Tomorrow I have to go to the hospital for hernia repair surgery. Its an out patient procedure, nothing major.
I've been on my current job for 20 years. We do have decent health insurance. I pay my bills and have an excellent credit score.
A little while ago the hospital called. They figured up my bill already, know exactly how much the insurance will pay and they want my part up front! Told me to bring the money with me!

Lemme see if I got this straight. Illegals, welfare bums and assorted other non-insured burdens on society can walk into a hospital, can't be refused care and get whatever they want with the hospital knowing full well that they'll never pay a cent. But honest, hard working taxpaying citizens have to pay in advance?

I just don't have the words to express how I feel.

Yep, ya got it. AND you've got to pay a lot extra to cover what they don't collect from the illegals, welfare bums, etc.

I don't ever pay anybody up front.

- Jim

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Festina lente - A. Caesar

I'd have to second guess a surgeon that wants the money up front!

Seriously, I would tell them that you do not have the money available at this time. What will they do, postpone your surgery until you cough up the cash? Tell 'em you can't cough because you have a hernia!

Don't blame you for this rant at all.

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Freedom above all else.

Sounds like you have the wrong hospital. In the last couple years I had numerous espensive operations cutting my nose off due to cancer and a new one built. Every time I went to the Huntsmen cancer center in salt lake I only had to pay very little each time. Seem to remember something like $70 to $80 each time AND it was usualy about 3 day stay each time!

Jeesh, what a crock! Does this pre figured out bill take into account any possible difficulties, a possible hospital provided staph infection and such? I would have a hard time keeping my mouth from saying, let me see what kind of job you do on me before I pay up! Anyhoo, I sure hope all goes well for you with a speedy recovery!

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Stay safe people!

Sounds like the same treatment regiment I received at St "F" Bartlett, (You know what hospital I'm talking about). Demanding payment before services are rendered. I have GREAT insurance (90/10, max OOP $1500) and told them I could not/would not pay before services where rendered the day I arrived for my surgery. After about 30 days they came-a-callin wanting their money. After paying about 25% of the amount due, their billing department called and we settled my account for less than half of the original balance my insurance did not cover. Hold out for the phone calls, they just want you to pay some illegals bill that has no insurance. They will settle for a MUCH lower amount than what they originally quoted you.

Class III

Class III, that's the place!
Nope, I don't get a choice on where to go. This is the hospital system in our current insurance package. This one is 10 minutes from my house where as the other hospitals in this system are considerably farther.
Its not about the money. Its only $130 that they want. Hell, I can spend that on one trip to Wal-Mart. Its the principal of the thing. I'm good for it and they should know that.
And what's the deal with them springing this on me the afternoon before I go in? They think I'm gonna change my mind? Its not like I have a choice is it?
I'll probably just pay it. I DO pay my bills. That way its done with and I won't have to deal with them again later.
However, there will be some discussion before I hand over the money.

Oddly enough, I can understand their point of view. They provide a service and expect to get paid for it. I got no problem with that. Its the way they're going about it that pisses me off.
Then again, considering how often they get ripped off............. well what can I say. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

The real killer is that the same politicians who passed the "must provide service" laws which led to this situation are the same ones who now want to "fix" the health care system.
Good grief, we are so screwed.

Screwed we are my friend, screwed we are. BTW did you go the the gun show this past WE? I picked up a Mdl 36 3" HB factory nickel w/factory grip adapter (T-Grip) NNIB for $200.00 and sold it about an hour later for $375.00 and a K38 4.5" drilled and tapped w/Leupold 2x LER scope for $275.00. Yeah, it is a cut down, but the price made it worth it as the scope was free+ at the price I paid.

Hope the surgery goes well. Talk at you later.

Class III

That's odd. I've been to St. Francis Bartlett three times in the last two months and they never tried to collect payments up front. Maybe thats part of your insurance plan??

As pointed out previously, what happens if you end having a problem, there's or your's, and have to stay longer, or something unanticipated happens? Do you have to pay before you leave?

Was once in a hospital and when the bill came to the house, same name on the bill, but was obviously for a different patient (SS number was not mine!), surgery was on a different part of the body, and the billed stay was a lot longer than my stay.

Notified the hospital and the insurance company(kept good records of who and when the calls were placed as well as copies of backup letters). Nothing further was ever said, until I refused to pay to co-pay as it was obviously a lot higher than what my bill should have been.

Now the surgeons bill and the anetheisolgist were right, just the hospital was screwed up.

In the end my co-pay ended up being next to nothing, cause, I never heard from either again. Maybe the letter from an attorney helped, one of Cajun's fellow members of the Louisiania bar!!

The dentist that my wife and kids uses bills up front. They have been working on "Try to find Care" recepients for a while and know exactly what they are going to get paid. We don't pay until after the work is perfomed though. The funny thing is, they will still send a bill in the mail for the part they know the insurance is going to pay. We haven't had any trouble with this system yet, so I have no problem with it.

Bill

If you pay up front make sure to get a 90 day guarantee!

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

Pay the $130 in pennys.

I must say, Sipowicz, that I really don't know how we ever got along in life without your insight and wisdom.

Grayfox, I know what you mean about St. Francis. My wife had minor surgery there in January and got hit for the same. It's them - not your insurance plan. They are a for profit hospital.

Were you just driving through the parking lot, visiting people, or were you there for treatment? Larry

Visit #1, surgery for me. Visit #2, ER visit due to surgery complications. Visit #3, ER visit for son's concussion. All we had to pay up front was a co-pay. I've just now started receiving the bills in the mail for the remainder of the balances.

i never have been asked, by any medical facility, for payment up front.

i hand them my insurance cards, the medical folks do their thing, i go home. end of story.

you may want to review your medical insurance program to understand what is covered and for how much.

Same thing happend to me prior to my recent shoulder surgery. I very kindly told the nice lady that I'd pay the bill the same way I pay all my other bills: I will pay them within 30 days when insurance has discounted and paid the provider's bill. The first bill arrived in the mail today. My check will be sent in a few weeks to pay the bill in full.

She was fine with that.

You'd be surprised to know how many people don't even pay their $20 doctor office co-pay and the clinic has to attempt to collect thier bill via collection agencies or small-claims court.

K

Well the cuttin' is done and I'm back home.
I tried to talk to the admissions lady about it, but didn't get much of an answer. I asked why, she answered "its just our policy." I asked what if I can't/won't pay right now? She said they'd call down a financial advisor for me to talk to.
So I just wrote them a check and let it go at that.
When I was checking out they did ask if it would be OK to call me in about a week to critique my visit. I do believe the subject will come up again.

Otherwise, everything went extremely well. No complaints about the service at all.

Good to hear you're doing well.