In the dark: Transparency rule fails to shed light on costs for IU Health Bloomington patients
The rule is intended to help patients predict the cost of care. It isn’t working.
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I would be thrilled if we collected 20% of what we billed. Like, jumping for joy thrilled. Guess what would happen to our bills as percent collected improved? They would drop dramatically.
What sucks is they are trying to pass laws that force any doc working at a hospital to be in network with an insurer if the hopsital is. So guess what happens to my ability to negotiate with an insurer for fair payment for services when i am forced to sign whatever contract they give me? zero arbitration. Just sign or lose your job insurer will make better deal with hospital and then screw over the doc contract. So then the doc just gives up and tries to get hired by hospital with zero leverage.
And IU health is not your friend.
All I know is that they pay their bills....a lot more than 20%.And IU health is not your friend.
AGREED IU Health is NOT Your Friend.And IU health is not your friend.
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One of my roofing guys hurt his knee and could not hardly walk. He went to St. Vincent clinic and they asked him how he was gonna pay, he said cash. Nurse got him right back. Doctor looked at his knee, did an xray and ultrasound and said he had an infection in his knee. Dr. told him you can have pills or shot. Felipe asked which was best. Dr. said pills are cheaper but shot may work faster, Felipe asked "Can I have both" and Dr said yes but it will cost you more. Felipe said he didn't care about cost, he just wanted to be better. Felipe got shot and walked to counter to pay. Cost him under $500.
Same guys brother comes to US to work in Tobacco fields 8 months every year then goes home to Mexico. He got sick late summer and needed a small outpatient procedure. He talked to his old Dr in Mexico and the Dr. told him the surgery would be 35-40,000 Pesos and they could do it when he got back home. That's like $2000 USD. Well Felipe told him to check with an American hospital and tell them he would pay cash, he got it done for less here than what it was gonna cost in Mexico.
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Sounds like a great system which will undoubtedly attract the best and brightest our nation has to offer in coming years.I would be thrilled if we collected 20% of what we billed. Like, jumping for joy thrilled. Guess what would happen to our bills as percent collected improved? They would drop dramatically.
What sucks is they are trying to pass laws that force any doc working at a hospital to be in network with an insurer if the hopsital is. So guess what happens to my ability to negotiate with an insurer for fair payment for services when i am forced to sign whatever contract they give me? zero arbitration. Just sign or lose your job insurer will make better deal with hospital and then screw over the doc contract. So then the doc just gives up and tries to get hired by hospital with zero leverage.
And IU health is not your friend.
I'm sure more government involvement will help the situation.Can't make this stuff up, but how will this improve? I don't have any idea.
SNAFU...situation normal all f'd up
FUBAR..f'd up beyond all recognition
I honestly have no idea.......but I know I have a buddy who is an American, dont work and lives in his sisters house. He got some kind of bone infection last year, was in St. V for 5 months while they removed bones from his body, let infection subside and put his bones back in. He was billed ZERO! Now he may have got Medicare/Medicaid, but he has never paid taxes....so not sure he is allowed to get it.It this an immigrant thing or would it work for an American citizen?
Northwest radiology or CDI.SWMBO needed a shoulder x-ray a few years ago. Our insurance sucks, so she was trying to find alternatives paying cash which could be the same or less than our deductible. She called 9 places, with answers ranging from $2000 to $60. By far the most common answer was "We don't know." What, you've never done this before? How could you not know? WTF! Maybe it depends on who's paying? We tried to make it easy and tell them we would be paying cash. They still didn't know.
The system as it stands is irreparably broken. When it became law that those without the means to pay for treatment could not be turned away it was all over. The system is now just a bunch of throwing **** at the wall to see what sticks.I honestly have no idea.......but I know I have a buddy who is an American, dont work and lives in his sisters house. He got some kind of bone infection last year, was in St. V for 5 months while they removed bones from his body, let infection subside and put his bones back in. He was billed ZERO! Now he may have got Medicare/Medicaid, but he has never paid taxes....so not sure he is allowed to get it.
Then again, my wife had a tumor removed from her brain in 2013. The Bill was over $300,000. Neurosurgeon bill alone was $65,000 for an hour or 2 of surgery....my insurance paid a "pre approved" amount of $20-22K to surgeon. I am assuming Anthem negotiates this cost before signing with Goodman Campbell? I didnt get a bill for the unpaid amount. Maybe this is the stuff Doc was talking about.
One more example and then I will stop blabbing. My daughter, before she had insurance or a decent job...had to go to Hospital and was in for like 2-3 days. She got a bill and it was 10K or more. Her and my wife went to hospital and a case worker helped her get 95% of the bill wrote off, we then paid the balance in cash and it was only like $800. Now she has a good job and insurance and she pays more in premiums and out of pocket than that.
Almost makes you wonder if insurance is even worth it.....but you get sick and you own anything, you better have it or they will take your assets or you will be filing bankruptcy.