Denny's to impose 5% Obamacare surcharge

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the DRIZZLE

Platinum Member
Sep 6, 2007
2,956
1
81
Where are you getting this information? After a quick check, it seems that balance billing is illegal in almost every state. Regardless, your original argument was that he didn't have emergency coverage at all. Now are you arguing that his emergency coverage is there, but insufficient? Emergencies are covered as in-network.

I agree with eskimospy on this one. Every insurance plan that I've ever had has been structured so that I am only responsible for the co-pay for in-network care. The entire point of provider networks is that that the providers agree to accept only the allowable amount as payment.
 

Wreckem

Diamond Member
Sep 23, 2006
9,545
1,124
126
Sigh, truly pointless. You are linking to Aetna's description of what the bill ALLOWS, not what Aetna's plans do. To learn more about Aetna's moves in relation to this reform, please continue reading the website that you so handily linked to! Allow me to help:

http://www.aetna.com/health-reform-connection/reform-explained/emergency-room-services.html

Specifically, allow me to quote:


Aetna had two plans available in the past out of all of theirs where this was not the case and they have already removed that difference even for grandfathered ones.

Fucking pointless indeed. This is why you need to learn what you're talking about before acting all snarky.

So Atnea has reformed. Again, insurers do not have to cover balance bills for emergency services.

You started this god damned argument by saying Dave's story was unlikely blah blah blah blah. Its not fucking unlikely. In reality a lot insurers(Atnea preivously, when I had them)/insurance plans only cover up to the out of network allowable amount as defined by the new healthcare law.

You are the one that makes the grand statements that Daves situation is rare/hes full of BS, etc.

Again you were wrong. Its fucking common, I even googled that for you. Its the opposite of what you stated. You kept telling me I was wrong. There are tens of thousands of articles about emergency out of network horror stories. You come in this thread and say its BS/rare. Its anything but. This is why balance billing is an issue. This is why states are slowly trying to make it illegal. Its an issue, its very real and it is not exactly rare. The problem is even more compounded because most don't know their policies and do not get transferred to an in-network provider.
 
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fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
87,897
55,172
136
So Atnea has reformed. Again, most insurers, do not cover balance bills.

You started this god damned argument by saying it was unlikely blah blah blah blah. Its not fucking unlikely. In reality most insurers(Atnea preivously, when I had them) do only cover up to the allowable amount as defined by the new healthcare law.

You are the one that makes the grand statements that

Daves situation is rare. Again you were completely wrong. Its fucking common, I even googled that for you. Its the opposite of what you stated. You kept telling me I was wrong, when no I was right balance billing was and still is the industry norm.

At least we're finally getting somewhere.

Furthermore, a quick check of Florida law shows that this sort of thing is EXPLICITLY prohibited in Florida, the very place Dave claimed his accident happened.

Dave was full of shit, as usual. Are you done now?
 

Wreckem

Diamond Member
Sep 23, 2006
9,545
1,124
126
At least we're finally getting somewhere.

Furthermore, a quick check of Florida law shows that this sort of thing is EXPLICITLY prohibited in Florida, the very place Dave claimed his accident happened.

Dave was full of shit, as usual. Are you done now?

That Florida law only applies to HMOs and not PPOs. And just reading everything Dave has posted over the years points to him having a PPO and not a HMO. Either that or he over stayed in an out of network facility, which is all to common for people receiving emergency treatment in an out of network facility.

Heres a nice little link about balance billing. Notice the vast number of no's in the out of network columns.

http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparereport.jsp?rep=66&cat=7&rgnhl=11#notes-1

So to sum up

Balance billing in expressly prohibited by in network providers, that even applies to out of network providers in a in-network facility in most states.

Completely out of network(out of network facility and provider) balance billing for emergency services is illegal in 9 states. Some insurance policies will cover balance bills. Some don't. Historically a lot haven't.

Dave's situation is not RARE, unfortunately it is all to common. That is why there have been roughly two decades of debate on the issue. That is why 9 states have banned or severely restricted the practice. Half of them since ACA.

And again, this is it is a good idea for people to have have separate medical emergency/medical evac plans.

Its also a good a idea for people to understand that their policy doesn't cover care after the emergency is over and they are stable but still in the hospital. Unfortunately most don't understand that.

But again balance billing is still alive and well for A LOT of out of network emergency care and will be unless it gets banned under federal law but that is highly unlikely.
 
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sactoking

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2007
7,639
2,909
136


Actually, if you want to be precise (and I do love precision), you're both right and you're both wrong and you can't agree because you're talking about two different scenarios.

Originally the conversation regarded in-network versus out-of-network emergency billing. Someone stated that out-of-network was considered in-network if it was an emergency and there was no in-network provider in the area. The other person countered that that was not true and used balance billing to prove it.

The original statement was correct: someone taken to an out-of-network provider on an emergency basis when no in-network provider is available will have the claim paid as in-network. But this comes with a caveat that this is only true for the deductible and copay/coinsurance.

The rebuttal statement was also correct: someone taken to an out-of-network provider, even on an emergency basis, will likely be subject to balance billing. This is because the in-network/out-of-network and balance billing portions of the policy are distinct and separate.

Most (all?) states require emergency services to be covered at the in-network rate if no in-network provider is available. If the was not true then someone traveling out of state would likely be at a severe disadvantage if an emergency occurred. However, except in those states that have legislatively prohibited balance billing, there is no policy provision that bars balance billing under any circumstance.

