed visits last year. I visited the Doc for a follow up visit on Dec. 31st, and that was over my four visit limit for the year. Hence the $200. charge for the last visit of the year.
If only I knew, I could have waited 2-3 days more! :mad2:
Re: Tips and tricks for negotiating with Hospital? - rjmacs - 02-06-2015
C(-)ris wrote:
I've just never had labs cost that much before. I may investigate having the routine labs done elsewhere and the results sent in.
This. Your insurer probably has a preferred provider agreement with a lower-cost lab (think Quest, etc.), where you go to their location, wait in a huge waiting room with a hundred other people, take a number and wait for a phlebotomist who may or may not have any real medical training. You can end up paying out the wazoo for 'convenience labs,' i.e. getting them drawn in the office and sent out.
Re: Tips and tricks for negotiating with Hospital? - dmann - 02-06-2015
I'd make a call to your insurance provider and the Dr. Make sure everything was coded properly when submitted to the insurance company.
I had surgery in December and have been watching the stream of bills come in over the past 8 weeks. Monday, I got what appeared to be a "final" bill after my insurance company paid their share. Total amount was about $50,000 and my portion? $30,256. Um. No.
Called the Drs office first and then the insurance company. Looks like some things were not coded properly and were not covered at the rate they should have been. In the end, I think I'll end up owing about $2,000 on top of the $2,000 or so I've already paid. That's in line with what I expected.
DM
Re: Tips and tricks for negotiating with Hospital? - raz - 02-06-2015
rjmacs wrote:
[quote=C(-)ris]
I've just never had labs cost that much before. I may investigate having the routine labs done elsewhere and the results sent in.
This. Your insurer probably has a preferred provider agreement with a lower-cost lab (think Quest, etc.), where you go to their location, wait in a huge waiting room with a hundred other people, take a number and wait for a phlebotomist who may or may not have any real medical training. You can end up paying out the wazoo for 'convenience labs,' i.e. getting them drawn in the office and sent out.
FWIW, I find the wait time at Quest and the phlebotomists there are far better than at the hospital or my PCP.
YMMV
Re: Tips and tricks for negotiating with Hospital? - Black - 02-06-2015
dmann wrote:
I'd make a call to your insurance provider and the Dr. Make sure everything was coded properly when submitted to the insurance company.
I had surgery in December and have been watching the stream of bills come in over the past 8 weeks. Monday, I got what appeared to be a "final" bill after my insurance company paid their share. Total amount was about $50,000 and my portion? $30,256. Um. No.
Called the Drs office first and then the insurance company. Looks like some things were not coded properly and were not covered at the rate they should have been. In the end, I think I'll end up owing about $2,000 on top of the $2,000 or so I've already paid. That's in line with what I expected.
DM
I wish you luck but I have recent experience with the "not coded properly" that I just couldn't get resolved and finally just effing gave up. Bounced back and forth between the provider and @#$%& Humana about 200% more than I had time for. Small amounts, fortunately.