Comments on: My take: Medicare, balance billing, me, op-eds http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/07/my-take-medicare-balance-billing-me-op.html medical blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:15:05 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: AD http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/07/my-take-medicare-balance-billing-me-op.html/comment-page-1#comment-86583 AD Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:12:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/07/my-take-medicare-balance-billing-me-op-eds.html#comment-86583 I agree on the concept of balanced billing, however it is hard to muster up any sympathy for it the way things currently are. Hospital billing is not transparent in any way. The "billed" price and the agreed upon or accepted price between the multitude of insures are vastly different. When a hospital bills out $10 for an aspirin, $200 for a bag of IVF and $5000 for a CT scan they are not going to find many people sympathetic.<br/><br/>The guy who runs this hospital chain is known as a real A**. He is a physician who has put all human decency aside to become as rich as he can be.<br/><br/>Like many things a few bad apples ruin the whold box. Too bad because the option of balance billing is the only leverage we have against insurers that want to pay nothing for services and treatment already rendered.<br/><br/>This guy who I agree on the concept of balanced billing, however it is hard to muster up any sympathy for it the way things currently are. Hospital billing is not transparent in any way. The “billed” price and the agreed upon or accepted price between the multitude of insures are vastly different. When a hospital bills out $10 for an aspirin, $200 for a bag of IVF and $5000 for a CT scan they are not going to find many people sympathetic.

The guy who runs this hospital chain is known as a real A**. He is a physician who has put all human decency aside to become as rich as he can be.

Like many things a few bad apples ruin the whold box. Too bad because the option of balance billing is the only leverage we have against insurers that want to pay nothing for services and treatment already rendered.

This guy who

]]> By: Robin http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/07/my-take-medicare-balance-billing-me-op.html/comment-page-1#comment-86572 Robin Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:05:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/07/my-take-medicare-balance-billing-me-op-eds.html#comment-86572 I enjoy your writing. Food for thought. I did question, though, this comment: ". . . the lawsuit against balance billing in California:<br/>I just received a $2,000 bill from my dentist for costs not covered by my dental insurance. There should be no reason why doctors and hospitals can't do the same."<br/><br/>I thought they did. My hospital and my doctors do. Secondly, I wish my health insurance was a cheap as my dental insurance. <br/><br/>Have a wonderful weekend. I enjoy your writing. Food for thought. I did question, though, this comment: “. . . the lawsuit against balance billing in California:
I just received a $2,000 bill from my dentist for costs not covered by my dental insurance. There should be no reason why doctors and hospitals can’t do the same.”

I thought they did. My hospital and my doctors do. Secondly, I wish my health insurance was a cheap as my dental insurance.

Have a wonderful weekend.

]]> By: DrVal http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/07/my-take-medicare-balance-billing-me-op.html/comment-page-1#comment-86571 DrVal Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:12:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/07/my-take-medicare-balance-billing-me-op-eds.html#comment-86571 Happy 1st (raised a glass at the Canadian embassy on Tuesday and got a temporary flag tattooed on my face). And Happy 4th as well... I am a dual citizen after all. ;) Happy 1st (raised a glass at the Canadian embassy on Tuesday and got a temporary flag tattooed on my face). And Happy 4th as well… I am a dual citizen after all. ;)

]]> By: Christian Sinclair, MD http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/07/my-take-medicare-balance-billing-me-op.html/comment-page-1#comment-86570 Christian Sinclair, MD Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:03:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/07/my-take-medicare-balance-billing-me-op-eds.html#comment-86570 Thanks for your work Kevin. I like these posts with your short opinions and the reader takes are good as well.<br/><br/>It is nice to look at the man behind the curtain every once in a while and realize that you get email and links from many many different people.<br/><br/>Thanks again and have a good holiday weekend! Thanks for your work Kevin. I like these posts with your short opinions and the reader takes are good as well.

It is nice to look at the man behind the curtain every once in a while and realize that you get email and links from many many different people.

Thanks again and have a good holiday weekend!

]]> By: maggiem http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/07/my-take-medicare-balance-billing-me-op.html/comment-page-1#comment-86569 maggiem Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:48:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/07/my-take-medicare-balance-billing-me-op-eds.html#comment-86569 Kevin--<br/> <br/> People actually ask you why you don't write more posts? <br/><br/> I can't imagine how physician-bloggers do it. How do they find the time? I can only hope that blogging is cathartic. Physician bloggers make a very important contribution to the national health care discussion. I don't always agree, but they are "inside," and know what's going on. <br/><br/>Next week will be extremely interesting. Nice to see that the Democrats have, as you say, "grown balls." But my guess is that if they pass a bill that cuts the insurers' windfall, Bush will veto it. We'll see . . .<br/><br/>Even if Bush vetos, in 2009, Congress will slash the bonus to insurers, and we can be pretty sure the president won't veto. (Even if McCain takes the White House, he is, as you probably know, one of very few Republicans who voted against the Medicare bill that created Medicare Advantage.) Kevin–

People actually ask you why you don’t write more posts?

I can’t imagine how physician-bloggers do it. How do they find the time? I can only hope that blogging is cathartic. Physician bloggers make a very important contribution to the national health care discussion. I don’t always agree, but they are “inside,” and know what’s going on.

Next week will be extremely interesting. Nice to see that the Democrats have, as you say, “grown balls.” But my guess is that if they pass a bill that cuts the insurers’ windfall, Bush will veto it. We’ll see . . .

Even if Bush vetos, in 2009, Congress will slash the bonus to insurers, and we can be pretty sure the president won’t veto. (Even if McCain takes the White House, he is, as you probably know, one of very few Republicans who voted against the Medicare bill that created Medicare Advantage.)

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