Comments on: Shady Medical Expenses http://frugalbabe.com/2007/06/29/shady-medical-expenses/ A rich life without a lot of money Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:46:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Frugal Babe » Archive » Networth October 2007 http://frugalbabe.com/2007/06/29/shady-medical-expenses/comment-page-1/#comment-15572 Frugal Babe » Archive » Networth October 2007 Sun, 11 Nov 2007 05:54:20 +0000 http://frugalbabe.com/2007/06/29/shady-medical-expenses/#comment-15572 [...] debt side of our balance sheet has $762 for my husband’s dermatology bill, on which we’re just paying $100 per month.   The original bill was $1800, about 4 times [...] [...] debt side of our balance sheet has $762 for my husband’s dermatology bill, on which we’re just paying $100 per month.   The original bill was $1800, about 4 times [...]

]]> By: Frugal Babe » Archive » Medical Bill Woes http://frugalbabe.com/2007/06/29/shady-medical-expenses/comment-page-1/#comment-10851 Frugal Babe » Archive » Medical Bill Woes Wed, 22 Aug 2007 17:28:01 +0000 http://frugalbabe.com/2007/06/29/shady-medical-expenses/#comment-10851 [...] this summer, my husband had a dermatology procedure done in a local office.  We had picked that office because they offered the best price - we knew [...] [...] this summer, my husband had a dermatology procedure done in a local office.  We had picked that office because they offered the best price - we knew [...]

]]> By: Frugal Babe » Revised Savings Goals for 2007 http://frugalbabe.com/2007/06/29/shady-medical-expenses/comment-page-1/#comment-4661 Frugal Babe » Revised Savings Goals for 2007 Wed, 11 Jul 2007 04:21:43 +0000 http://frugalbabe.com/2007/06/29/shady-medical-expenses/#comment-4661 [...] know that we’re going to be needing some of the HSA money soon to pay for my husband’s lipoma surgery that he just had, but we’d like to end the year with enough money in our HSA to cover our [...] [...] know that we’re going to be needing some of the HSA money soon to pay for my husband’s lipoma surgery that he just had, but we’d like to end the year with enough money in our HSA to cover our [...]

]]> By: FrugalBabe http://frugalbabe.com/2007/06/29/shady-medical-expenses/comment-page-1/#comment-3845 FrugalBabe Wed, 04 Jul 2007 20:25:05 +0000 http://frugalbabe.com/2007/06/29/shady-medical-expenses/#comment-3845 Hi IKT, Lots of good points there. Getting a quote over the phone is not easy, but it's an absolute necessity to at least try if you're going to have to pay the bill yourself. Every single office that we called gave us a quote over the phone. Now why would they do that if they aren't even in the same neighborhood when it comes to the bill? If they quote $300 - $600 and then charge $1650, there is something seriously wrong with their quoting system. My husband was very specific in his quote - "baseball sized lipoma on shoulderblade." and all the people he spoke with were also specific with a price. Each office gave him a window of about $200 and said that it could fall anywhere in that window. Incidentally, the pathology bill came seperately; it's not included in the $1650. If an office can't tell until they get into the surgery how much it's going to cost, they have no business giving ballpark quotes over the phone. And it really doesn't matter who he spoke with - all employees who are authorized to answer the phone at a business represent that business. It's not the patient's fault that an uninformed person gave an incorrect quote - that responsibility lies with the business, that's basic business 101. Our financial situation is of no concern when it comes to getting a bill that roughly matches the price quoted. We are not destitute, but we also don't have a spare $1650 lying around that we can just give to the doctor. We definitly don't have enough money to be subsidizing someone else's care. We do that enough with our health insurance (I have never had a single claim in 28 years other than annual exams - most of which I have to pay out of pocket anyway). When my husband's lipoma was first diagnosed, he was told that removal wasn't necessary unless he was bothered by it. Six years later, it had grown big enough to be impinging on his back and shoulder muscles, and we finally had enough money to think about getting it removed. But not a ton of money. And since we knew insurance wouldn't cover it, it was really important to shop around. The government is touting HSAs (which we have) as a great way to involve patients in the health care process, and provide more transparancy when it comes to the costs of medical procedures. This is supposed to be the encouragement that people need to shop for medical care like they would a for a car. But if you actually try to do so, you'll find that it's pretty darn tough to do. I'm glad that you were able to work out deals with your docs when you had cancer treatment - and it looks like it worked, since you're still here :) That's what we hope to do with this situation. Hi IKT,
Lots of good points there. Getting a quote over the phone is not easy, but it’s an absolute necessity to at least try if you’re going to have to pay the bill yourself. Every single office that we called gave us a quote over the phone. Now why would they do that if they aren’t even in the same neighborhood when it comes to the bill? If they quote $300 - $600 and then charge $1650, there is something seriously wrong with their quoting system. My husband was very specific in his quote - “baseball sized lipoma on shoulderblade.” and all the people he spoke with were also specific with a price. Each office gave him a window of about $200 and said that it could fall anywhere in that window. Incidentally, the pathology bill came seperately; it’s not included in the $1650.
If an office can’t tell until they get into the surgery how much it’s going to cost, they have no business giving ballpark quotes over the phone. And it really doesn’t matter who he spoke with - all employees who are authorized to answer the phone at a business represent that business. It’s not the patient’s fault that an uninformed person gave an incorrect quote - that responsibility lies with the business, that’s basic business 101.
Our financial situation is of no concern when it comes to getting a bill that roughly matches the price quoted. We are not destitute, but we also don’t have a spare $1650 lying around that we can just give to the doctor. We definitly don’t have enough money to be subsidizing someone else’s care. We do that enough with our health insurance (I have never had a single claim in 28 years other than annual exams - most of which I have to pay out of pocket anyway).
When my husband’s lipoma was first diagnosed, he was told that removal wasn’t necessary unless he was bothered by it. Six years later, it had grown big enough to be impinging on his back and shoulder muscles, and we finally had enough money to think about getting it removed. But not a ton of money. And since we knew insurance wouldn’t cover it, it was really important to shop around. The government is touting HSAs (which we have) as a great way to involve patients in the health care process, and provide more transparancy when it comes to the costs of medical procedures. This is supposed to be the encouragement that people need to shop for medical care like they would a for a car. But if you actually try to do so, you’ll find that it’s pretty darn tough to do.
I’m glad that you were able to work out deals with your docs when you had cancer treatment - and it looks like it worked, since you’re still here :) That’s what we hope to do with this situation.

