Doctors and billing - Getting worse?

[Redfeathers]

Yup, a check for $5 monthly works great! Had they not charged for bs items that were not provided and went about their exploratory surgery, they would have been paid normally.

[Lights Out]

Sad sad situation with big insurance ruling what we pay for medical care.

[sailor]

It’s a complete disaster as is the whole
Medical system


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Try the V.A. Disaster, doesn't even come close....

[Huntindad]

Follow up...

Wife has been on the phone with doctors office (speaking with multiple people). It's freaking insane! They can't explain anything. Can't give numbers at all. It's a huge circle jerk.
All we got was they code office visits by levels 1-4 $65-$283
Pretty much every question we ask we hear "Let me put you on hold for a minute"

And they claim our daughter was also given a physical which was the other $350 charge. My wife was with her and it was a standard office visit. Blood pressure, breathing check, pulse.. that's it.

So if her visit was level 4 what the crap is a level 1? Just walk in the front door and turn around and leave? LOL

Then of course we get the You should have paid in full at time of the visit line... We were not given that option as it took them 2 months to figure out how much to try and charge us. Hell I called as a potential new patient and asked how much my first office visit would be and they had no clue.

Supposedly the office manager will be calling back. But it's looking like they'll either get nothing or $5 a month. We are tired of trying to figure this out and square up with them..For a regular doctor office visit!!

Oh and then we asked about a telehealth visit for when she needs the prescription renewed... And yep, no idea what that would cost.

When I went to the ER recently, I got billed from the hospital and the physicians. The physicans coded the ER visit at a Higher value(4 vs. 3) emerency. after I questioned how they came up with their emergency value(multiple times)...they ended up just dropping my charages.

Currently dealing with Round Rock Hospital about their Out of Pocket expense and then getting a big bill afterwards. Bunch of dam# crooks.

[OldRiverRat]

Try the V.A. Disaster, doesn't even come close....

My step dad died in the VA literally in my arms
You ain’t telling me anything hand


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[glen]

I feel fortunate reading this. I pay a lot for insurance but I pay a small co-pay she I walk in office or hospital. Never been sent a bill

[hopedale]

Talk about a topic after my own heart.

Got some issue in my neck that led me to an Orthopedic Doctor. The billing has really ticked me off. Thankfully the wife deals with this.

I thought a law was passed, and if hasn't it needs to be, that Doctors and Hospitals need to publish their rates.

Rate 1 - what they negotiated with the insurance company; to include what insurance company will pay
Rate 2 - what the bill would be if you pay out of pocket.

Heck, I've even read on here once where someone dealing with the emergancy room had a co-pay of $400 using his insurance, but if he paid out of pocket the hospital bill would only be $300. Can't remember the exact ammounts, but again, it was cheaper to just pay out of pocket than to go through insurance.

[RiverRat1]

Well the office manager flat out told us they doubled billed us because "it's allowed". Something about first visit and be coded as a new patient visit AND a level 4 office visit. My wife called them scam artists LOL. Then they tried blaming us for not knowing our insurance and my wife about lost it on the phone.

After a long time and talking to 2-3 ladies they said they will try and re-code everything. I don't even care at this point since it's such a con.

Hard to believe a standard regular doctor visit can cost over $300 now and up to $800.. And they can't tell you the price until 2 months later.

But they offer a 30% discount if paying cash and another 20% if paid in full at time of visit. Still trying to figure that one out since they have no idea what you owe until a later date.

And they code by number of minutes doctor spends with patient. Jumps up like $70 every 5 minutes.. Freaking insane.

[Bow-TechAggie]

I needed to go to therapy for a knee surgery I had, to clean out a staph infection which also involved getting some of my quad muscle removed. Since all the billing hadn't hit yet, I wasn't at my out of pocket maximum. Lady at the counter said my first therapy session would be $175.00 w/insurance! I about fell off my crutches. I said I couldn't afford that and told her I would be letting my Dr. know that therapy wasn't an option. She then said if I wanted to just do the cash pay option and not go thru insurance, it was only $25.

How is that possible? I know that insurance has its place, because I will get to actually have my knee replacement at the end of the year and it won't cost me a dime. But how is it that I'm forced to have insurance, but can do cash only options and it be cheaper than going thru insurance companies?

[doghouse]

You can do the cash only with your prescription pills and save money. Big pharmacy made it illegal for your pharmacist to tell you that is my understanding. Maybe someone else will chime in about this.

[dfkoon]

I believe it is all a scam. So far I've had relative good luck. But when I do go, no one will know the reason.

[HogHunter34]

They probably “double” bill you to make up for the many that walk in & out with no intention of ever paying

[mudbone]

Wife and I are on Medicare and a supplemental with a drug policy. We pay for premiums for those, but I have not paid a penny for any Doctor visits, even the 24 hour emergency types, not a penny for surgeries and our prescriptions for me are only $2 each per month. Wife's are a little more expensive. Guess we are lucky being retired.

Depends on what tier drugs you are taking as to how much part D pharmaceutical will cost you out of pocket. Don't even get close to the donut hole!!

[Kossetx]

Why are you all worrying about this minor stuff. We have 3 trillion dollars in student loans that we need to forgive...

[CEO]

I needed to go to therapy for a knee surgery I had, to clean out a staph infection which also involved getting some of my quad muscle removed. Since all the billing hadn't hit yet, I wasn't at my out of pocket maximum. Lady at the counter said my first therapy session would be $175.00 w/insurance! I about fell off my crutches. I said I couldn't afford that and told her I would be letting my Dr. know that therapy wasn't an option. She then said if I wanted to just do the cash pay option and not go thru insurance, it was only $25.

Same type of thing happened with my daughter and a hamstring injury. Wife called me and said the sessions through insurance started at $300-$400 each, then progressively went up from there until we met our deductible. Or we could pay $175/session without using insurance. Since it would only be a few sessions that was an easy decision.