New Law: Hospitals Must Post Pricing Info Online

[Justin Bilyj]

Times are changing.............

Texas ruling on $11,000 ER bill may have long-lasting effects, experts say | Health Care | Dallas News

Great read, thanks for sharing

 

[somarco]

That is a BS article.

in order to prove her bill was "reasonable" compared with what an insured patient would be billed

The same bill goes to insured and uninsured for the same services.

 

[tonyisme]

And what about cost of complications?

 

[scagnt83]

The same bill goes to insured and uninsured for the same services.

Are you saying that if an uninsured person goes to the ER, they receive the same carrier negotiated rates that an insured person receives?

 

[somarco]

Are you saying that if an uninsured person goes to the ER, they receive the same carrier negotiated rates that an insured person receives?

No I am not.

The hospital does not bill discounted rates. They bill "retail". So the same bill that goes to the carrier, Medicare, health sharing, Medicaid, etc. also goes to the uninsured . . . who will promptly pay nothing because they deserve to be treated.

 

[goillini52]

No I am not.

The hospital does not bill discounted rates. They bill "retail". So the same bill that goes to the carrier, Medicare, health sharing, Medicaid, etc. also goes to the uninsured . . . who will promptly pay nothing because they deserve to be treated.

I found that out a couple of years ago before I got Medicare. I had a surgery and was billed $2,300 each by the assisting anesthesiologist (who put me out) and the anesthesiologist (who wasn't even there). BCBS paid $440 for one of them and wouldn't cover the other. When arguing with the hospital about why they accepted $440 from big old BCBS and expect little old me to pay $2,300 for the same thing, they told me that they didn't have an arrangement with me.

I eventually got BCBS to cover the other one, but it's ridiculous how much more they were going to charge me!!!

 

[scagnt83]

No I am not.

The hospital does not bill discounted rates. They bill "retail". So the same bill that goes to the carrier, Medicare, health sharing, Medicaid, etc. also goes to the uninsured . . . who will promptly pay nothing because they deserve to be treated.

If I understand you correctly, it seems like it depends on what your definition of "bill" is.

Are you saying that insurance carriers pay the same exact rate that the uninsured person pays? And that each insurance carrier pays the exact same rate for the exact same treatment?

 

[goillini52]

If I understand you correctly, it seems like it depends on what your definition of "bill" is.

Are you saying that insurance carriers pay the same exact rate that the uninsured person pays? And that each insurance carrier pays the exact same rate for the exact same treatment?

I don't think that's what Bob's saying. That's not the way I'm reading it.

 

[somarco]

I eventually got BCBS to cover the other one, but it's ridiculous how much more they were going to charge me!!!

Medical bills are like sticker price on a car. It's just for show, and a starting point in the negotiation. Few dealers expect you to pay sticker, but if you want to they are happy to oblige.

They will also upsell you on extended warranties, gap insurance, financing for 84 months, etc.

it depends on what your definition of "bill" is

It's that paper thing the providers send in the mail.

Are you saying that insurance carriers pay the same exact rate that the uninsured person pays? And that each insurance carrier pays the exact same rate for the exact same treatment?

No.

Go back to the definition of a bill.

It looks something like this.

 

[goillini52]

Medical bills are like sticker price on a car. It's just for show, and a starting point in the negotiation. Few dealers expect you to pay sticker, but if you want to they are happy to oblige.

They will also upsell you on extended warranties, gap insurance, financing for 84 months, etc.

But the hospital wouldn't negotiate after the fact.