Doctor's suck Options

[Genocide Junkie]

Ok so I know we all can debate our healthcare system and who should pay for what but I thought I'd just give an example of how doctors screw us. I went to my family doctor for a normal check up. I get lab work done etc. I thought the bad part was going to be having to be stuck with a needle and them take some of my precious blood. But oh no. About a month after the visit I get a bill from the Lab. $1400 with a note saying they had already filed this with my insurance and this was MY PART!!!!! So I call the Lab company who says I have to call the insurance company who says I have to call the Lab company... grrrrrrrrr. Anyway, after hours on the phone they agree to rerun it on my insurance. So today I get the statement from them. They accepted $250 as payment from BC/BS. This is sickening to me that they charge 700% more than what they expect as payment. If I didn't have insurance would I have to negotiate a rate that was even half of this? This is robbery IMO and should be illegal. I'm not against a doctor making a VERY GOOD living. But this sort of crap just irks me. This REALLY makes me want to send them a bill for my time that I sat in their office waiting on my 10 am appointment for 4 hours. Bastards.

[THE Mechanic]

Ok so I know we all can debate our healthcare system and who should pay for what but I thought I'd just give an example of how doctors screw us. I went to my family doctor for a normal check up. I get lab work done etc. I thought the bad part was going to be having to be stuck with a needle and them take some of my precious blood. But oh no. About a month after the visit I get a bill from the Lab. $1400 with a note saying they had already filed this with my insurance and this was MY PART!!!!! So I call the Lab company who says I have to call the insurance company who says I have to call the Lab company... grrrrrrrrr. Anyway, after hours on the phone they agree to rerun it on my insurance. So today I get the statement from them. They accepted $250 as payment from BC/BS. This is sickening to me that they charge 700% more than what they expect as payment. If I didn't have insurance would I have to negotiate a rate that was even half of this? This is robbery IMO and should be illegal. I'm not against a doctor making a VERY GOOD living. But this sort of crap just irks me. This REALLY makes me want to send them a bill for my time that I sat in their office waiting on my 10 am appointment for 4 hours. Bastards.

[quote name='Blitz' date='12/20/07 8:56pm' post='167472'] Been down that same road, I learned to never pay anything for at least 3 months.
If you wait the Medical companies will bill your insurance multiple times, and then you will get a bill for the negotiated remainder, or the medical company will drop their price in the amount you owe.

I made the mistake of paying the medical companies first, and then getting reimbursed by the insurance company. Wow what a beating I recieved, I noticed the exact same issue on on bill that the insurance company negotiated the total price down well over 50% and then paid their percentage.

Learned my lesson, It does hit your credit report, but most lenders understand the issue with insurance / medical price haggeling and will let it slide if everything else is good.

Junkie,Ive been through this nightmare more often than i care to mention.

14 years ago when i came down with R/A and was in suicidal pain through out my entire body,i went to see a doctor for alternative medicine...Big mistake..he gave me a phisical ,looked up my nose, checked my glands in my neck arm pits you know the usal.Then sent me into a nother room where they drew blood and said see ya soon .The very next day i contacted them and said im not interested in his therapy and NOT to send the blood to the lab.

Two weeks later i received a bill 600 bucks for the phisical,1800 bucks for the blood work.

I contacted a very close friend i grew up with an attorney and explained my problem.

He wrote a very firm letter to the doctor and all payments and billing to me were stopped.

and i owed nothing.At the time i had no health benifits at all.

two months later the three storiy building this guy worked out of was vacant.This doctor use all three floors for his Alturnative medicine practice.

He packed up and split.

Be very carefull who you trust with your personal health care and be sure to check on your doctor cridentials just to make you dont get burned or worse it could cost you more than a fist full of money.



"T.M."/Russ