The ER stay and the CT scan seems excessive. My last ambulance bill was around 6mi and was $900 - but that was 9 years ago.
I'm disgusted with State Farm
- Thread starter dang
- Start date
As a guy who would read that CT scan, it is reimbursed about 200 bucks here in Ma, so that bill is far beyond outrageous...and most of it is the hospital that owns the scanner and room and pays the technologist etc. You got tons of room to negotiate.
I don't know why any of you are complaining. Here in America medicine is a for-profit business. Hospitals and the companies who run them are simply trying to uphold their obligation to shareholders and highly compensated executives ... To maximize profits. When you sell a collector car or petri steering wheel and try to get top dollar, you are exercising the same principle of capitalism. Charging what the market will bear is the basis of capitalism. If you feel the medical BUSINESS should focus on something other than profits then you should advocate for a different system of how they generate revenue and profits.
My experience is that most members selling cars and petri steering wheels on this website are not trying to get top dollar. They are looking for fair compensation for goods sold or services rendered. I think that is what the OP and those who chimed in are interested in.
Given that 80% of US hospitals are non-profit or state-owned, I do feel that they should focus on something other than profits.
How badly do you want that Petri equates to just how badly do you want your anestesia . Transactional medicine?
. Transactional medicine?Aussiecsi
Well-Known Member
Gobsmacking the cost of your health care . I recently had chest pains and thought it prudent to go to Emergency Dept ...could've opted for ambo but being five minutes away the wife drove. I had heard that if " chest pains" they just wave you through ie no real pack drill other than allergies or medical conditions. Within half an hour I had x-ray on lungs and full heart monitoring. I have private health cover but frankly it's easier to go "public" as no paperwork. If life threatening, everyone gets same level of care. Few hours later got the "all clear" and went home. Details sent to my local doctor. No charge other than my tax dollars.
I think the petri steering wheel purchase would go like this...
The steering wheel on your coupe breaks and you need to drive your car home before the hail storm, you get online and find a petri wheel just like yours, you buy it even though there's no price listed, they ship it express, you get your wheel before the storm and you make it home. All is well. The bills start coming in the mail and the wheel cost you $12,000, packaging was $3500, handling was $1200, opening the door for the parcel driver was $750, the flat tire on the delivery truck was $2300, and shipping cost was $7800.
The warnings that your balance will go to collections start coming next week!
The steering wheel on your coupe breaks and you need to drive your car home before the hail storm, you get online and find a petri wheel just like yours, you buy it even though there's no price listed, they ship it express, you get your wheel before the storm and you make it home. All is well. The bills start coming in the mail and the wheel cost you $12,000, packaging was $3500, handling was $1200, opening the door for the parcel driver was $750, the flat tire on the delivery truck was $2300, and shipping cost was $7800.
The warnings that your balance will go to collections start coming next week!
jmackro
Well-Known Member
You forgot one thing: And even though you beg them to quote you a price beforehand, they say that's impossible.
How the heck did we get here from dang's discussion State Farm?
I think that even the most cobbled-together 83 Oldsmobile should have an affordable Petri...as a right, not a privilege.
Given that 80% of US hospitals are non-profit or state-owned, I do feel that they should focus on something other than profits.
I suspect I may disagree with you if you are implying that non-profit tax status equates to minimizing the charges for goods and services or minimizing the cost/benefit ratio. My position on non-profits which are run as business is they they are still motivated to get top dollar for their added value, but rather than distributing profits via dividends and stock buybacks, they reinvest their financial surplus into things like expansion of endowments/facilities/activities. Executives who run non profits are rewarded by, amongst other factors, generating more revenue than expenses.
Haha Agreed in full. I’ve spent my time consulting for a non-profit hospital network and they are certainly revenue-driven.
My focus was on operational efficiency and process optimization. My conclusion was that they are neither efficient or optimized, and the lack of such equates to higher costs for patients. That is my overall experience with all non-profits and government agencies that I have worked for.
