12-22-2016, 02:30 PM
(12-20-2016, 12:24 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: I had shoulder surgery last year. I asked, "What are my total out of pocket expenses?" I was told $1054. Insurance would cover the rest. I received one bill in excess of $3800. That doesn't even include the bill for the anesthegiologist which was close to $1000. When I called I was told I called the wrong place. I had called the clinic and need to call the surgery center. The "clinic" and the "surgery" center are under the same roof, same building, same doctors. The clinic is in the front, surgery center in the back. But, they each have separate billing departments and the clinic couldn't help me with surgery center billing questions and vice versa. When I contacted the surgery center's billing department, I was told I was given an "estimate" and the total cost isn't always the same as the estimate.
To me, that's like asking, "How much to buy this truck?"
"Oh, $30,000."
Then getting a bill in the mail for $90,000.
And of course I was paying my monthly premiums and co-pays.
This is one big reason why it blows my mind when politicians claim that if people were allowed to "shop around" for health care competition would make prices go down.
The other problem is that you do not even know what treatment you are "shopping for" until a doctor examines you and tells you what the problem is.
