Comments on: Huge Medical Bills You Shouldn't Pay

CBS Evening News And BusinessWeek Investigate Illegal "Balance Bills"

[lochlan-2009]

Hear that, I can now give a customer a $400 dollar bill for a $10 item and then say, "I''m not overcharging, but I will fix any mistakes with extreme hassle to you, and a resolution most likely only achieved in court". How long has this fraud been going on, and how many people can we overfine for their part as an acomplice, so we can start a program that helps people pay their attorney fees and inflated bills?

[magoo2u1]

"No where do you have the right to take my money and give it to someone else. This is what is wrong with this country now, too many Socialist that think the Government should take care of you.

Every time I think of those wasted social programs I just want to scream. What a list of failed programs:
Highway system, FAA,FDA , Social Security, medicaid,medicare, red lights, stop signs, law enforcement, port authority, funding universities, medical research, FCC, NOAA, the geographic survey,NASA, the treasury, the Army,Navy, airforce,Marines- Man the list just goes on and on. Instances where our money is stolen from us and wasted on useless programs to establish a society where we can live safely and securely in our homes and venture outside and visit a NATIONAL PARK or perhaps FISH.

[ebbtied]

Is billing for a service date of more than 3 years ago legal? In June of 2008 I received notification from a collection agency called Argyle Solutions, Inc of a balance due of $100.00 + $8.85 NYState HCRA tax = $108.85 for a service done in April of 2005. This was the first bill/notice I had ever gotten for this service ever. Back in 2005 I was insured by Oxford Health Plans, but am now on Medicare since 2006.
Thank you. (E-mail: [e-mail].)

[jeff-fla]

-six surgical screws - at $1,750 each

A few years back a company asked my company to manufacture bone screws. Due to the cleaning process we couldn''t do the job for the price they pay for the screws. A whopping $12.00 per screw. By the time the hospital gets the screws I sure it is around $20.00.
So I guess the mark-up is $1730.00. Where do I sign up.

[mythoughtsr]

No where do you have the right to take my money and give it to someone else. This is what is wrong with this country now, too many Socialist that think the Government should take care of you.

If you liked the service in this other country, then go back there.

Posted by Willyhenail at 08:45 AM

Another whining Liberatarian. I happily accept SSI payments for a handicapped child, food stamps and free medical and there''s nothing you can do about it. Oh I work full time as well so don''t say I don''t "contribute". I have bachelor''s degree and I legally applied for services. Not everyone is an elitist and perfect like you. Until this government does something to stop the out of control inflation, pork barrel spending, insane government waste, huge tax breaks for greedy corporations and the other million things they do wrong and focus on making a strong economy and not shipping all our jobs overseas will this country be able to be strong. So go stuff a sock in it.

[tootall10142]

I walked into the CEO office with the bil and said you people are out of your flukkin mind and you already know i am so you arent really expecting payment? If you are I wouldnt be holding my breath.

[deepperppl]

What took so long to have a report like this? I''ve known this for years! Will reform happen now?

[jmurrieta1]

But the medical industry DESERVES that money.

Just look at how many bribes they''ve paid to their champions, the Republican party. And no doubt some crooked DINOs were paid off as well, to stand by hands in pocket as the public is plundered by the "healers".

[docpeter-2009]

After a few phone calls I found out that this hospital purchased these screws from Home Depot.
Each screw cost the hospital 1.98 from Home Depot.
Thanks
Bubbabear

Posted by bubbabear200 at 12:49 AM : Aug 30, 2008
_____________
How I wish that were true. Unfortunately, I haven''t seen titanium screws in my local Home Depot, Myabe I''ll check out Lowe''s.
____________________

if an insurance company is even picking up a portion of that tab, it''''s still making the hospital profit and the patient shouldn''''t owe anything at all!

Posted by spadeisspade at 03:25 AM : Aug 30, 2008
____________

Please don''t tell me you think making a profit is a bad thing. Healthcare Is a business. Unfortunately we depend on you becoming sick or injured to make $$. Might I recommend EVERYONE do those healthy things in an attempt to avoid becoming sick or injured.

Also, it cost a lot of $$ to buy and maintain those things all the patients want (x-ray, CAT scans, MRIs, pharamaceuticals, etc.), and have them on-hand and ready to use when you show up at the hospital. It also cost a lot to have that nurse(s) attend to many of the people that, if they had tried to maintioan their health in the first place, show up unannounced at the hospital thinking it is a Doc In The Box.

The recent run up in health care prices is the knowledge
that Socialize Medicine is around the corner and it is about time. Obama will cap these clowns.

[andor3]

here is how it works: insurance companies negotiate contract rates for procedures. An insurance company often pays half of what an uninsured person pays for the same thing (a crime and a scam in itself).

Hospitals agree to take the lower amount as full payment, but then try to trick a patient into paying more. When caught, they claim accounting errors. If you pay, they pocket the cash. It is fraud.

[andor3]

"I find it VERY hard to believe that her benefits are such that she would be responsible for $60,000 of out of pocket expenses - AFTER the insurance has paid."

That is the point. She did not owe it. But the hospital tried to collect money it was no owed. And they do it all the time. I happened to me: A $20k bill and I told them they were not getting a dime. They just said okay oops sorry, computer error.

[ioweign]

Deregulate the Health Care industry and get the government out of it. Competition is what''s needed.

Just look at the cost of electronics and you see the lite

Posted by WarDogLRS at 01:23 AM : Aug 30, 2008

Hospitals are consolidating so there is no competition in smaller cities. The opposite is needed - more government oversight.

We have the FDA and meat inspectors for bad beef - how about something for hospital oversight...

[spadeisspade]

I don''t get it; hospitals overinflate their bills in order to recoup the cost of *** that use the ER like a GP, so they are now doing it to people whose insurance actually paid these overinflated prices? I mean, with how high they mark up all their tools and services, if an insurance company is even picking up a portion of that tab, it''s still making the hospital profit and the patient shouldn''t owe anything at all!

[wardoglrs]

Deregulate the Health Care industry and get the government out of it. Competition is what''s needed.

Just look at the cost of electronics and you see the lite

[bubbabear200]

After a few phone calls I found out that this hospital purchased these screws from Home Depot.
Each screw cost the hospital 1.98 from Home Depot.
Thanks
Bubbabear

[cbcrowe3]

The hospital "set" this bill, and no one else. What they mean by the "insurance company set" is that the insurance company "set" what it would pay.

The hospital generated this bill. Who else could have? Who else would have had the information to make up the bill. The problem was that the hospital fraudulantly added charges that were not incurred.

[cbcrowe3]

I applaud CBS for running this piece.

Some posters seem to suggest that this lady did not have insurance. She did have insurance.

What we have here is fraud. Outright fraud.

[cbsfan73]

My fellow Americans:

It will be such a sad day on November 4th, 2008 in which the citizens will have to choose whether to eat donkey dung or to eat elephant manure.

What if they gave an election and nobody voted?

I won''t waste my time voting...

[cbsfan73]

"...but said in a statement that her bill was set by her insurance and "is not determined by the hospital." Hospital officials said they have "no evidence of overcharges in her bill, but would be willing to correct any mistakes."

If the bill was truly set by the insurance company, why would the hospital correct any mistakes?

Sounds like doublespeak to me...