My focus was on operational efficiency and process optimization. My conclusion was that they are neither efficient or optimized, and the lack of such equates to higher costs for patients. That is my overall experience with all non-profits and government agencies that I have worked for.
After reading through this thread, I feel that it is causing symptoms that may require (expensive) medical assistance. That's how analogous this discussion appears to me (or is it metaphorical?).
Stephen, both.After reading through this thread, I feel that it is causing symptoms that may require (expensive) medical assistance. That's how analogous this discussion appears to me (or is it metaphorical?).
A conservative, in the old guard sense, recently asked me if I was a Socialist. My answer:
If being a Socialist means believing that NO ONE should make a dime from an individual's health care, then I am a Socialist. All those smart people at google and apple and those other companies with out upper-case first letters in their names(so cool) can figure out on their lunch break. Bingo. Done. We already have Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security in place. A good starting point.
I am not sure how Nardi wheels can be squeezed in here. Don't care. And it you like, shun me. Cast my ass into the outer darkness.
Haha Agreed in full. I’ve spent my time consulting for a non-profit hospital network and they are certainly revenue-driven.
My focus was on operational efficiency and process optimization. My conclusion was that they are neither efficient or optimized, and the lack of such equates to higher costs for patients. That is my overall experience with all non-profits and government agencies that I have worked for.
I am a firm believer in pay-for-performance, user-feedback, and cost transparency.
With regard to making a profit by treating illnesses, nothing could be better for the medical INDUSTRY than an epidemic of chronic illnesses and high cost end-of-life care. (apologies to those who are offended by these remarks)
Why don't we get lower costs and even cash kickbacks for staying healthy by eating right, exercise, and smart life choices? I think Medicare should incentivize me by giving me ever increasing yearly cash kick-backs for each year for choosing to stay healthy.
In about 1 hour I'm going to go self-medicate with my daily dose of low cost heart-disease prevention medication (1 glass of Bells Two Hearted Ale).
You are a socialist if you feel everyone who wants a Nardi should get it for free.
You are a communist if you feel nobody should have a Nardi unless we can all have one.
You are a health care management company if your overpriced Nardi is paid for by others who don't need a Nardi
An update to my daughter's accident saga... I don't know if I already posted this or not but State Farm pushed my button so I turned an attorney loose on them. That will work out fine for my daughter and she should get a reasonable settlement after all of this is over. Remember, SF is only claiming 75% responsibility, with no debating from our end, so I'm happy with what the attorney's office is able to do.
On the property damage side, SF had an adjuster come out and look at the car and wrote up a $5800 estimate, and this was with me forgetting to tell him that I rigged the battery cable to drive the car home and he didn't realize it. He said, "As of now the car is repairable". Well, it's an 08 328iT with 147k and a salvage title so those numbers are not realistic on the high side. I assumed someone would figure it out and tell me it's totaled and pay out that way. Well, we got a check in the mail last week for 75% of the estimate ($4300). Zero communication, just a check in the mail. I'm okay with the amount be cause it was about what I figured they'd pay if it were totaled but it bugs the hell out of me the way they operate. ... We're a giant corporation and this is the way it's going to be, now go away...
I fixed the car for $500 so all is well on the property damage side.
On the property damage side, SF had an adjuster come out and look at the car and wrote up a $5800 estimate, and this was with me forgetting to tell him that I rigged the battery cable to drive the car home and he didn't realize it. He said, "As of now the car is repairable". Well, it's an 08 328iT with 147k and a salvage title so those numbers are not realistic on the high side. I assumed someone would figure it out and tell me it's totaled and pay out that way. Well, we got a check in the mail last week for 75% of the estimate ($4300). Zero communication, just a check in the mail. I'm okay with the amount be cause it was about what I figured they'd pay if it were totaled but it bugs the hell out of me the way they operate. ... We're a giant corporation and this is the way it's going to be, now go away...
I fixed the car for $500 so all is well on the property damage side.
"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money" Margaret Thatcher.
jabloomf1230
Well-Known Member
The problem with every economic system is that you run out of other people's money.[emoji6]