]]> By: I Know Too http://frugalbabe.com/2007/06/29/shady-medical-expenses/comment-page-1/#comment-3834 I Know Too Wed, 04 Jul 2007 18:57:11 +0000 http://frugalbabe.com/2007/06/29/shady-medical-expenses/#comment-3834 Asking a physician over the phone for a quote for a medical procedure is like asking a car repair shop how much it will cost to fix your bumper without them having seen the bumper. Is it a ding? A scratch? A dent? Also, who answered the question? The receptionist (who probably doesn't do the billing), the medical assistant (also doesn't do the billing), or the physician? The cost was probably determined by the size of the lipoma (how many stiches did your husband have) and the complexity of its removal. Did the cost include the post-op procedure of having the stitches removed?Did the cost include the pathology bill (that alone is about $250 - $300)? The best thing would have been to have the initial consultation $165 and ask the physician regarding the cost of removal during the visit. You might have then been surprised to find out that the physician probably didn't even know - he just fills out a form that describes the nature/scope of your service - and from there the info goes to the medical biller. About 20 years ago I had a cancer diagnosis... my new employers insurance had not taken affect so I was in the same position. I met with the doctor for my first visit and explained to him my financial situation, the insurance situation, etc. Bless his heart, he never charged me over $25 for an office visit. After 4 months of chemo (I had a family friend who was a pharmacist who got me the medication "at cost") I had surgery. The oncologist only charged me $500. (the hospital, anesthesiologist and other associated bills are a different story...) In any event, the doctor and I worked it out that I paid $50 p/month for 10 months. I've found that many hospitals and doctors will provide you with a discount if you pay 100% (even if it is on a credit card) of the bill. Schedule a follow-up visit with the physician, take the bill, explain the situation - he'll come up with something though his business manager/accountant won't be happy. One suggestion: I don't know your financial status, but if you can afford to pay the physician 100% for his services, please do so..... by doing so you'll make it possible for him to provide discounted services to those who are in greater financial need. A lipoma is rarely cancerous and removal is often considered "cosmetic." Asking a physician over the phone for a quote for a medical procedure is like asking a car repair shop how much it will cost to fix your bumper without them having seen the bumper. Is it a ding? A scratch? A dent?

Also, who answered the question? The receptionist (who probably doesn’t do the billing), the medical assistant (also doesn’t do the billing), or the physician?

The cost was probably determined by the size of the lipoma (how many stiches did your husband have) and the complexity of its removal. Did the cost include the post-op procedure of having the stitches removed?Did the cost include the pathology bill (that alone is about $250 - $300)?

The best thing would have been to have the initial consultation $165 and ask the physician regarding the cost of removal during the visit. You might have then been surprised to find out that the physician probably didn’t even know - he just fills out a form that describes the nature/scope of your service - and from there the info goes to the medical biller.

About 20 years ago I had a cancer diagnosis… my new employers insurance had not taken affect so I was in the same position. I met with the doctor for my first visit and explained to him my financial situation, the insurance situation, etc. Bless his heart, he never charged me over $25 for an office visit. After 4 months of chemo (I had a family friend who was a pharmacist who got me the medication “at cost”) I had surgery. The oncologist only charged me $500. (the hospital, anesthesiologist and other associated bills are a different story…) In any event, the doctor and I worked it out that I paid $50 p/month for 10 months.

I’ve found that many hospitals and doctors will provide you with a discount if you pay 100% (even if it is on a credit card) of the bill.

Schedule a follow-up visit with the physician, take the bill, explain the situation - he’ll come up with something though his business manager/accountant won’t be happy.

One suggestion: I don’t know your financial status, but if you can afford to pay the physician 100% for his services, please do so….. by doing so you’ll make it possible for him to provide discounted services to those who are in greater financial need. A lipoma is rarely cancerous and removal is often considered “cosmetic.”

]]> By: louise http://frugalbabe.com/2007/06/29/shady-medical-expenses/comment-page-1/#comment-3212 louise Fri, 29 Jun 2007 23:21:26 +0000 http://frugalbabe.com/2007/06/29/shady-medical-expenses/#comment-3212 Thats appalling! good idea to tape them qqoting the lower price. Did they give you and itemised account? If not ask for one with every cent accounted for. I would make a complaint if they don't drop the price down. Good luck! Thats appalling! good idea to tape them qqoting the lower price. Did they give you and itemised account? If not ask for one with every cent accounted for. I would make a complaint if they don’t drop the price down. Good luck!

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