Re: Medical costs!
I think a lot of the problem is people are too use to the insurance footing the bill and taking no responsibility themselves. I bet if the insurance paid the whole bill Boomyal wouldnt even be having this conversation. It is only an issue when it comes out of your own pocket. Regardless of what he charged, he had a deductible and would have to pay it at some point regardless what doctor was seen. Most of the time it does not matter what a provider charges, the insurance is going to pay what they pay and thats it. Most insurance companies chop doctors bills by 50%-70%. People have to keep in mind amount of money it costs to operate a clinic. Doctors have huge malpractice premiums, have a staff they have to pay, have supplies to pay for, insurance for the building, the staff, themselves, unemployment insurance, worker compensation insurance, utilities, rent or mortgage on the building, paperwork fees, student loans. Believe it or not, many insurance companies charge doctors to be on their plans. Some take a cut or percentage of what is reimbursed to the doctor and this is after they chop his fee down by 50%-70%.
Dont blame the doctors, blame the insurance! You would be surprised at the amount of money they collect as opposed the amount they actually pay out. Look at the millions of dollars insurance CEOs are taking home in pay, bonuses and incentives. I have a family of four; I was paying just under $1000 a month. I had a $30 copay and a $1000 deductible. When we would take one of the kids to the pediatrician he would charge $75 for an office visit, insurance chopped it to $45, and I paid $30 through my copay and the insurance paid $15. So the insurance pays $15 dollars and I am paying close to $1000 to them a month:^. Needless to say, we dumped them! Insurance companies are the crooks of the industry, not the doctors. Insurance companies have raised malpractice rates like clockwork every year despite the decline in malpractice claims. They keep charging more and more. Its not the fault of the doctors or the attorneys, its the insurance! They continue to charge more and more, they keep raising premiums and they are reimbursing doctors less and less. Most all doctors make more money off the cash price than they do running the claim through the insurance. Legally, doctors who are on an insurance plan cannot charge a patient a cash price and skip the insurance altogether. They have a contract with the insurance and by doing so they are breaking the contract. Also, having an insurance price and a cash price is totally illegal. It is called a dual fee schedule. The way around it is to change the wording from cash to time of service. This is fine provided the patient pays that day. The insurance is also offered the discount so its fair, the thing is the insurance is not going to march down to the doctors office and pay the bill that day on any claim. Thats how you beat the system legally.
I had to go to a plastic surgeon to have a skin cancer removed close to my eye. That one was $1,564.00 out the door:% I had two cut off my back yesterday but don't have the bill yet. Our insurance is only better than nothing. At least these MD's take Visa, so my Cabela's points are looking good.
