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Unbelievable Medical Billing For Minor Surgery

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Chat' started by Joe, May 12, 2016.

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  1. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    Back in December I broke my wrist and had to go in for surgery. They put two pins in the wrist and the hospital billed my insurance $5,300+ for the surgery.

    Now last week I had to go in for carpal tunnel surgery in the same wrist. I went on line and see they billed $5,600. OK, well not OK, but a similar amount. A little more than the wrist surgery.

    Now today I looked at my account and the hospital has billed my insurance company an additional $12,600. The other bill was just the doctor.

    I think I have maxed out my deductible for 2016, but how can somebody w/o insurance survive? No wonder the biggest cause of bankruptcy is medical bills.
     
  2. Breeze147

    Breeze147 Button Man

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    My broken leg and surgery from last September was billed at $10,600.
     
  3. pleepleus

    pleepleus 2016 - The monkey is back

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    My friend had a collapsed lung and the hospital billed out $180k. Insanity.
     
  4. benbrownjr

    benbrownjr Low-Roller

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    I used to work in medical billing and the hospital has a contract with the insurance company and it most likely is they collect 20 cents on the dollar based on there established rates. It's good to keep in mind if you ever lose your insurance
     
  5. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    Pisses me off even more. If somebody has no insurance but can pay, why don't they get the same benefit as the insurance write-off.
     
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  6. gambler

    gambler VIP Whale

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    So $23,500 for a broken wrist? I'm just kind of speechless. In Canada, we go to the hospital for repairs but never actually see the bills. It's probably similar but I had no idea!

    I think if I didn't have insurance I'd be afraid to get out of bed in the morning.
     
  7. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    Yea, two separate surgeries, but the total billed, before insurance, is now over $23,000. I'm not counting the OT sessions I've had to have since the last surgery. Today, I had my 3rd OT and they bill in 15 minute increments. So far, each one has been 45 minutes. Nothing posted in on-line billing so far. First OT was last Thursday
     
  8. CaliMike

    CaliMike “My home away from home”

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    Almost $9000 for my son to be in a MRI machine for about an hour, to get pictures of his heart.
     
  9. Breeze147

    Breeze147 Button Man

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    Yeah, the cost of the therapy is nuts. Look at the itemized statement. If you turn around and fart it's charged at $75.00. I had a $30 co-pay for therapy and after 10 sessions of the 20 I was scheduled for, I told them I felt great and didn't need any more. Doc signed off on it after a bit of pleading.

    I mean, that's 3 rounds of Blackjack!!!
     
  10. Backagain1

    Backagain1 High-Roller

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    I do not totally understand this but my daughter with insurance says when she goes to the doctor she tells them she does not have insurance. Says she gets a much better deal and does not have to mess with her deductible or her insurance at all. She went for an infection and paid 100. out of pocket. I went and used my insurance and paid 45. out of pocket and now have to meet my deductible.
     
  11. NewOrleansSlimm

    NewOrleansSlimm VIP Whale

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    its all crooked and crazy, my old Dr. I refuse to go back to, had bronchitis and strep throat, told him they usually give me amoxicillin or a steroid shot...he said he wants to give me a z-pack because giving me amoxicillin, i could build up an immunity to it...basically he gives me the z-pack, weighs me, checks blood pressure and listens to my breathing, cost $20 co-pay, insurance billed $750, have to go back few days later cuz im not getting better, $20 more dollars for co-pay, he ask what they give me, tell him and the asshat gives me a script for amoxicillin, billed insurance $750 again

    fast forward, I had an accident with a drill bit, ripped my thumb wide open, screw the normal Dr. went to afterhours, $50 co-pay, Dr. goes to work, get a tetanus shot, 7 different shots to numb the thumb before he cleaned it up and put 5 stitches in my thumb...wrapped it up, medicine ect and removed them days later...the Dr. put in some work. insurance billed less than $500
     
  12. Tahoejoe2

    Tahoejoe2 VIP Whale

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    Took a 1/3 of my colon out and 6 day stay in hospital. $250,000
     
  13. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

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    Oughta be a law! :mad: :soapbox:
     
  14. merlin

    merlin MIA

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    My mom went to the ER, the charges were like 3K, her medicare advantage plan paid around $450(her co-payment was $75), that's the end of it, the hospital did not lose money. She goes for lab work every 2 weeks, billed at $75, ins pays 9 bucks to test and another $5 to draw the blood, the billed amounts are a joke.
     
  15. LVHooked

    LVHooked High-Roller

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    My two brothers both had heart attacks within a year of each other, both at the same hospital.
    Brother 1 had great insurance, with hospital stay the bills were way north of 100K not sure what the insurance actually paid.
    Brother 2 didn't have Insurance, and stayed one day less then brother 1 the hospital accepted about $1600 total and took payments.

    About twenty years ago my son had a cyst behind his ear, the surgeon was concerned it might be attached to his ear canal. So a ear nose and throat specialist was there for the surgery. It lasted about twenty minutes, they both billed my insurance 30K not sure what they were paid.
     
  16. Alexander

    Alexander MIA

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    My God! Insurance bills are scary and outrageous! I remember a news article where a woman got bit by a poisonous snake and the hospital billed her $55,000 to treat the bite! WTF! I was angry and I wasn't even her! The real kicker is they had another snake bite her to get rid of the poison from the first snake(apparently, the second snake had the antidote in his bite to get rid of the poison venom from the first snake).
     
  17. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    How much did the second snake bill? 2,000 mice?
     
  18. vegasbound

    vegasbound VIP Whale

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    I hear ya! Last year was atrocious when it came to medical bills. My deductible for MRI was $2000 or I negotiated $450 cash. Guess which I took? Then I needed to see three specialists for neck pain/arm numbness, went to PT for 6 weeks at $75 each visit, when that didn't work pain mgmt dr did one injection in my neck to reduce inflammation that cost about $19k ($3k out of pocket). I thought that was bad, but then a year ago, I sprained my ankle badly and I needed surgery to repair the tendons. The out patient surgery and support staff was $56k, add in the specialist & PT and it quickly inflates to $60k. Insanity.

    I won't even get into my mom's bills for chemotherapy, radiation and oncologists. Hell, the night she died, she had to be airlifted from Pahrump to Sunrise because they have no specialists - had she lived, the bill for that ride would have killed her $45,384.56.
     
  19. DeMoN2318

    DeMoN2318 The DERS

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    Doctors salaries, nurses salaries, buildings, electricity, equipment, consumables, insurance, marketing... all cost money. $1600 for treating a heart attack... the hospital lost money on that one

    They ask for the moon because when they negotiate down to the actually price it looks like you are getting a deal... pretty basic. You want $20 for your widget? ask $50 then haggle down to $20, the buyer thinks they won and seller got what they wanted.
     
  20. joespoolhall

    joespoolhall VIP Whale

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    In 1980 I dislocated a hip in a car accident. There was a non-invasive surgical procedure to put back in followed by two weeks in traction. All told, including doctors fees, the whole ball of wax was only $1850! Fast forward to last July and a blockage due to a kidney stone. I spent six hours in ER followed by a procedure eliminate the blockage. Total bill with doctors was almost $32,000.
    We can thank litigation, unrealistic suit awards and doctors forced to use every test known to man, just for protection, leaving us where we are.

    Good Luck!
    Ric at Joes
     
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