Cancer patient from Meredith ordered by judge to pay bill

Laconia Citizen ^ | May 19, 2005 | Bea Lewis

[rhombus]

As the Blue Cross administrator for our companies group plan, I can tell you that my wife and I's coverage would be $1800 per month.

I'm very glad you pointed this out. The only solution is to force poverty on these people to pay off the hospital. Then subsequent visits will have to be covered by medicaid if they are under 65 and medicare if they are older than 65. The problem with health care in situations like this is for the middle class. Wealthy people can pay, poor people don't have to pay. So why is it so expensive? What is needed? Did I hear something about limiting medical malpractice settlements? My last visits to a doctor were ridiculous as a doctor ordered every test possible to cover his insured butt. Gee no problem for me, my insurance covered it and passed it on in high rates. It works for me right now... later? I think I'd rather take the tumor and die in my own house.

[hoosierboy]

Renounce their us citizenship, become illegal immigrnats and force the goverment to pick up the tab.

[AppyPappy]

The couple didn't have insurance when the diagnosis was made. They'd dropped their coverage and used the added cash to help bolster the operation of their antique and used furniture shop.

DING! They gambled and lost.

[MJemison]

Medicaid?

Medicaid is so utterly abused. I witnessed firsthand a large group of Medicaid recipients at a hospital pharmacy not long ago. They were dressed to the nines, lots of gold jewerly, the latest in baggy pants and new sneakers. They all looked young and healthy. And all presented Medicaid cards to pay for their prescriptions. I was outraged!

[NYorkerInHouston]

Well based on being in the healthcare business myself (I am a doctor), there are alot of rules and regulations- many from the government (in the form of safety and privacy standards) but even more from the insurance companies. Each insurance company is allowed to set their own rules as to what is needed in order for the physician or healthcare provider to be reimbursed and if not followed precisely than the insurance company has the right to refuse payment. Sometimes they refuse anyway. We have one person in my small office who does nothing but deal with insurance and even with that collections hover between 80 and 85%. Insurance companies never want to pay because its not in their best interest to do so. Paying out does not please their stockholders or allow their executives to increase their salaries.

Malpractice insurance in my area of medicine is a relatively minor expense- but I am not a surgeon. I don't know of any physician that keeps a lawyer on retainer for malpractice reasons. Some hospitals do. Are physician group does keep a lawyer on retainer but not for malpractice but instead to deal with various hospital administrations. Defensive medicine in my area of practice is a non-issue, we don't practice it.

[GovernmentShrinker]

How much is the CEO of this hospital getting paid in executive compensation? A lot of money!

Probably not as much as he could make doing something else. If hospital executives and doctors don't get paid well, they'll take their capability and drive and go do something else.

Virtually all highly paid executives in all industries, use deferred compensation plans to minimize their tax bills (which remain enormous anyway -- and the hospital executives are already doing more than their fair share of paying other people's medical bills via their taxes).

[peacebaby]

" ...My last visits to a doctor were ridiculous as a doctor ordered every test possible to cover his insured butt... ."

It's up to us to call the doctor's offices and hospitals on these unnecessary tests and charges. if we are recouping from knee service and don't feel the in-home rehab care which is offered - or the potty chair - or the wheelchair - is necessary, we should decline them.

We should, in effect, be part of the quality control of the rising costs of healthcare.

When we take a hospital or doctor's bill and don't put it under scrutiny - because our health insurance is going to pay it anyway - we are ignoring a responsibility to keep the health insurance system and medical care system honest. ---- as honest as these two systems can be.

[Snoopers-868th]

I haven't read all the posts prior to posting this but my spin on this is: If you use the service you pay the bill BUT when our government pays for every illegal, those who have nothing to take, or those who have found a way to divest their holdings from attachment it makes the picture different. When we live in a society where there are so many citizens and non-citizens who expect (and receive) these services it makes for the anger directed toward the hospital when you have people who have truly tried to be financially responsible and are put on the street so to say at a time of need. But then--don't most FR's advocate pay your own way--no government programs?

[GovernmentShrinker]

Yes, get government out of paying for health care, and also get government out of the business of prosecuting businesses for "discrimination". Let hospitals and doctors decide who they would like to treat for free. Right now, every time some gang-bangers bang each other up severely, the taxpayers get hit with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills, just to patch the gang-bangers up so they can go out and do it again.

