Please pardon my obscenity

I don't like to be crude and obscene. But sometimes that is the only way to describe some things. So please pardon my crudeness while I try to explain what the Doctor-patient-insurance relationship has become.

The insurance company sucks you in.... and the doctor sucks you off. There is a similar arrangement between working ladies and their "procurers".

And that is the best reason I know for all of us to support a Nationalized insurance effort.

:smoke:

It was good for me. Thanks! (I'll be sure to get tested in three months too...)

So welcome to my world. Docs have been great about working with me, cutting their fees up front if I whip out my checkbook at time of service. Docs have been the best of all, actually.

I've learned how to negotiate with hospitals, although I'm not getting the break insurance plans do.

Whipping out your checkbook and letting them know you can actually pay them puts you in a better bargaining position than you'd be in if they had to make long term payment arrangements.

However, paying a deductible puts you into the worst of all worlds, not being in a bargaining position because the doc still has to spend money on office staff chasing your insurance company.

In the past most doctors have been great about working with people who needed help. But I fear that in recent years they are becoming more and more dependent on insurance companies not only to provide them with patients but to keep boosting the amount they charge uninsured people.



Exactly ! What bothers me most about the present relationship between doctor and insurance company is this: The doctor will charge (let's say) $100 for a visit. The insurance company will probably pay $50, and everybody is happy. But let an uninsured walk in, he is also billed at $100 and the doctor's billing department will not settle for any less. They turn it over to the credit bureau. That is not right. If the doctor accepts $50 from the insurer, why not charge everybody the same ?

because they're already working their asses off and he doesn't want to pay overtime or hire more people. He is going to cut that $100 fee by downcoding the service if he's in an HMO.

Like I said, docs have been the best in all this. Hospitals are starting to realize that not involving their billers is also advantageous and are cutting their fees, as well, as long as you're not going to have to set up a payment schedule...and sometimes if you are.

The uninsured are still getting screwed on prescriptions if they have to take anything that is still on patent. No pharmacy will work with us, although Costco, Target and Wally's have all got lists of reduced price generic drugs if we can take generics.

last December. For three years I was paying just about $1,200/month and my employer was kicking in almost $400. That meant that BCBS was getting close to $20,000/year to insure me and my kids. We are all relatively healthy and don't have any ongoing health concerns. I didn't mind paying(even though it was half of my pay) until BCBS refused to pay a bill, I got stuck with an unexpected $1200. bill and they continually generated questions about other simple bills and caused continued stress and numerous phone calls to "work it out". I have no health insurance coverage now. I will do my best to stay healthy and not have any 'accidents' The system as it is now is absurd.
When the time comes, I will gladly pay additional taxes to our government to support Universal coverage.