Quote:
Originally Posted by MarshCappa
1st of all I don't charge you anything. 2nd of all costs are based on what insurance comapnies actually pay vs what the hospital charges. It's not a good system but it's the only way a hospital can stay in business and YES this is a business which people don't realize. Anyone running a business can appreciate time and money. Hospitals have the most overhead of any business but need to staff for anything that may walk thru the door. So in reality your stitches charge has built into it the RN, Techs, Administrative, and whatever else is involved in the process that you never see or interact with. Take a look at your EOB(explanation of beneifts) from your insurance company for that visit and you'll see what the plan actually paid to the hospital. You'll be amazed. Do you know what the hospital does with the remaining UNPAID balance? They write it off as the Contractual Allowance" Like I said it's a business and the way our current health care delivery system works in our country. I'm not saying it's right but it's reality and if hospitals don't charge the way they do they won't stay in business too long and then you'd have to drive a lot further and wait in even longer lines for your care.
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So I'm paying for something that I didn't use??? I agree that the hospitals have a lot of overhead but how is that the ins. co. fault?
When Pfizer stops trials on a drug and writes off $800m. do they add that cost to another drug or when Exxon stops development of a oil field, they don't add the cost to another field.
There is currently overcapacity in the medical industry and in certain areas hosptitals s/b closed (NYC wants to close 8-10 I think).
The $1295 was the from the EOB. I don't think ins. would be able to negotiate a disc. on an emerg. room service