tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post8228681417459254349..comments2023-06-13T04:53:25.935-05:00Comments on On the left in Victoria: Why is health care so expensive?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post-18132741244884852812012-08-24T13:46:27.001-05:002012-08-24T13:46:27.001-05:00born,I didn't give it much thought at the time...born,I didn't give it much thought at the time (6 years ago) but I did think it was rather odd for a CC company be sending a card to my mother with a $2000 line of credit...I thought those stories were for the newscasters to end their program on.<br /><br />I hear you.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02668070524354374505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post-31420166170081581062012-08-24T12:16:27.247-05:002012-08-24T12:16:27.247-05:00Mike
I hope you checked on that credit card to se...Mike<br /><br />I hope you checked on that credit card to see what was up with it.<br />If I get a credit card I didn't apply for, all sorts of warning flags go up.born2Bmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post-1299681675285305362012-08-24T09:38:08.174-05:002012-08-24T09:38:08.174-05:00Lenny
Yes,income inequality and the stagnation of...Lenny<br /> Yes,income inequality and the stagnation of wages and benefits for the working middle class is another pet peeve of mine..Thanks for responding.<br /><br />born,you are correct we have to stay on top of things because computers don't really know how to check up on the inputters....I filled out a change of address form with the post office so I could continue to receive bills like you mentioned but fortunately there were none but I did notice a brand new credit card with a line of credit of $2000..I just shredded it. Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02668070524354374505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post-8512802739925800252012-08-24T08:45:08.172-05:002012-08-24T08:45:08.172-05:00I must say that everything, not only healthcare, i...I must say that everything, not only healthcare, is rising these days. Commodities, clothing, gasoline and some medicines are rising. But the irony comes when our monthly salary stays the same.lennyhttp://los-angeles.comparecarriers.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post-66811008404150420662012-08-23T18:47:41.830-05:002012-08-23T18:47:41.830-05:00Just thought of something else. When my dad died ...Just thought of something else. When my dad died in 2008, he had a lot of doctors bills right before he died. He had lung cancer and heart trouble.<br />We were getting bills for him up to 3 years after he died even though those bills had already been paid my both Medicare and his supplemental insurance. If I had been a bad records keeper, I wouldn't have had the proof that those bills were paid. Of course, healthcare providers count on things like that so they can charge again. I can probably say that at least 10 times, I had to scan the payment statements and send them in to verify that those bills had been paid.born2Bmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post-6886962681953532842012-08-23T18:17:10.545-05:002012-08-23T18:17:10.545-05:00Thanks MarthaThanks MarthaMikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02668070524354374505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post-82203180855505037012012-08-23T17:59:52.907-05:002012-08-23T17:59:52.907-05:00This is an eye-opening article, Mike. I have shar...This is an eye-opening article, Mike. I have shared it with my network of contacts.Martha Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13252681109072387970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post-12411723512577046402012-08-23T17:02:08.631-05:002012-08-23T17:02:08.631-05:00Wow,those are some outrageous prices..No wonder th...Wow,those are some outrageous prices..No wonder they are able to stay in business.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02668070524354374505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post-26658826509365076452012-08-23T16:54:50.906-05:002012-08-23T16:54:50.906-05:00I mention some of my moms charges on one of my blo... I mention some of my moms charges on one of my blogs. <br /><br /> Others have come in since then.<br /><br /> While at Methodist in Houston, she would be seen by at least 5, and up to 10 different doctors a day, and she wasn't in ICU. Each one billed Medicare and her supplemental insurance. One doctor submitted a bill for a visit twice in one day... at the same time.<br /><br /> Medicare kicked the second visit back...and he appealed it! He lost again.<br /><br /> At least Methodist was transparent, up front they said the room charge is $270 a day, they did offer to move mom to the 8th floor suites were Barbara Bush stayed, for $2700 a day, we said no. lol<br /><br /> Detar never quoted a per day price, bud did submit a over $60K bill, not ICU, to Medicare for TWO days... that was rejected too. Legionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16943732661912414361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post-19586694210035692982012-08-23T15:42:32.418-05:002012-08-23T15:42:32.418-05:00That's true and this report stated that in som...That's true and this report stated that in some instances supplies are pulled for procedures like an echocardiogram before the patient arrives. If for some reason like a cancellation, no-show etc, then the supplies should be returned and credited to the patients account. But sometimes the staff will use it on another patient instead leaving the charges on the wrong account.<br /><br />The system is only getting more complicated according to the report because as science generates new diagnoses and treatments, the American Medical Association issues more codes. In October 2014,the government will institute an upgrade of ICD-9 codes to ICD-10 bumping the number of diagnosis to more than 144,000 codes (biblical..?) from the present 13,600 codes...Another reason each procedure should receive a block payment i.e. heart attack,$30,000 one night stay $1000 and let the hospital make their plans on that.<br />Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02668070524354374505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post-61372420671529993102012-08-23T15:16:37.745-05:002012-08-23T15:16:37.745-05:00Not to mention all of the duplicate testing done w...Not to mention all of the duplicate testing done with senior citizens.<br />Everytime someone changes doctors, the same tests must be run again, even if the doctors have the test results from the last doctor.<br />It's a racket and it is probably one of the main reasons Medicare and Medicaid are in so much trouble.<br />Then, you have to look at past hospitals compared to hospitals of today. The older county hospitals had hard tile floors, and had the bare basics. Today, patients have to cover the cost of all of the plush surroundings that have nothing to do with treating patients.born2Bmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post-7516846745113103832012-08-23T14:38:01.427-05:002012-08-23T14:38:01.427-05:00Don't get me started on a pharmaceutical indus...Don't get me started on a pharmaceutical industry. The pharmaceutical industry relies on government imposed monopolies that allows it to make huge profits. When my conservative friends talk about $10 billion to $20 billion for family assistance programs, I always reminded them of the $270 billion a year we pay in higher payments for the pharmaceuticals patent protected drugs.<br /><br />And just think what your dad would be paying without Medicare.<br /><br />As I have said before I was the administrator of my mom's will,(only because I lived in Victoria) with the duty of paying off her medical bills after Medicare..I kept noticing her doctor's name appear on the bills time after time for hospital visits in her final days. As a family, one of us were at hospice 24/7 but we never saw him. Osmosis visit?Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02668070524354374505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674561724432497133.post-10729847425835550652012-08-23T14:03:12.192-05:002012-08-23T14:03:12.192-05:00The new meds for seniors to help stave off Alzheim...The new meds for seniors to help stave off Alzheimer's are astronomical!<br /><br />My Daddy's Exelon patch is $12.40 a day. His Namenda is about $6.00 a day. And, sadly, they are only moderately effective. Edith Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06623443279337364086noreply@blogger.com