Hospital trying to force me to pay before procedure

[Anonymous]

Is this related to your credit score/credit check?

At Eastern Motors, your job is your credit. No so at Medstar.

[Anonymous]

They don't want the work/expense of running down their AR. I've had LabCorp ask me for a credit card # when getting blood drawn, so that they can automatically charge rather than send out a bill. I saw the standard model is 30 days, it's my option to use the 30 days. No one is entitled to your $ until an established due date.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And three, the "health care" system is run by money-hungry dbags.

Oh yeah, real dbags: "Hospitals provided $46 billion in uncompensated care in 2012, or 6.1% of their total expenses, according to the American Hospital Association."

People want on-demand healthcare, platinum standard, any time, anywhere, and they wonder why expenses are going through the roof. Guess what? In countries where healthcare costs less:
- An epidural isn't even an option for most women
- Patients are triaged on urgency far more than in the US and that MRI might take you 6 months to get
- Not all options are available to all patients
- Doctor pay is generally more limited
- Medical costs are underwritten by thtaxes

I'm not saying our system is better. I actually think some rationing of healthcare and data-based decisions about who gets what care is warranted. But I'm hesitant to call those who are making healthcare available on-demand, how I want it when I want it where I want it, dbags. It's a lot more complex than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this related to your credit score/credit check?

At Eastern Motors, your job is your credit. No so at Medstar.

Op here. My credit rating is in the excellent range and I have no bad credit history ever. The only debt I have is on my house which is mostly paid off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very common and becoming more common. Have a non-defensive conversation with them about why their calculation is incorrect, get the right amount, and pay it. Many places won't do the procedure without payment in advance. I don't blame them at all.

A person has no obligation to pay the hospital in advance.

The hospital has no obligation to treat you unless you comply with their terms absent it being a life threatening emergency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And three, the "health care" system is run by money-hungry dbags.

Oh yeah, real dbags: "Hospitals provided $46 billion in uncompensated care in 2012, or 6.1% of their total expenses, according to the American Hospital Association."

People want on-demand healthcare, platinum standard, any time, anywhere, and they wonder why expenses are going through the roof. Guess what? In countries where healthcare costs less:
- An epidural isn't even an option for most women
- Patients are triaged on urgency far more than in the US and that MRI might take you 6 months to get
- Not all options are available to all patients
- Doctor pay is generally more limited
- Medical costs are underwritten by thtaxes

I'm not saying our system is better. I actually think some rationing of healthcare and data-based decisions about who gets what care is warranted. But I'm hesitant to call those who are making healthcare available on-demand, how I want it when I want it where I want it, dbags. It's a lot more complex than that.

Are you saying that because I refuse to pay an amount that is at best uncertain, and in this case $1k over what I should pay, up front before my medical procedure is done and before my insurance company has processed things, I am demanding platinum standard care and am personally responsible for our health care costs being sky high? All the Inova hospitals do a lousy job of billing and the errors I have experienced have NEVER ONCE been in my favor. I have been overcharged by their errors so many times, I can pretty much assume it every time I have to visit the hospital.

Dear lord are you one of those people that hates the fact that low income women can get epidurals? And what the hell does rationing of healthcare about who gets what care mean? I don't know what you mean by on-demand health care, as I can't do anything unless my doctor decides I need it and my insurance decides to cover it. What most people I know get re health care certainly isn't what I would call platinum standard.

[Anonymous]

I thought this was a good read:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/03/america_s_hospitals_our_system_lets_big_hospitals_charge_exorbitant_prices.html

[Anonymous]

I'm not understanding how hospitals, doc offices, etc., are sharing systems with insurance to see my private deductible information.

[Anonymous]

Op here. I want to clarify that my problem is that the financial services person was incorrect regarding the amount of my deductible. This exact scenario has happened to me in the past and I've had problems being reimbursed. It took six months to be repaid by one doctor and one dentist did it to me twice. I didn't realize it had happened in another case and got a check from a doctor out of the blue.

I have a feeling people are over paying right and left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not understanding how hospitals, doc offices, etc., are sharing systems with insurance to see my private deductible information.

They make you pre register before you go in for non emergency procedures. Most every doctor's office gets all the insurance info when you make an appt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought this was a good read:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/03/america_s_hospitals_our_system_lets_big_hospitals_charge_exorbitant_prices.html

Interesting article but do hospitals really dictate terms to insurers? That was one of the statements made and I've always thought it was the other way around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Are you saying that because I refuse to pay an amount that is at best uncertain, and in this case $1k over what I should pay, up front before my medical procedure is done and before my insurance company has processed things, I am demanding platinum standard care and am personally responsible for our health care costs being sky high? All the Inova hospitals do a lousy job of billing and the errors I have experienced have NEVER ONCE been in my favor. I have been overcharged by their errors so many times, I can pretty much assume it every time I have to visit the hospital.

Dear lord are you one of those people that hates the fact that low income women can get epidurals? And what the hell does rationing of healthcare about who gets what care mean? I don't know what you mean by on-demand health care, as I can't do anything unless my doctor decides I need it and my insurance decides to cover it. What most people I know get re health care certainly isn't what I would call platinum standard.

Um, no, I'm not saying any of that and I wasn't replying to you. You seem a little unhinged. I hope all goes well with your procedure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I want to clarify that my problem is that the financial services person was incorrect regarding the amount of my deductible. This exact scenario has happened to me in the past and I've had problems being reimbursed. It took six months to be repaid by one doctor and one dentist did it to me twice. I didn't realize it had happened in another case and got a check from a doctor out of the blue.

I have a feeling people are over paying right and left.

Excellent point. If it were nearly as easy to get it back as separating yourself from it, I'd be ok. But the flow is now equal in both directions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very common and becoming more common. Have a non-defensive conversation with them about why their calculation is incorrect, get the right amount, and pay it. Many places won't do the procedure without payment in advance. I don't blame them at all.

A person has no obligation to pay the hospital in advance.

The hospital has no obligation to provide service before being paid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not understanding how hospitals, doc offices, etc., are sharing systems with insurance to see my private deductible information.

They submit the procedure for preapproval before you go in. The insurance company checks it againt your deductible and your policy and tells the provider what you should pay and what they will pay. No big deal.