Hospital bill - what's wrong with healthcare

[ruffryder]

You obviously have little experience in the health care field.

Some, but not a whole lot. That is why I am asking questions about it.

Medicare/Medicaid does not pay a decent rate when they pay at all.

What is a "decent" rate? Compared to the rate they charge people with insurance, probably not.

Many places have found they spend more money collecting from them than they get back in reimbursement (if they ever get reimbursed). So they no longer take those patients. Especially medicaid.

really? I thought the admin costs would be a lot lower, as you wouldn't have to fight with an insurance company for coverage.

 

[bigfoot]

Some, but not a whole lot. That is why I am asking questions about it.


What is a "decent" rate? Compared to the rate they charge people with insurance, probably not.


really? I thought the admin costs would be a lot lower, as you wouldn't have to fight with an insurance company for coverage.

A decent rate would be the market rate or at least somewhere near it, ie enough to do the procedure and/or pay for the drug and cover the administration cost to collect payment. MC/MC barely breaks even on that and in many cases doesn't even come close.

The admin costs are much higher, it is not uncommon for my wife to spend most of a day on hold with medicare trying to figure out why they won't pay a claim. Insurance companies are usually only an hour or two.
Remember if insurance companies don't pay regularly, eventually people quit taking them, and eventually no one will use them for insurance if they can't find anyone that accepts them. It's in their own best interest to at least attempt to keep people happy.

Medicare/caid on the other hand, has none of these consequences, it has no competition, so no need to keep anyone happy. When it goes bankrupt will take more from us or print more money to keep it afloat, all the while blaming the evil doctors, drug companies etc, etc.

You don't deal much with the .gov, do you?

 

[Snowmark]

$

mine insurance just jumped again...$686/month Anthem BC/BS....extortion