New Law: Hospitals Must Post Pricing Info Online

[scagnt83]

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

It seems he is saying that everyone gets billed the same, but the actual amount owed after negotiations is different. Which is exactly how the system works... and this obscuration of pricing is a huge factor in out of control medical costs. The only entity with actively vested interest in negotiating lower rates are those without insurance. Insurance carriers have zero incentive to meaningfully negotiate on consumers behalf. And medical providers do everything possible to limit price transparency for consumers. And some people actually believe this is what a free market system is... its textbook corporate cronyism is what it really is.

 

[somarco]

But the hospital wouldn't negotiate after the fact.

How do you know that?

Hospital billing departments negotiate all the time. They would rather take something "reasonable" vs writing off the entire debt.

In some states they have the ability to sue, garnish wages, etc to settle a debt.

If you have the ability to pay something they will work with you, at least for a while. The BS stories about paying $10/week is just that. BS.

If you have nothing, they will walk away after trying to collect. But people who are attempting to skate on their bill, and have income/assets will regret their decision to dodge the bill.

 

[goillini52]

How do you know that?

Hospital billing departments negotiate all the time. They would rather take something "reasonable" vs writing off the entire debt.

In some states they have the ability to sue, garnish wages, etc to settle a debt.

If you have the ability to pay something they will work with you, at least for a while. The BS stories about paying $10/week is just that. BS.

If you have nothing, they will walk away after trying to collect. But people who are attempting to skate on their bill, and have income/assets will regret their decision to dodge the bill.

I know that because that's what they told me. BCBS wouldn't pay for the double dip the way it was filed. I was told that BCBS had pre negotiated fees and I hadn't. I was billed $2,300 twice. BCBS paid a pre negotiated fee of $440 on one of the $2,300 charges and none on the other because they thought it was double dipping...which it was.

I had a PPO. I told them that my primary Dr. referred me to the surgeon, the surgeon set up the surgery in their hospital...all are in the network. How the hell was I supposed to know ahead of time that the anesthesiologist who wasn't even there was going to turn in a bill so I could negotiate the bill ahead of time?

They wouldn't budge, but they did refile it a couple of times and BCBS did end up paying for it. They said there was 5 or 6 other cases just like mine. This hospital and their Doctors are great, but their billing dept. has always sucked.

 

[somarco]

BCBS wouldn't pay for the double dip the way it was filed. I was told that BCBS had pre negotiated fees and I hadn't. I was billed $2,300 twice. BCBS paid a pre negotiated fee of $440 on one of the $2,300 charges and none on the other because they thought it was double dipping...which it was.

That's different.

It was incorrectly billed. Happens quite a bit. If the provider wants to get paid they refile.

Easy peezy.

Tyler and I go round and round quite often about price transparency. Neither of us will budge, but he is wrong.

Say a female is told she has cancer in her breast. No insurance. Doc and hospital give her a quote of $8,000. Everybody agrees and they proceed.

Woman goes under the knife. While in OR doc discovers cancer in the lymph nodes and other breast. Instead of taking the nodes and remaining breast, they only take one.

That was the agreed upon contract and price.

Just a wag, but I don't think the woman is going to be real happy about the way it was handled.

But at least there was price transparency.

 

[goillini52]

That's different.

It was incorrectly billed. Happens quite a bit. If the provider wants to get paid they refile.

Easy peezy.

Tyler and I go round and round quite often about price transparency. Neither of us will budge, but he is wrong.

Say a female is told she has cancer in her breast. No insurance. Doc and hospital give her a quote of $8,000. Everybody agrees and they proceed.

Woman goes under the knife. While in OR doc discovers cancer in the lymph nodes and other breast. Instead of taking the nodes and remaining breast, they only take one.

That was the agreed upon contract and price.

Just a wag, but I don't think the woman is going to be real happy about the way it was handled.

But at least there was price transparency.

Hahaha, and I'll bet Tyler says that it's you that's wrong.

 

[somarco]

Tyler says that it's you that's wrong

Of course he will.

But he would be wrong on that too.

 

[Yagents]

I've sold HSA plans for over a decade, and I predominantly sold the power of huge discounted network rates, and then tax deducting that discount rate.

Anesthesiologists are never in network, same for ER Drs. You have to beg them to accept the U and C they are paid. Laws on balance billing are being passed in states across nation. In az, any balance billing over $1k can be arbitrated in 2019.

Rejected Preventative care lab bills are the worst. $30 turns into $1000, and labs don't like to bend after the fact

 

[Justin Bilyj]

I predominantly sold the power of huge discounted network rates, and then tax deducting that discount rate.

Nice way to look at it

 

[tonyisme]

Right this happened to my son that took a baseball to the face and needed to go into a hospital to get a plastic surgeon to move his nose and involved in anesthesiologist and 20min. I had insurance with bcbs. So I had a choice because I had a $10,000 deuctable to either pay cash out of my pocket for the surgery or to allow them to bill my insurance. Now they billed $12,000 roughly for that surgery but they offered me a cash price of about $3,600 so I'm wondering why the frick I'm paying my insurance of $1,260 a month.. over $15,000 a year and now with my 24% increase it's going to go to over $18,000 year. So they know when you have insurance their "scheduler" who acts just like a used car salesman offers you the deal because in theory you could walk out of there and go to another doctor & another facility... and then you leave them hang for a little while you don't tell him yes right away and you come back and ask for a a little less cuz you're taking care of a sick relative.. and got kids graduating or some story. This all has to happen before they set the date of the procedure to be done

 

[somarco]

I've sold HSA plans for over a decade, and I predominantly sold the power of huge discounted network rates, and then tax deducting that discount rate.

And I have done the same. When properly explained, clients get it and don't try and "negotiate a better deal" because they 1) don't need to and 2) won't get a better discount.

Anesthesiologists are never in network, same for ER Drs. You have to beg them to accept the U and C they are paid.

THIS ^^^^^

Hidden providers have been a problem for years. So glad I don't have any MC clients any more.

Back on topic, here is a hospital that posts pricing. Have fun trying to figure out how much you will pay.

http://www.yorkhospital.com/uploads/Patient_Price list April 4 2017.pdf