Instead, the insurers negotiate the balance billing in to their contract with the medical provider. This makes sense, as balance billing is not an insurer/insured relationship but an insurer/provider relationship. Insurers know that if they allow their in-network providers to balance bill they will get creamed in the marketplace, so they remove that ability in the network contract.

An out-of-network provider, even an emergency provider, has no contract with the insurer (duh, that's why it is out-of-network). Without a contract there is no prohibition on balance billing.

So, while state law and the insurance contracts dictate that the out-of-network provider must be treated as in-network as it pertains to the insurer's treatment of the insured (deductible and copay/coinsurance) there is nothing that dictates that the provider must treat the out-of-network patient as in-network (balance billing).

So there you have it, you're both right and you're both wrong.
 

Pray To Jesus

Diamond Member
Mar 14, 2011
3,622
0
0
Absolutely, a business must do what it needs to do to keep the doors open, but please don't be an asshat about it by making a political statement out of your change in costs.

However, I wonder how many of these companies are just belly-aching and using the ACA as an excuse to jack up their overall profit. If the cost of providing healthcare for all your employees is that bad, shouldn't we be hearing of the economic apocalypse from all restaurant chains out there who employ minimum wage workers?

QQ moar .

They can do WTF they want as long as it's legal to do so.

Your choice to eat there or not.
 

dmcowen674

No Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
54,889
47
91
www.alienbabeltech.com
Originally Posted by eskimospy
At least we're finally getting somewhere.

Furthermore, a quick check of Florida law shows that this sort of thing is EXPLICITLY prohibited in Florida, the very place Dave claimed his accident happened.

Dave was full of shit, as usual. Are you done now?



That Florida law only applies to HMOs and not PPOs. And just reading everything Dave has posted over the years points to him having a PPO and not a HMO. Either that or he over stayed in an out of network facility, which is all to common for people receiving emergency treatment in an out of network facility.

Heres a nice little link about balance billing. Notice the vast number of no's in the out of network columns.

http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparereport.jsp?rep=66&cat=7&rgnhl=11#notes-1

So to sum up

Balance billing in expressly prohibited by in network providers, that even applies to out of network providers in a in-network facility in most states.

Completely out of network(out of network facility and provider) balance billing for emergency services is illegal in 9 states. Some insurance policies will cover balance bills. Some don't. Historically a lot haven't.

Dave's situation is not RARE, unfortunately it is all to common. That is why there have been roughly two decades of debate on the issue. That is why 9 states have banned or severely restricted the practice. Half of them since ACA.

And again, this is it is a good idea for people to have have separate medical emergency/medical evac plans.

Its also a good a idea for people to understand that their policy doesn't cover care after the emergency is over and they are stable but still in the hospital. Unfortunately most don't understand that.

But again balance billing is still alive and well for A LOT of out of network emergency care and will be unless it gets banned under federal law but that is highly unlikely.

As Usual I get caught up in some crap I have no idea is coming.

Yes it is a PPO through where I work.

We did not stay. As soon as the people in the ER finished checking each of us out and nothing more they could do were were discharged. debi was first. She then came down to my ER room. They had her in ER Room 4 and me in the last room number 20. They actually wanted to have me stay overnight for observation but we said no to that. I had broken ribs just like debi and they didn't suggest she stay overnight. The main part that cranked the ER bills up was each getting a cat scan, they charged $20,000 for each.

Bottom line is insurance covered $9,000 and I have bills over $40,000 that the Hospital and Insurance says that I am responsible for.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,831
31,304
146
Being that Denny's is one of the reasons that healthcare is absurdly expensive in this country, I find this laughable.
 

GuitarDaddy

Lifer
Nov 9, 2004
11,465
1
0
Dennys is an abomination, they represent everything that is wrong with corporate America. They hate their employees and their customers, while they belly up to the trough and gorge themselves on corporate welfare, they force their employees to survive on government handouts and poison their customers.
 

werepossum

Elite Member
Jul 10, 2006
29,873
463
126
lol I guss many proggies never had to do a P&L.

Its the greed that pays that EBT card. I know they heard of that one.
LOL

You can get group insurnance for under 150 bucks a month. Unless you're a complete dumb ass and let your insurance lapse. I've had group insurance since I was 21 and during even my 1099 years never let it lapse...because get this...I'm not a dumb ass. If you let your group insurance lapse you deserve everything coming to you for being so fucking stupid. It's yet another one of the "stupid tax" that imposes harsh penalties for being fucking stupid.

Oh, and correction. Employers are not expected to pay for health care. No employer offers health care unless your work for a hospital or health care provider.

Health care
Health insurance

See the difference?
One big difference - employers pay for health insurance with pre-tax dollars, you pay with after-tax dollars.

Funny you mention UHC. I have them too and once was taken to an out if network ER. Bill was 70k, they were going to pay 10k or something stupid. Luckily the hospital and insurance worked it out on their own and I only had to pay my in network deductible (1000). What saved me is that the hospital called UHC when I was admitted and someone told them they would cover all the costs. Otherwise I would have been screwed. I never felt so relieved to have domething resolved.
Even with that I'd rather have this system than the Canadian system... (Lived there for 28 years). You may not pay for healthcare directly but the cost is passed through the cost of everything else. I'd rather pay for insurance directly.
But I'd probably be screwed at some point without Obama care since I have MS... At which point I'd have to move back to Canada...
Interesting - you're one of the few people who can see the advantages and the disadvantages.