I agree it's pretty sloppy-- but that's the way business is done sometimes. I think when people are involved so closely in evaluating this "situation", they expect that banks never mispell names, different departments in the hospital (patient relations which sends out the estimates) always talks to the accounting deparment, and that no one after a surgery would possibly be able to sneak out a phone call.
When looking at this situation, it's all thing IN TOTAL. Maybe business "is done" that way sometimes if you're ordering a lamp from a catalogue, but not if you're having potentially life-saving surgery. The dates don't add up, the departure from JH's NORMAL, written procedures for dealing with a patient who can't pay makes this questionable. It's not even like he was rushed to emergency where things get chaotic and one can assume papers might get lost. Oncology has their own financial services department...just for cancer patients. Given the life and death struggles even the oncology financial department witnesses DAILY, business "is done" a little more carefully, I'd bet.
I think when people are involved so closely in evaluating this "situation", they expect that banks never mispell names, different departments in the hospital (patient relations which sends out the estimates) always talks to the accounting deparment
Nonsense, I have a fairly common last name, but an uncommon spelling...I get mail everyday that's mispelled. I don't expect a teller to be a spelling genius and I don't think anyone else does...it was another hinky little item in a flood of hinky little items about this whole situation. One department in a hospital may not talk to another, but I'm betting people send checks to the wrong JH department all the time and I would bet if you did survey of former patients that did so, you'd probably find only those without insurance seeking elective surgery MIGHT have had their surgery postponed.
When I was much younger, before kids I was a secretary/bookkeeper in a 1-person office...I was the only one handling the paper, mail, checks, etc. Even when I was dealing with one of our chronically late clients...if they said they sent the check, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt and wait a few more days. We're only talking RV accessories here, NOT life-saving surgery!
Cindie
I agree here to.
I am in total agreement everywhere.
lol
You make a good point here- I bet people"send checks to the wrong JH department all the time..."
I've noticed you have done an enormous amount of research about JH.
There are at least 4 different buildings that have oncology related departments, each with it's own street address. They probably get checks sent to the wrong address many, many times and I find it highly unlikely that they would postpone life-saving surgery because of it.
Well, instead of nit-picking about whether or not employees of businesses can get sloppy or not, or whether different departments communicate efficiently together about things like payments received, I'd like to look at a point you raised. About whether or not this surgery was considered "elective". It was elective in the sense that he didn't HAVE to get it at JHH. So, maybe that's how they are able to require prepayment. Makes sense to me-- if not, why wouldn't absolutely everyone, regardless of ability to pay or insurance just step right up to JHH to get their procedures done? I actually have some time tonight, so I'll see what I can find--probably nothing, like usual!
