It's enough to make even a quad kick ass and throw fists. But I am not surprised. The slightest medical problem results in bills for things and from people you never even heard of. To say that the whole thing is an immoral, unethical racket is an understatement. A lifetime of savings can be wiped out in one week. A simple hello from the doctor can cost $300. Your experience is all too common. I don't have a clue if Obama's plan will be better, but I certainly hope so.
Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: > Resent-From: [email protected] > From: Candle <[email protected]> > Date: April 27, 2012 12:47:03 PM EDT > To: quad-list <[email protected]> > Subject: [QUAD-L] medical bill > Reply-To: Candle <[email protected]> > > I just got a copy of a medical bill that was paid by insurance which means it > goes to my deductible and then the remainder is sent to medicare. The $78 was > all applied to my deductible so I hope that medicare picks up the rest. Out > of pocket medical is making us poor. Here is the kicker. It was for an > appointment at the wound care clinic. The regular doctor that I see had > suggested seeing an podiatrist who works there one or two days a week. This > was the second time that I had seen the guy. He didn't even look at my wound. > He asked the nurses, as he stood in the hall, how it was doing and since the > nurses said it looked okay that they could just put the dressing on it and > send me home. My husband was furious and told the front desk not to set up > any more appointments with the guy because we could have done the same stuff > at home and not had to be billed. My husband wanted me to see the regular guy > that I usually saw and the woman at the front desk was very nice and set me > up with the regular guy. > > The bill that we got from this appointment was billed as anything from > doctor's services, but was billed as "Misc. medical supplies." What a crock > and what a racket. If I say anything to insurance or medicare. They won't pay > it. I can't afford to pay more out of pocket. The wound care clinic is > already working with me because I have been going there for over two years > and my new insurance doesn't have them under their preferred providers. I am > worried about saying anything to the clinic, but what I do plan to do is that > if my regular doctor wants me to see another podiatrist or specialist, I am > going to say "no" and then share with him why. I figure if he brings it up, > then it doesn't look like I was making a fuss over it. > > I worry about losing services because I have already lost a regular family > physician because medicare and the insurance were mixed up about who was > primary. This was an old insurance company and this happened over 4 years > ago. By the time everything was straightened out, my old doctor's office > wouldn't take my appointments because of classified as non-payment and the > items had gone to collectors, even after we explained the problem and how we > were trying to get it worked out. > > I'm not sure why, but I guess that podiatrist who billed me for misc. medical > equipment no longer works at the clinic. One of the nurses said it in passing > as she was reveiwing my notes. When I asked her why he left, she claimed to > have not known the reason. > > Candle > "Scars remind of us where we’ve been, they don’t have to dictate where we are > going." > ~David Rossi of Criminal Minds > ***********************************************************************
