Comments on: Tell All Tuesday ~ Big Spender Edition http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/05/20/tell-all-tuesday-big-spender-edition/ Frugal living and debt reduction tips for a better financial future. This is one family's story. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:52:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: paidtwice http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/05/20/tell-all-tuesday-big-spender-edition/#comment-28426 paidtwice Wed, 21 May 2008 13:51:25 +0000 http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/05/20/tell-all-tuesday-big-spender-edition/#comment-28426 @Flaime - that may be true but $4500 for a half hour procedure depressed me, to say the least. @Flaime – that may be true but $4500 for a half hour procedure depressed me, to say the least.

]]> By: Flaime http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/05/20/tell-all-tuesday-big-spender-edition/#comment-28416 Flaime Wed, 21 May 2008 12:56:20 +0000 http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/05/20/tell-all-tuesday-big-spender-edition/#comment-28416 The reason hospitals have such high costs is that they have so many patients come in without health insurance of any sort. And most simply don't have the money to pay their medical bills, so the hospitals have to eat those costs. The charge they levee is an attempt to stay profitable. Odds are, your local hostpital is hemoraging money and only stays open because of local or state assistance. When the boomers start hitting the hospitals hard, we are giong to lose a lot of hospitals as they simply won't have the money to stay open. The reason hospitals have such high costs is that they have so many patients come in without health insurance of any sort. And most simply don’t have the money to pay their medical bills, so the hospitals have to eat those costs. The charge they levee is an attempt to stay profitable. Odds are, your local hostpital is hemoraging money and only stays open because of local or state assistance. When the boomers start hitting the hospitals hard, we are giong to lose a lot of hospitals as they simply won’t have the money to stay open.

]]> By: Brandon http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/05/20/tell-all-tuesday-big-spender-edition/#comment-28414 Brandon Wed, 21 May 2008 12:20:43 +0000 http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/05/20/tell-all-tuesday-big-spender-edition/#comment-28414 I had a recent relevant experience recently (details <a href="http://www.tehposse.org/brandon/?p=232" rel="nofollow">here</a>). Basically, my wife went to a specialist who, for one visit, some lab work, and some x-rays charged $1072. The insurance discounts brought that down to $458.04 (a 58% reduction!). Thankfully, they then paid 100% of the leftover costs after our co-payment. That is really quite nice because when I have dealt with insurance in the past, I feel the lab work was always billed separately and covered onto to 80%, maybe I'm wrong. I had a recent relevant experience recently (details here). Basically, my wife went to a specialist who, for one visit, some lab work, and some x-rays charged $1072. The insurance discounts brought that down to $458.04 (a 58% reduction!). Thankfully, they then paid 100% of the leftover costs after our co-payment. That is really quite nice because when I have dealt with insurance in the past, I feel the lab work was always billed separately and covered onto to 80%, maybe I’m wrong.

]]> By: andrea http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/05/20/tell-all-tuesday-big-spender-edition/#comment-28364 andrea Wed, 21 May 2008 02:44:31 +0000 http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/05/20/tell-all-tuesday-big-spender-edition/#comment-28364 Not that you asked, but here's how it works: The insurance company gets a lower rate because they've got a contract with the hospital. The hospital accepts a contract with those rates to ensure they are in the insurance company's network and that they get all those customers/patients. Because you pay a premium to the insurance company you get the benefit of their networks. (I work at an insurance company.) Not that you asked, but here’s how it works:

The insurance company gets a lower rate because they’ve got a contract with the hospital. The hospital accepts a contract with those rates to ensure they are in the insurance company’s network and that they get all those customers/patients. Because you pay a premium to the insurance company you get the benefit of their networks. (I work at an insurance company.)

]]> By: jinger http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/05/20/tell-all-tuesday-big-spender-edition/#comment-28342 jinger Tue, 20 May 2008 21:57:20 +0000 http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/05/20/tell-all-tuesday-big-spender-edition/#comment-28342 My health insurance deductible is $5,000, so I will be paying all of my ER bill. I did notice the ER MD's bill had a discount on it, which helped some....but the price for an ER visit is certainly hefty! Good luck with your next procedure. My health insurance deductible is $5,000, so I will be paying all of my ER bill. I did notice the ER MD’s bill had a discount on it, which helped some….but the price for an ER visit is certainly hefty!

Good luck with your next procedure.

]]> By: David http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/05/20/tell-all-tuesday-big-spender-edition/#comment-28340 David Tue, 20 May 2008 21:51:36 +0000 http://www.paidtwice.com/2008/05/20/tell-all-tuesday-big-spender-edition/#comment-28340 Hope all turns out well PT - and yes, it is amazing about the $ differential between the amount billed and the amount paid. My CT scan was billed at almost $10K...and cost me $4K. So bizarre. Please keep us posted! Hope all turns out well PT – and yes, it is amazing about the $ differential between the amount billed and the amount paid. My CT scan was billed at almost $10K…and cost me $4K. So bizarre. Please keep us posted!

]]>