Comments on: Tough Times Prompt Patients to Skip Care

By: Melissa

Melissa — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:00:33 +0000

I totally feel for you Adelaide, and thanks Peter for that info. The only thing is that AMA site only gives the medicaid fee, not the HMO fee. Hospitals tend to bill more when HMO’s are involved. Adeladie, i also checked out that dental site you listed, however i did find a better one. its http://smarthealthbuyer.com . It gives more prices for health care than just dental.

By: Peter

Peter — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:31:12 +0000

Adelaide, you are not alone. This is a day-light robbery. But this is very common in our great healthcare system. For a $50 (or so) procedure, I received a bill for $1450 from a hospital in California.

Hospital in US means FRAUD. They work closely with health-insurers to kill the patients financially.

But here is a help. For Medicare, how much federal govt pays for each medical procedure in any geography is a public information. In its entirety, the information is available in http://www.cms.hhs.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services).

For easier use, go to American Medical Association website https://catalog.ama-assn.org/Catalog/cpt/cpt_search.jsp . You can get the rate for each procedure in your state & location. To be very specific, you need the procedure codes(CPT codes) which you can demand from the hospital. They are legally required to provide.

And, this is exactly the rate your hospital would receive from the Govt if you were a Medicare beneficiary. Your bill can not be much more than this Medicare rate.

Please publish this information where ever you can.

By: Adelaide

Adelaide — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:16:16 +0000

I think people are also fearful of going to the doctor because its often a crapshoot of what your bill will be for that visit. Will the hospital send me a bill for $20, or $800? Not too sure. I know i got a bill for $888 dollars yesterday after expecting to only pay my $20 co-pay. Please believe, i will think twice before going back to the doctor’s office.

I wish there was a hospital equivalent site to http://www.dentalpricecompare.com. It gives prices of how much each dental procedure is suppposed to be, but i need a site that shows how much my labwork will be and how much a physical will cost me. Then i can add up the costs before i go into the office and see if can afford the doctor that month.

By: DrEric

DrEric — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:54:47 +0000

At my hospital in a suburb of Dallas we have seen a decrease in elective surgical admits in the last several weeks to go along with Dr. Brewer’s observations.

However, just as sales at more affordable retailers (like Walmart) actually increase during a down-turn in the economy, one would hope that people would do the same with healthcare services–use more $4 generics, see a primary care doctor or nurse practitioner before self-referring to a specialist, etc. If I had a dime for every patient I saw admitted to the hospital that was on a brand-name drug when they should have been on a generic, I could pay for all the uninsured myself.

There is a billboard on Loop 12 in Dallas that says, “Money tight? Open MRIs starting at $475″ This is much cheaper than the typical MRI. Providers are becoming more cost-conscious and are trying to provide better services for less money. Patient care doesn’t have to suffer in an economic downturn–the incentives (senseless copays, etc) need to change and people need to be given better guidance on how to get more value for their healthcare dollar. Our nation’s SUV-sized healthcare mindset has to evolve.