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Well, your daughter in law paid for that 'loan' somehow. Or everybody did, which is why health care costs are so outrageously high, every single thing nickel & dimed. Like being invoiced for Tylenol at $28 a dose. Hospitals aren't banks and they don't offer payment plans out of the goodness of their heart - someone made money off that loan.
The people I know who have set up payment plans with their providers ( some family members included) were not charged interest with the payment plans. They offer payment plans from the perspective that they would likely get nothing from the patient unless the patient can pay smaller amounts over time.
Ahhhhh, that old tale about the $$fill in the high amount.....$$ tylenol. One more time, hospitals and healthcare facilities can bill whatever amount they like to insurance companies, what they get is determined by the insurance company, significantly less than what was billed. Medicare reimbursement is pi$$ poor, often as little as 10% of the billed amount.
Point of clarification. Emergency medical care is covered under EMTALA. Emergency life care isn't what this subject is about. All the surgeries/procedures discussed in the article and in other articles are not life saving emergency care. None of the surgeries/procedures discussed will cause a person to die if the surgery is delayed until payment is received or other options or resources are explored.
Well, if the medical and insurance industries WANTED to make sure the government would take over health care, they're doing exactly the right kinds of things to make that happen.
Of all the medical professionals I've dealt with in my life, I have only good feelings about 99% of them. Their billing systems, insurance systems, coding, and office staff - definitely NOT.
Did anyone ever die due to a lack of financing when they wanted to buy a car?
The Greatest Country In The World?
Hospitals are obliged to provide lifesaving care, including emergency surgery, to anyone who is in a life-or-death situation, regardless of their ability to pay. Now elective surgery is a whole different issue. Even if medically necessary, elective surgery must get pre-approval from the insurance company.
If the person is uninsured or needs or wants a surgery that isn't covered by their plan, there are medical finance companies that will finance the surgery, usually repaid with a monthly deduction from your paycheck. Cosmetic dental work is often done this way, as well as big dollar items like crowns and implants. Many people's dental only covers a certain amount towards crowns, and often the cost is twice what your insurance covers, so this dental finance plan will work with people as long as they have income.
I have great insurance, but I have a surgical deductible of $200. I've been asked to pay the deductible up front before surgery. It's no big deal to me. To someone who wanted to save money by purchasing high deductible insurance, it might be a problem, but they took that chance when they chose that insurance. If that is someone's choice, I hope they considered their ability to pay the deductible out of pocket or have a credit line to cover it.
Last edited by TheShadow; 05-10-2024 at 09:26 AM..
Well, your daughter in law paid for that 'loan' somehow. Or everybody did, which is why health care costs are so outrageously high, every single thing nickel & dimed. Like being invoiced for Tylenol at $28 a dose. Hospitals aren't banks and they don't offer payment plans out of the goodness of their heart - someone made money off that loan.
It is not the people that have surgeries that is the problem-its the people who think they do NOT need health insurance that is the problem-until they do. And that costs thousands of dollars.
Anyway,I can see this becoming a problem,and making it the Supreme Court. Why? It conflicts with the EMTALA ACT.
What if someone needs an emergency surgery and does not have the money for the deductible? That is a violation of the EMTALA ACT
I live in a senior community that numbers about 800 people. We all have different types of insurance. Most of us have Medicare Advantage plans or Original Medicare.
Not one single person has had to pay in advance for anything at a hospital. Not for surgeries, not for admitting, not for ER, nothing. And we are surrounded by hospitals. Baptist, Presbyterian, UAMS, and several others are within a mile or two from here.
Hospitals are obliged to provide lifesaving care, including emergency surgery, to anyone who is in a life-or-death situation, regardless of their ability to pay. Now elective surgery is a whole different issue. Even if medically necessary, elective surgery must get pre-approval from the insurance company.
If the person is uninsured or needs or wants a surgery that isn't covered by their plan, there are medical finance companies that will finance the surgery, usually repaid with a monthly deduction from your paycheck. Cosmetic dental work is often done this way, as well as big dollar items like crowns and implants. Many people's dental only covers a certain amount towards crowns, and often the cost is twice what your insurance covers, so this dental finance plan will work with people as long as they have income.
I have great insurance, but I have a surgical deductible of $200. I've been asked to pay the deductible up front before surgery. It's no big deal to me. To someone who wanted to save money by purchasing high deductible insurance, it might be a problem, but they took that chance when they chose that insurance. If that is someone's choice, I hope they considered their ability to pay the deductible out of pocket or have a credit line to cover it.
I need full hip replacement surgery. I have severe osteoarthritis in that hip, osteoporosis in both hips and my spine, osteopenia, and degenerative disk disease. I'm in pain 24/7, but because I'm super-flexible, I'm able to walk and even dance and manage my pain with only rare need for tylenol. I'm bone-on-bone on that hip and the surgeon was surprised to see how well I was able to get around. It's because I also have Ehler-Danlos syndrome, which causes super-elastic skin, double-jointedness, and connective tissue weirdness among other things.
I really REALLY want that surgery. But I have a zero deductible, but a 9800 out of pocket max. So they can charge me $9800 for the hip surgery, and because it's "valued" at 25,000, and I only pay $9800, I'm getting a bit of a break. I'd have to pay up front for the initial surgery. And I'd pay the balance after the follow up appointments. i'm exercising and hopeing it helps me enough that I can delay the surgery until my medicare kicksin in 2 year when i'm eligible for Meicare. Just two more years..
I live in a senior community that numbers about 800 people. We all have different types of insurance. Most of us have Medicare Advantage plans or Original Medicare.
Not one single person has had to pay in advance for anything at a hospital. Not for surgeries, not for admitting, not for ER, nothing. And we are surrounded by hospitals. Baptist, Presbyterian, UAMS, and several others are within a mile or two from here.
Those with Medicare insurance can’t be forced to pay out-of-pocket copays in advance. But private insurance doesn’t have those protections.
Many private commercial insurance plans these days may have high deductibles, like $4000-$5000, before insurance pays anything. Medicare deductibles are low, and most Advantage plans are zero deductible, so there is less risk a patient wouldn’t be able to pay their portion, anyway.
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