Medical Cost

[tradosaurus]

They will not eat it...they will come for the balance after the Medicare reimbursement.

If you are poor or just don't want to pay what can they do?

 

[Snobdds]

If you are poor or just don't want to pay what can they do?

The hospital, if unsuccessful in collections, will just put a lien on your house.

People think they are smarter than a hospital that has an entire department that has done this for the past 40 years.

 

[dfkrug]

The hospital, if unsuccessful in collections, will just put a lien on your house.

Here in CA, the providers use a collections company in LA that does only medical collections. I know, since I disputed a bill years ago, before I was on Medicare. Note they still have to sue you or get an arbitration judgement against you first, unless you just agree to their demands and pay.

My dispute was only for a few thousand $, so the collections company did not bother to take me to small claims court, and they did nothing until 3y statute of limitations was up.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Yep, take lien out on your stuff if need be.

 

[Dftodd]

My wife had a cardiac ablation several months ago. It’s a procedure to prevent atrial fibrillation.

The Medicare statement just came. Total amount billed was over $200,000! Medicare paid $27,000 and Tricare picked up the 20%, so no cost to us.

What does some average person do if they don’t have insurance? It’s bankruptcy and ongoing future problems. One of the main affects is blood clots and likelihood of a stroke.

Dammed if you do, dammed of you don’t.

Mom ended up with a $1.5 million Dr's bill for a years worth of chemo every 4 weeks.

She was flipping out and crying because she couldn't ever come close to paying it.

At the time both she and my step-dad had been laid off from their jobs, so no insurance.

I told her if it came down to it, I would give her the $1500 to file bankruptcy. They would easily have qualified to have it all wiped out and no out of pocket besides the $1500.

But it didn't come to that. Disability was finally approved and SSD covered all but $1500. My brother and I split that between us and each covered half.

My wife's up over $200k for her elbow between 3 surgeries and a mechanical manipulation.

Out of pocket for us is gonna be around $10k

 

[tradosaurus]

The hospital, if unsuccessful in collections, will just put a lien on your house.

People think they are smarter than a hospital that has an entire department that has done this for the past 40 years.

Looks like I need to start looking for loopholes before I hit medicare age.

Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §* 16.004 states that the statute of limitation for medical debt collection lawsuits is four years. It means a healthcare provider generally has four years from the date of services provided to file a lawsuit to recover the unpaid amount.

 

[markwmo]

My wife had a cardiac ablation several months ago. It’s a procedure to prevent atrial fibrillation.

The Medicare statement just came. Total amount billed was over $200,000! Medicare paid $27,000 and Tricare picked up the 20%, so no cost to us.

What does some average person do if they don’t have insurance? It’s bankruptcy and ongoing future problems. One of the main affects is blood clots and likelihood of a stroke.

Dammed if you do, dammed of you don’t.

I have AFIB and have been told I should have an ablation. How has the ablation worked out for your wife thus far?

 

[LouNY]

I have AFIB and have been told I should have an ablation. How has the ablation worked out for your wife thus far?

Depending upon highly persistent your AFIB will effect how well every thing works out. I have been fighting AFIB for many years. Had several conversions done, an ablation was done in 2017 or so. Since then several med changes as the afib has reoccurred a few times with a few more conversions done in conjunction with the different medications.

 

[ultrarunner]

Those without means generally have Alameda Alliance in my county…

We see Alameda Alliance patients everyday.

A 15 year old gave birth to a child requiring open heart surgery and Stanford and Ronald McDonald House covered it all.

There are avenues for those without means but the problem is those with modest means can find themselves in trouble.

 

[Tomtint]

Im 4 weeks post hip replacement surgery.. Got the bill a couple days ago.. Total for that day in the hospital was 48K.. Did not include previous appointments and previous x rays etc before D day. also does not include the PT appointments for the next month. My co pay was 4800.00... My insurance for my wife and myself is 2300.00 per month.... Roughly 1150.00 ea per month.