Comments on: Hospitals Overcharging the Uninsured? It’s BS! http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/ Cleaning the Augean Stables of the Health Care Debate Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:01:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Chuck http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-9130 Chuck Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:40:45 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-9130 What about the insured? They are actually overcharged because they have health insurance and the care provider takes advantage of this, robbing the insurance company and still leaving a large chunk for the consumer to pay. A person is better off going in stating they have no insurance and then turning the bill into the insurance company and having a smaller portion left to pay. When I see my insurance company not paying a portion because they say it is above and beyond customary, they are saying it is an overcharge. I've proven this in my case after a car accident. What about the insured? They are actually overcharged because they have health insurance and the care provider takes advantage of this, robbing the insurance company and still leaving a large chunk for the consumer to pay. A person is better off going in stating they have no insurance and then turning the bill into the insurance company and having a smaller portion left to pay. When I see my insurance company not paying a portion because they say it is above and beyond customary, they are saying it is an overcharge. I’ve proven this in my case after a car accident.

]]> By: Catron http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-1039 Catron Fri, 11 May 2007 02:15:09 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-1039 John, as Chaudhari says, EMTALA requires that (if you show up in our ER) you receive treatment whether you can pay or not. In fact, most hospitals don't even ask ER patients about insurance until after they have been triaged. And many of the <a href="http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/02/08/the-uninsured-of-myth-and-legend/" rel="nofollow">47 million uninsured</a> you keep hearing about in the media have deliberately stopped carrying insurance because of EMTALA. John, as Chaudhari says, EMTALA requires that (if you show up in our ER) you receive treatment whether you can pay or not. In fact, most hospitals don’t even ask ER patients about insurance until after they have been triaged. And many of the 47 million uninsured you keep hearing about in the media have deliberately stopped carrying insurance because of EMTALA.

]]> By: BP Chaudhari http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-1034 BP Chaudhari Thu, 10 May 2007 23:22:53 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-1034 John, The people getting a 100% write off are coming in through the ER. Because of EMTALA, everyone coming in the door of the ER gets treated. As for why hospitals aren't hyper agressive about pursuing billing in this area, I can think of two factors at my own hospital: 1) The people coming in through our ER could never pay the bill to begin with. I mean what are you possibly going to get from the guy who walked over from the homeless shelter down the street? 2) We get money for indigent patients from the state 'free care pool' which insulates us from a lot of the cost of ER cases. If the state will pick up the tab, it is often more feasible to provide 'free' care and accept the state subsidy than to try and collect even a small fraction of the true bill from a patient who has no real prospect of paying. John,

The people getting a 100% write off are coming in through the ER. Because of EMTALA, everyone coming in the door of the ER gets treated. As for why hospitals aren’t hyper agressive about pursuing billing in this area, I can think of two factors at my own hospital:

1) The people coming in through our ER could never pay the bill to begin with. I mean what are you possibly going to get from the guy who walked over from the homeless shelter down the street?

2) We get money for indigent patients from the state ‘free care pool’ which insulates us from a lot of the cost of ER cases. If the state will pick up the tab, it is often more feasible to provide ‘free’ care and accept the state subsidy than to try and collect even a small fraction of the true bill from a patient who has no real prospect of paying.

]]> By: John http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-1021 John Thu, 10 May 2007 20:44:35 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-1021 I keep hearing about how the uninsured don't pay. does that mean i will be better off going to a hospital without health insurance or ID to get care? Why pay for something i can have for free? Something must be wrong with this picture, i can't imagine the hospital not trying to bill me or collect. How do these people get free care? I keep hearing about how the uninsured don’t pay. does that mean i will be better off going to a hospital without health insurance or ID to get care? Why pay for something i can have for free? Something must be wrong with this picture, i can’t imagine the hospital not trying to bill me or collect. How do these people get free care?

]]> By: Catron http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-1012 Catron Thu, 10 May 2007 18:27:12 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-1012 Most uninsured patients get a 100% discount. Others get large (50%) discounts for paying promptly (as most insurance companies do). Still others get no-interest installment plans for as little as ten bucks a month. It is a myth that hospitals are cleaning up on the uninsured. Most uninsured patients get a 100% discount. Others get large (50%) discounts for paying promptly (as most insurance companies do). Still others get no-interest installment plans for as little as ten bucks a month. It is a myth that hospitals are cleaning up on the uninsured.

]]> By: mar cates http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-1011 mar cates Thu, 10 May 2007 17:13:06 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-1011 It is not BS. If you have a PPO or HMO, then you are being charged pre-negotiated rates. This is certainly true for medicare patients! If you do not have the power of an insurance company or the government negotiating rates, you pay more. To say the article about the uninsured getting charged more is BS is BS. By the way, I am a licensed insurance agent. It is not BS. If you have a PPO or HMO, then you are being charged pre-negotiated rates. This is certainly true for medicare patients! If you do not have the power of an insurance company or the government negotiating rates, you pay more.

To say the article about the uninsured getting charged more is BS is BS. By the way, I am a licensed insurance agent.

]]> By: Catron http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-998 Catron Thu, 10 May 2007 15:53:59 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-998 Nope. It's "one price fits all" in the hospital biz. Moreover, no one actually pays the "list" price, including the uninsured. The self-pay patients who actually pay usually take advantage of our "prompt-pay" discount (exceeding 50%) or use our installment plan. Nope. It’s “one price fits all” in the hospital biz. Moreover, no one actually pays the “list” price, including the uninsured. The self-pay patients who actually pay usually take advantage of our “prompt-pay” discount (exceeding 50%) or use our installment plan.

]]> By: RJS http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-994 RJS Thu, 10 May 2007 15:29:12 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/09/hospitals-overcharging-the-uninsured-it%e2%80%99s-bs/#comment-994 <blockquote>So, why do we keep seeing media reports claiming the uninsured are charged more?</blockquote> Because it's true? I'm sure insurers <a href="http://onthepharm.net/2006/10/price-gouging-hospital-patients.html" rel="nofollow">put up with</a> being charged $100 for a liter of normal saline, $47 for a vial of sublimaze, and $38 for IV promethazine. What insurers are charged versus what patients are charged are COMPLETELY different.

So, why do we keep seeing media reports claiming the uninsured are charged more?

Because it’s true?

I’m sure insurers put up with being charged $100 for a liter of normal saline, $47 for a vial of sublimaze, and $38 for IV promethazine.

What insurers are charged versus what patients are charged are COMPLETELY different.

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