Is my doctor screwing me? Please help.

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: Cashmoney995
Problem is doctors in America are letting insurance companies take them and you for a ride.

I no longer consider doctors an honest (in a lot of circumstance) profession.

I once had six stitches from a nurse practioner cost me 1800$.

The doctors, for the most part, don't like it anymore than the patients do.

And in your example, I honestly don't see how $1800 for stitches is grossly overpriced. It's high, yes, but not insanely so.

 

[DVK916]

Your insurance company Aetna is probably screwing you over. Good luck trying to get them to pay for it though, the laws make it so they can do what ever they want, and their is almost nothing you can do about it. Just be lucky they didn't deny coverage for something you need to live, they do this often. Killing patients they feel cost to much money.

 

[Mermaidman]

The lab tests most likely fell within your annual deductible.

Imagine this scenario--you have a questionable lesion on your skin. Who do you have to pay?

1) Doctor/surgeon to cut out the lesion
2) The facility in which the procedure was performed
3) Pathologist to analyze the sample

and possibly more . . . (Not to mention the costs of pain meds, if needed)

 

[theeedude]

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Cashmoney995
Problem is doctors in America are letting insurance companies take them and you for a ride.

I no longer consider doctors an honest (in a lot of circumstance) profession.

I once had six stitches from a nurse practioner cost me 1800$.

The doctors, for the most part, don't like it anymore than the patients do.

And in your example, I honestly don't see how $1800 for stitches is grossly overpriced. It's high, yes, but not insanely so.

It is grossly overpriced when you consider that an average American works for a month to earn that much money. It's not grossly overpriced for American healthcare, where $1800 is on the low end of what a visit to an ER costs.

 

[DVK916]

Originally posted by: Mermaidman
The lab tests most likely fell within your annual deductible.

Imagine this scenario--you have a questionable lesion on your skin. Who do you have to pay?

1) Doctor/surgeon to cut out the lesion
2) The facility in which the procedure was performed
3) Pathologist to analyze the sample

and possibly more . . . (Not to mention the costs of pain meds, if needed)

There is a good chance he has no deductable and Aetna chose to screw him over.

 

[SirStev0]

sounds like your insurance company is screwing you. The doctor just gets the bill sent to him for the lab work .. its not like he is making money off it. it goes to paying lab tech's salary and such. He prob sent it in with the rest of the insurance bill. they denied it you get the bill.

 

[huberm]

every year you must meet your deductible before your benefits kick in. For example, lets say your deductible is $750. You just paid $200 for lab tests and have paid $100 in co-pays to visit the family doctor this year. You would still have $450 to pay until your benefits kick in.


There is also usually a clause in your health insurance for max out of pocket costs. If you were to, say, get a brain tumor and end up owing $120,000 out of pocket, it would be covered past whatever the amount is (usually $3k or so).

 

[richardycc]

call the lab, maybe they don't have your insurance info on file, just bill you instead of your insurance company.

 

[TeeJay1952]

"call the lab, maybe they don't have your insurance info on file, just bill you instead of your insurance company. "

Second that. Many times I have had to call a lab and read them my coverage. They get the info, say sorry to bother you and move on.