[rhombus]

It's up to us to call the doctor's offices and hospitals on these unnecessary tests and charges.

Easy to say when one knows they are unnecessary. A little harder call to make when it comes to tumors, eh?

[WV Mountain Mama]

The amish we know don't have insurance. When they have an accident, one child got kicked in the head by a horse, he went to children's hospital and had a $150,000 + medical bill. They negotiated the bill and made payments on a much smaller portion. These people rolled the dice with their insurance and lost. I feel bad, but they need to work something out. I do think that it is BS that illegals don't have to go through this though.

[peacebaby]

I am not making less of the hospital CEO's qualifications or responsiblities.

Extremely high executive compensation for officers of corporations has been under scrutiny in this society for a while.

And for the particular hospital CEO that I know of personally to turn down more money yearly, it says he doesn't really need it to take care of his family and his upper middle class lifestyle.

It also says that he's astute with his financlal planning, I agree. Nonetheless, my point is, why be so petty with charging the patient's family when the CEO's family is so well taken care of?

[Snoopers-868th]

Health care is too high in my opinion solely to justify the expensive nuclear or otherwise equipment in the facilities. Anyone who believes cures will be found for the devastating diseases is mistaken in my opinion. The pharmacetical and the medical fields would go broke.

[corlorde]

I live in Meredith.

If you come here again, freepmail me or stop by "Harts Turkey Farm." They have a small gift shop. Or, head into "Mills Falls." They have numerous gift shops.

~Corey

[Phantom Lord]

"The couple didn't have insurance when the diagnosis was made. They'd dropped their coverage and used the added cash to help bolster the operation of their antique and used furniture shop."

So, to put it another way, the couple, finding the money spent on insurance might be better spent elsewhere dropped the insurance and took a gamble. They lost. Pay up.

[Marauder]

Given the circumstances, it's another bad situation that fate often deals to people. No choice but to deal with it; but one thing I won't do (and I get this from my old man) is to ask the public to pay my bills.

If zoning laws allowed it, I would sell the house and install a bedroom, bath, and kitchen in the back of the antiques store. Give the balance to the hospital and move into the back of the store.

Otherwise, it's either bankruptcy or trailer park time.

[quack]

What say you?

Let me give a reverse of this scenario.My wife had her tubes tied on December 17th,2003.The day after our second child was born.In April/May 2004,we found out we were now expecting child #3. After giving birth on December 28th,we scheduled for another tubal.(Different doctor,different hospital)

Upon examination,the doctor took photos of her tubes.One was not touched.The other was cut.Now,the hospital records show that both tubes were cut,and the individual pieces of tubes were varified by a lab tech at the hospital.We know this to not be true.

So,who's gonna pay for raising another child?I'd say the hospital and doctor owe me a hell of alot more than what this womans cancer therapy costs.I "guess" it's ok for the doctors and hospitals if they make a mistake,but screw the person who's dying?

IMHO,it all averages out.Those who can't pay are picked up by those who did pay,but didn't receive the proper care.If I had sued this doctor and hospital,I'd wager my settlement would equal quite a bit of unpaid hospital and doctor bills.

[Snoopers-868th]

Or have some devastating visual appearance and be from a foreign country where some Dr's bring them to this country and do the surgery for free. Who does pay the hospital bills for this I wonder?

[babygene]

"At the very least, they should have paid enough for a catastrophic policy, to avoid bankruptcy in the event of a major illness or accident."

There are a couple of problems with this... Opting for a high deductible (even as much as $10,000) will only save you 10 or 15% in premiums.

Second, This MSA blabber some people are spewing is garbage if you own the business. Your not eligible for this if you own 10 or more percent of the business, and not at all unless you are insured in a qualifying insurance plan.

So you save little with a high deductible, and if you don't buy the insurance you cant get a MSA. Did you think these laws were written to benefit you?

[Xenalyte]

I say that if I could find a doctor who doesn't deal with insurance, and who therefore charges what his services are truly WORTH (not what he thinks he can get from Medicare), I would patronize him in a second.