Posted on 03/29/2023 12:09:01 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Illegal aliens get free healthcare by the million$.
When my wife died in 2019 of a stroke, the hospital sent me a bill for over $20,000. I called them and explained that we were legally separated, she had filed for divorce, and I would not be paying the bill.
I also did that with her student loans she neglected to pay for 20+ years.
I never paid either, and never received another bill or phone call.
Then it will become payment required up front, and if you can’t pay, you won’t get the treatment. Otherwise, providers will exercise discretion and deny treatments they deem “futile,” even if the patient disagrees and is willing to try a treatment that has a lower likelihood of success or one that mainly serves to prolong his life a while longer.
No kidding. I had a surgery with an overnight stay. I think my bills were over $100k including surgeon fee etc.. but everything got knocked down to less than $14k by my insurance. I really believe if I had no insurance and wasnt a broke person they wouldn’t have knocked it down by that much.
Medical billing seems to be, in general, a total scam.
As we well learned with the COVID vaccine scamming.
Those of us who have lived through this are grateful when the Insurance Company comes to a settlement with the health care providers. That is what happened in my case.
Back in the late 70s we delieverd a bunch of new barker bros furniture to them he was a total dick he had that silly hat on she was as nice as could be
Exactly! That is what I'm getting at. Doctors and clinics need to explain in depth (when time isn't critical) the procedures recommended and the associated costs. This is seldom done.
Before my prostatectomy surgery, a urologist insisted that a cystoscopy was necessary to survey the organs and tissue to be incised. I later found a more adept surgeon and he said that was bunk and would have cost many thousands of dollars more, and caused a LOT of unnecessary pain. The surgery went fine without this.
yes, it blows my mind when I get lab work. I have had a lot of it. They will bill a test at $300 but insurance may take it to $10. Which then makes me wonder how much these tests really cost in terms of the actual test not including labor if they are willing to take $10 for it.
But a Mayo Clinic urine test that you cannot get from any other company was not so forgiving on sendouts. A $1800 test only got knocked down to $800 for me
It seems to me that the hospital could simply list it as a loss on their income tax return.
Try and submit a bill to Medicaid or Medicare that is deemed medically unnecessary, and watch what happens. The false claims act will kick in and the medical provider is hit with fines and penalties, and quite possible criminal charges.
I wonder if an argument could be made, based upon the outcome that the treatment was unnecessary. hmm...
All he has to do is set up a payment plan with the hospital. He can keep the collectors off his back by paying 10.00/month.
My thoughts exactly
“ It wouldn’t be as much of an issue if medical costs weren’t 10x what they should be.”
Since it was $3000 it was probably a charge for an Aspirin she was given just before she died or she died at 12:01 PM as was charged for a hospital lunch that she did not eat.
Well for one you know how much each item is before you put it in the cart. It is also very unlikely that when you got home and looked at the receipt you would find numerous items that you did not ask for that had been tossed in your bags and added to your total. You don’t have to worry that you will be charged the price per pound for steak when you bought ground chuck. For the most part medical billing is not rooted in reality. Do not forget too that the grocery store is told what they can charge and how much they my bill customers for the same sack of grocery you pay full price for.
The debt was no doubt sold to the collection agency. First thing he should contact the insurance company and find out whether the bill should have been paid. Errors do happen. An example would be using an in network provider but the insurance company listing the provider as out of network Then research and find out what Medicare would allow for those services. This is to give him an idea of what would be a reasonable cash settlement to clear the debt. $3000.00 is peanuts in terms of medical debt. Then contact the collection agency and find out what they would take if the bill was paid within a certain number of days. Usually the sooner you can pay the higher the discount. If he really does not have the money he can take his chance in court. The collection agency may decide that the suit is not worth their time and sell the debt to another agency.
I am sorry for your loss.
Also, if they were politicians it would cost them nothing.
I’m no lawyer, but I always advise my family members when they take another family member to the doctor’s office or hospital, to let the hospital know they are not responsible for their family members medical bills.
And do the same thing if they are taking friends.
C’mon man! those are extra-constitutional rights that they are entitled to.
Her memory died with her.
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