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My wife's story: Anatomy of an insane health care billing sy
Posted on: February 19, 2019 at 11:09:56 CT
JeffB MU
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https://www.benefitspro.com/2018/08/17/anatomy-of-an-insane-health-care-billing-system/
The purchase of medical goods and services by employer health plans resembles no other business transaction in American commerce.
By Carl C. Schuessler | August 17, 2018
Recently, my wife went to the doctor with stomach issues. The doctor recommended a simple diagnostic test called a HIDA scan. We have an HSA high-deductible health insurance plan with a $6,450 deductible, meaning we would be paying for the procedure out-of-pocket until our deductible was met.
Before my wife left the doctor’s office, she asked the receptionist what she thought was a simple question: “How much is this going to cost?”
The receptionist had no idea — and she had no way to check. She looked at my wife like it was an unreasonable question. A manager contacted a third-party billing agency to get her a quote, which ended up being nothing close to what we actually paid in the end.
Economic models assume participants have perfect information. In reality, they often have no information whatsoever.
Because I am a population health manager, i.e., employee benefits consultant, so I have access to transparency solutions that aren’t readily available to the average consumer. See the findings below: ...
https://www.benefitspro.com/2018/08/17/anatomy-of-an-insane-health-care-billing-system/
The purchase of medical goods and services by employer health plans resembles no other business transaction in American commerce.
By Carl C. Schuessler | August 17, 2018
Recently, my wife went to the doctor with stomach issues. The doctor recommended a simple diagnostic test called a HIDA scan. We have an HSA high-deductible health insurance plan with a $6,450 deductible, meaning we would be paying for the procedure out-of-pocket until our deductible was met.
Before my wife left the doctor’s office, she asked the receptionist what she thought was a simple question: “How much is this going to cost?”
The receptionist had no idea — and she had no way to check. She looked at my wife like it was an unreasonable question. A manager contacted a third-party billing agency to get her a quote, which ended up being nothing close to what we actually paid in the end.
Economic models assume participants have perfect information. In reality, they often have no information whatsoever.
Because I am a population health manager, i.e., employee benefits consultant, so I have access to transparency solutions that aren’t readily available to the average consumer. See the findings below: ...
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My wife's story: Anatomy of an insane health care billing sy - JeffB MU - 2/19 11:09:56