95% of that bill was for the anti-venom shots...
Posted on 09/08/2012 11:04:18 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
WHY?? Because allthe ILLEGALS that have no insurance uses them for EVERYTHING and they are NEVER asked to pay a CENT!!!
A friend who is in medical billing says its all “software.”
Costs are assigned to procedures. An accounting program that does a straight calculation of costs plus depreciation, profit, etc... will come out with such ridiculously high outputs
Of course, no one ever actually pays that. Other layers of the accounting and billing software then have the actual agreed charges for insurance companies, Medicaid, etc...
It’s cost shifting - her bill is higher to pay for those who do not pay.
Let the government fix it. They really know how to turn businesses around.
One change fixes it all. Loser pays and the suing attorney has a 33% stake in the suit.
The reason for these costs is: third party payer
The solution is easier: pay for your own normal costs, but maintain catastrophic insurance... and if everybody had to pull it out of their pockets, they would know the true costs and raise hell...
jmho...
Strict loser pays is a horrible system. It’s essentially a shield against suit for anyone with deep pockets. In Texas, we’ve done it right. If you lose a lawsuit AND it’s deemed to have been frivolous, loser pays. If you lose a lawsuit and it’s not frivolous, meaning that a trial was deemed legitimately necessary to weigh the merits, then the loser pays nothing, as it should be.
When the government got involved with Medicaid and Medicare and started messing with market forces, that’s when it all went downhill.
Agreed..my husband is going in for outpatient plastic surgery on Monday to remove 4 skin cancer lesions..he’s had skin cancer before but last time a dermatologist removed & insurance covered but this time since plastic surgery involved, $1200 out of pocket. Using plastic surgeon this time because 2 are located on his face.We confirmed that they’re billing as medical rather than cosmetic & they basically said it’s the insurance on why cost is so high..
Because those of us who can pay subsidize those who don’t as well as drugs for the world.
US drug consumers pay for poor around the world to get drugs cheaper
sad irony...most can’t afford even that we subsidize
that and because health insurance is now medical care period when it used to be just for major medical
IMHO, why the high bills
- lawyer tax - having to pay the dr’s liability insurnce
- illegal tax - pay for the illegals who rack up medical bills
One of the big problems is lack of transparency on pricing. It would be like if walked into a McDonald’s where there no prices on the board and they rang you up for a $500 Big Mac after you ordered. Nobody asks how much will this cost before they ask for a procedure nor do hospitals post any prices for treatments so people can make rational care decisions.
it soaks in and then hits all abnormal skin cells over the whole body
it is amazing stuff but makes ya sick as hell and the lesions go bananas...looks like post Nagasaki burns everywhere there is anything
it is a reminder to go ahead and get pre cancerous little basal cells zotted first chance before they grow and it gets deadly or expensive
good luck
my buddy was a charter captain in the Gulf for decades and had skin tone like a Swede..ripe for all that skin stuff
I had a blue mole on my shoulder last month, my wife's botox doc just froze it off and cultured it...nothing
What you said! Everything they touch turns to crap.
I always just assumed the costs were so high because so many people, legally and illegally here are required to be given medical care, and have no intention of paying for it.
Since most patients do not pay out of pocket there is surprise but little outrage when they get the bill. Whether it be insurance or govt the third party payer system creates no incentive to hold down costs and even encourages their growth. If you look at medicine the only areas of real cost competition are elective cosmetic surgery, lasik surgery, and veterinary medicine. Why does competition exist in these? Because there are few if any third party payment systems in these areas, and no govt payments.
95% of that bill was for the anti-venom shots...
Many years ago, my daughter had an emergency appendectomy. I accused the hospital of performing the surgery at the civic auditorium....... cuz their facility wasn’t big enough to hold all the people who sent me bills.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.