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$9,000 to bandage a finger


BengalBacker

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well there's your problem...

 

 

 Thanks, Obama!

Yea no matter that the story says

 

"Dr. Mark Spektor, president and CEO of the medical center, said the big bill is the fault of Hanusz-Rajkowski’s insurance company, United Healthcare, which no longer has an in-network pricing contract with the hospital. Spektor said United doesn’t offer fair reimbursement rates."

 

Just blame Obama

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Sounds like the hospital is overcharging to me.

Since turning Bayonne Medical Center into a for-profit venture, Spektor says the hospital has become profitable. He would not reveal the facilitys profit margin on the $8,200 emergency room visit.

Linda Schwimmer, vice president of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, estimated the charge is more than ten times the true cost of treating a cut finger.

I can tell you the right price is somewhere between the neighborhood of $400 and $1,000," Schwimmer said. "And I know that because Ive called around and asked, but why doesnt everybody know that?

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/I-Team-NJ-Hospital-Charges-8K-to-Bandage-a-Cut-Finger-270053241.html
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Yea no matter that the story says

 

"Dr. Mark Spektor, president and CEO of the medical center, said the big bill is the fault of Hanusz-Rajkowski’s insurance company, United Healthcare, which no longer has an in-network pricing contract with the hospital. Spektor said United doesn’t offer fair reimbursement rates."

 

Just blame Obama

 

does your HMO cover that faulty sarcasm-meter of yours?

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I just had a 3-day stay at a hospital for my bum ear.  It would have been outpatient in the US...my girlfriend calls it "get the fuck out, patient" lol. 

 

I came in on Wednesday morning, had "surgery" (no scalpels were used but I was under general anesthesia) at about noon, woke up at 14:00, back to my room by 15:00.  On the morning of day 2 I was probably 90% with it, so they wouldn't let me go home.  Friday I went home but first I had to stop at the cashier's counter and pay:

 

30€ (10€ per day copay), about $40 total. 

 

If you're not squeemish, check out what was done.

 

I wish I could tell you how much was billed to the insurance company, but I won't see that piece of paper...my obligations are fulfilled. 

 

 

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Let's compare and contrast that with the USA, shall we?

 

My lovely bride recently had a hospital stay.  She went in for what was supposed to be an outpatient laproscopic cystectomy which turned into a 3 1/2 day hospital stay at one of my company's facilities.  Well, we got the bill, and it looked something like this:

 

Charges:  $66,000

 

Employee Discount:  $33,000

 

Submitted to Insurance:  $33,000  <----  Note that they gave the "discount" to the insurance company, not to me.

 

Insurance Paid:  $31,700

 

Your Contribution to your CEO's Ivory Back scratcher fund:  $1,300

 

Out of pocket, for someone who fucking works there is $1,3000.  Now as an American, I've been conditioned to think "Hey, that's not too bad, look at the original cost!", but it gives one pause to realize that some normal schmuck would have been on the hook for around $30,000 even with insurance.

 

And I have what they refer to as "Cadillac" Insurance due to my employment with the company.  Therein lies one of my biggest beefs with the "Affordable" Care Act; they should have called it the Accessible Care Act, 'cause it sure isn't affordable... 

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