Maine doctor stops accepting health insurance.

I remember when my youngest daughter was born - we have 30 days to add newborns to work insurance...and I forgot. We took her in for her 6 month checkup. When the bill showed up it was over $300 and insurance paid 0. Dealing with my insurance is a completely different story so I'll bypass that one. Anyway, we went to the Doctor and explained our situation and he VERY quickly said "Oh, OK...no problem" ...and then promptly reduced the bill to about 80 bucks. I said really? $80 is the ACTUAL cost but since I have insurance, you charge over $300? He just smiled at me and nodded. I know my numbers are on the low side, but it still proves the point - prices are inflated because insurances will just pay it...and then pass it along to us and our employers. I admit, I never go to the doctor unless I'm on my death bed...I just refuse to play their game.
 
Don't forget the inflated malpractice insurance bill the Dr has to pay and the inflated student loan he's still paying because the Fed will pay.
 
JL Rockies said:
Don't forget the inflated malpractice insurance bill the Dr has to pay and the inflated student loan he's still paying because the Fed will pay.
Click to expand...

Remember, the FED is just a fancy way of saying us, the taxpayers. Anyone getting federal money or being subsidized by the FED is really being payed by taxpayers. Where do they get "their" money in the first place? You and me.

Another reason why we are so screwed. Sine the FED does not earn the money, they collect money, they have ZERO respect for it. This, IMHO, is one reason why the spending is so out of control and why our "government" is so jacked.
 
My wife works for a doctor. What happens is the doctor charges x amount. The insurance company says, we will pay this percentage of that. Doctors aren't stupid. They know in order to get y amount, they have to charge x amount. That's why the bill went from $300.00 to $80.00 It is a racket and game they have no choice but play to get paid. You can't believe how much time is devoted to just getting their money from insurance company's!
 
rockdog said:
My wife works for a doctor. What happens is the doctor charges x amount. The insurance company says, we will pay this percentage of that. Doctors aren't stupid. They know in order to get y amount, they have to charge x amount. That's why the bill went from $300.00 to $80.00 It is a racket and game they have no choice but play to get paid. You can't believe how much time is devoted to just getting their money from insurance company's!
Click to expand...

This is the problem. The greedy damn insurance company's! They are all scum, well the top dogs of these company's anyway. they are the ones working to find every loophole, every possible way to screw us out of money. It makes me sick.

Yet, we live in a world that is build around them. If all doctors would indeed do what this pioneer doctor is doing, it would send a shock wave through the insurance world. Sadly, I do not see it gaining much tread. I hope and pray it will, but some doctors, maybe even most, are just as crooked. They see this as a way to get more money as well.
 
rockdog said:
My wife works for a doctor. What happens is the doctor charges x amount. The insurance company says, we will pay this percentage of that. Doctors aren't stupid. They know in order to get y amount, they have to charge x amount. That's why the bill went from $300.00 to $80.00 It is a racket and game they have no choice but play to get paid. You can't believe how much time is devoted to just getting their money from insurance company's!
Click to expand...

x2, My income is $25-30 per hour but my services cost the company I work for $85 per hour due to overhead costs (Building, utilities, receptionist, management, collections, etc.). It all has to be worked in there somewhere.

Kevin
 
There is a large group of Dr's. in the PHX area that have been cash doctors only for a long time, so this isn't new. I too wish it would catch on more then it has.
 
There is a doctor here in my town. Charges about $15-20 for an office visit and about $4.00 for an anitbiotic he mixes for you there at the office. No insurance. He is no nonsense because he keeps the costs down but I love his principals. I send everyone I know there if they will listen. I have insurance with work and I still go there. It's cheaper than my copay.
 
This is awesome. And it's what needs to happen everywhere. If you can get it to load, look at the prices on his site. Most are completely fair and you'd pay way more with most insurance coverage anyways. Not to mention the cost of just keeping insurance.
 
I hate insurance companies with a passion... They're all crooked! I switched over to a High-Deductible plan with an Health Savings Account and I am happy with it so far. No more paying premiums for no reason and still dealing with big bills when I have to use my insurance. It's pretty much like not having insurance but with a built-in savings account that lasts forever and is pre-tax.
 
There are similar programs here in SLC. For example my wife and I often visit After Hours Medical Center for cuts, coughs, etc. It is a flat $119 and that includes time with a doctor. In the end it is often cheaper than the copay utilizing our insurance (we have a catastrophic style insurance) and they get you right in, with much better hours than a regular doc. In fact I don't think I have been to a regular doctor in 5+ years? Stitches, strep, sinus infections, rashes, etc... they do it all :D

http://www.afterhoursmedical.com/flat-fee-program/
 
jentzschman said:
Remember, the FED is just a fancy way of saying us, the taxpayers. Anyone getting federal money or being subsidized by the FED is really being payed by taxpayers. Where do they get "their" money in the first place? You and me.

Another reason why we are so screwed. Sine the FED does not earn the money, they collect money, they have ZERO respect for it. This, IMHO, is one reason why the spending is so out of control and why our "government" is so jacked.
Click to expand...

You're obviously not familiar with me or my posts on RME.
 
cruiseroutfit said:
There are similar programs here in SLC. For example my wife and I often visit After Hours Medical Center for cuts, coughs, etc. It is a flat $119 and that includes time with a doctor. In the end it is often cheaper than the copay utilizing our insurance (we have a catastrophic style insurance) and they get you right in, with much better hours than a regular doc. In fact I don't think I have been to a regular doctor in 5+ years? Stitches, strep, sinus infections, rashes, etc... they do it all :D

http://www.afterhoursmedical.com/flat-fee-program/
Click to expand...

The ironic thing about After Hours Medical is that of the three times I've been there, they were closed twice. Just makes me wonder who's hours they are refering to? :D
 
I'm not sure no insurance is where I'd like to be. I've been there when my kids were little. Wasn't good times! Then when I was working at Geneva we had fantastic insurance. My son raced motocross. Dear god, at some point he had broken nearly every bone in his body. One event in icu cost close to $60,000. They paid out so much on him we had his ortha surgeons home phone number! I know this was his choice and so the injuries could have been prevented. But my point is, you never know when you might need extended care in a hospital. My wife works for IHC and so she has seen many bills in the hundreds of thousands of dollars! I in no way love insurance company's! Trust me, we have done battle with them more than once. I just know we would have lost everything without coverage.
 
My son has Cystic Fibrosis and his medical care is very expensive. He is double covered with my primary being a high deductible plan. My wife's insurance is way faster at processing claims. So due to the way things are billed, I get credit towards my deductible for what her insurance pays. We even called my insurance to make sure it wasn't an error that we would have to pay for later. They said its just how the system works. It is totally upside down. Not that I'm complaining.

When my employer started the high deductible plan it was amazing to see the types of people that wouldn't even consider it. A lot of people need that security blanket of a PPO even if it cost them more and you can prove it on paper.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top