Fun with health care billing (RANT)

[Puckstop31]

Puck, easy for you to say.

However, when the best docs in the area work for a provider with less than ethical practices, but they're shielded by the bureaucracy.........

The buyer CAN'T beware.

You keep making excuses for the businesses who are operating on the fringes of the law. I'd expect a slightly different response form you, frankly. Look, I'm an intelligent person, and I cannot figure out how their billing system works, and frankly, don't have the time to spend to do so. Again, anywhere but healthcare, they're in court for false advertising, doing business under false pretenses, and a host of other issues. But because they're a charitable org. doing healthcare, it's all good, and you're defending them? I just cannot for a second see how those are ethical business practices.

I did not say it was ethical, nor was I trying to imply that Liz was wrong for being upset... I know that the industry has a lot (a LOT) of holes in it. All the more reason to ask a lot of questions and to NEVER take their word on anything.

I am NOT defending them. Its sucks and we all know it. We deal with vendors who try to pull fast ones ALL the time. I run a small business dude.... I know how these games get played.

What is the answer though? MORE laws? A government monopoly in the health care business? How does that help make care more affordable or of a higher quality? Because that is what I want... I want the individual consumer (and their families) to be more involved in the process of their care.


I see how this can devolve into reasoning for more central control of businesses... Be careful what you wish for.

[Bonny]

A person wonders if they couldn't just run off a copy of what they have done & the cost right then & there for the patient? Then you would have what you need to fight the insurance companies. They seem to get the itemized list instead of us.

Then they could also get you mixed up with someone else & send their bill to you or vice versa.

I was told you have to be your advocate but if you are sick & feeling lousy that is hard to do.