12-23-2009, 08:11 PM
...is screw anyone trying to do anything that isn't "normal" - doesn't matter why you're doing it, just be NORMAL like everyone else!
What, trying to save lives?
I think there ought to be standardization of medical billing into 3 phases:
Phase 1 shows you what the preliminary total is for all the procedures, supplies, and service associated with a particular "event" and must be submitted within 30 days of the beginning of the event (or the end, I don't really care.) and what will be submitted to your insurance.
Phase 2 shows what your insurance will cover and what out of pocket expense you can anticipate, as well as opportunity to challenge underpayments, and would have to be completed within 30 days of the first bill.
Phase 3 shows what you really do owe after all is said and done, options for payment plans, and would have to be complete within 30 days of phase 2.
Of course, what we'd all really like is the payments aspect of health care to be invisible as end users; and it's frustrating that you may be getting a course of treatment but you don't really know what your insurer is going to cover and what they're not going to cover. I had a case where, after an emergency room visit, there was a bill coming from the ER doctor's office because he wasn't actually paid by the hospital and, while the hospital was covered by insurance, the doctor's office was not "in network" so the ER patient was responsible for the bill, according to the insurance. How do you have control over who sees you in an ER when you might be unconcious?
Sorry to rant... it's been a frustrating day in general. Thanks for reading something totally unrelated to my frustrations but definitely one of MAVIC's current frustrations. I can definitely sympathize.
Whatever happened to the idea of letting self-employed folks form cooperatives for health care?
And why is the health care business run for profit? If anything should be non-profit...
g=
What, trying to save lives?
I think there ought to be standardization of medical billing into 3 phases:
Phase 1 shows you what the preliminary total is for all the procedures, supplies, and service associated with a particular "event" and must be submitted within 30 days of the beginning of the event (or the end, I don't really care.) and what will be submitted to your insurance.
Phase 2 shows what your insurance will cover and what out of pocket expense you can anticipate, as well as opportunity to challenge underpayments, and would have to be completed within 30 days of the first bill.
Phase 3 shows what you really do owe after all is said and done, options for payment plans, and would have to be complete within 30 days of phase 2.
Of course, what we'd all really like is the payments aspect of health care to be invisible as end users; and it's frustrating that you may be getting a course of treatment but you don't really know what your insurer is going to cover and what they're not going to cover. I had a case where, after an emergency room visit, there was a bill coming from the ER doctor's office because he wasn't actually paid by the hospital and, while the hospital was covered by insurance, the doctor's office was not "in network" so the ER patient was responsible for the bill, according to the insurance. How do you have control over who sees you in an ER when you might be unconcious?
Sorry to rant... it's been a frustrating day in general. Thanks for reading something totally unrelated to my frustrations but definitely one of MAVIC's current frustrations. I can definitely sympathize.
Whatever happened to the idea of letting self-employed folks form cooperatives for health care?
And why is the health care business run for profit? If anything should be non-profit...
g=