Very good srticle re: hospitals.

**RICHARD** · 06-02-2010, 05:39 AM

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...ou.aspx?page=1

Good stuff.

**Medusa** · 06-02-2010, 06:59 AM

Good stuff indeed. I was shocked at some of the points. Thanx, Richard.

**smokey the elder** · 06-02-2010, 07:19 AM

This was interesting. There is a hospital in Tennessee (I think) who is doing such low-tech stuff as brushing patients' teeth, reminding one another to wash their hands, etc.

I have an idea that comes from the idea of the cuss jar. Whenever someone is caught not washing their hands, they need to feed the Dirty Money jar. When it's filled, it goes to charity.

**RICHARD** · 06-02-2010, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by smokey the elder

I have an idea that comes from the idea of the cuss jar. Whenever someone is caught not washing their hands, they need to feed the Dirty Money jar. When it's filled, it goes to charity.

LOL, we had a cuss jar and at the end of the year we threw a Xmas party.

This was before charity was invented.

---------

One huge moneymaker for hospitals is a pre-set list of charges for every stay.

Instead of charging patients for each item during their stay?

They have a list of things you MAY NEED while you are in-they will charge you and the insurance company for everything on that list.

------------
Example?

A facility will buy prepacked surgery kits for an appendix removal.

They will use 75 percent of that kit and the other 25% is thrown out or gathered to be donated to a charity.

So,if a kit costs 400 dollars, you will be billed the total amount, while they only use 300 dollars worth of material/tools.

**smokey the elder** · 06-02-2010, 01:54 PM

Imagine all the coin that could be saved if that was not done. Unfortunately, I think the bills are padded in part because of all the uninsured folks out there.

**RICHARD** · 06-02-2010, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by smokey the elder

Imagine all the coin that could be saved if that was not done. Unfortunately, I think the bills are padded in part because of all the uninsured folks out there.

The companies like Baxter make kits that way, they sell the kits to the HMOs and hospitals, telling them that it's cost effective. Or if they do not have the correct size of trochar in laparotomy kit? They open a new one that has the right size and toss/recycle the rest of the kit.

lol,

A kit comes with disposable draping for the patient.

I have been to office parties where they really make neat table covers,

**Cataholic** · 06-09-2010, 05:27 AM

Originally Posted by smokey the elder

Imagine all the coin that could be saved if that was not done. Unfortunately, I think the bills are padded in part because of all the uninsured folks out there.

To add to that, I think bills are padded so that the hospital (or provider) will get something close to what they should be getting paid from the insurance company. Provider only gets paid a certain (low) amount per code/procedure. So, the provider adds in every single code possible to increase its reimbursement!