Why health insurance costs so much...

[Veramocor]

My wife and I are having a baby. She needs to have a non-stress test done every week. Basically the test measures fetal movement and heart rate.

The test can be done by a low level nurse takes about 30 minutes and less than 10 minutes of actual work from the nurse.

We have decent insurance, Aetna open access.

The insurance tells us we can't do the test when she visits her normal doctor and that we have to take it at the hospital. The doctors office does is for $130. The hospital charges $800 normally if you don't have insurance. The insurance company pays a pre-negotiated price of about $300. Almost double what the doctors office charges. Waste of their money and my wife's time having to go to two different places.



Cliffs:

Wife needs tests.
Insurance makes her go to the hospital which charges $800 compared to doing the test in house at $130.
Even at after negotiation it still costs the insurance company $300.

 

[RoloMather]

5/10

 

[MovingTarget]

Bureaucracy. Yay.

 

[Wheezer]

could be worse....you could have no insurance to cover it.

 

[rudeguy]

Congrats on respawning!

 

[AnnonUSA]

Wait till we have National Health care....It will likely cost the full $800 per event, but don't worry, she won't be able to get an appointment for more than one test within 9 months anyway, so it will be a net savings...

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: AnnonUSA
Wait till we have National Health care....It will likely cost the full $800 per event, but don't worry, she won't be able to get an appointment for more than one test within 9 months anyway, so it will be a net savings...

I have family that lives in a country with National Healthcare and while it's not next day, it was not 9 months from now. Too much FUD about National Healthcare.

 

[RocksteadyDotNet]

Originally posted by: AnnonUSA
Wait till we have National Health care....It will likely cost the full $800 per event, but don't worry, she won't be able to get an appointment for more than one test within 9 months anyway, so it will be a net savings...

You ignorance of UHC is astounding.

Idiot.

 

[Sasiki]

We had a baby last August. An ultrasound at the Dr. office was around $130. We had to get one done at the hospital one time because my wife's Dr's ultrasound tech was off that day. The hospital charged our insurance $450. Ridiculous.

 

[nickbits]

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: AnnonUSA
Wait till we have National Health care....It will likely cost the full $800 per event, but don't worry, she won't be able to get an appointment for more than one test within 9 months anyway, so it will be a net savings...

I have family that lives in a country with National Healthcare and while it's not next day, it was not 9 months from now. Too much FUD about National Healthcare.

My experience in Canada is that anything requiring a specialist and is non-life threatening will be a 3-4 month wait per appointment.

 

[MovingTarget]

Originally posted by: nickbits

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: AnnonUSA
Wait till we have National Health care....It will likely cost the full $800 per event, but don't worry, she won't be able to get an appointment for more than one test within 9 months anyway, so it will be a net savings...

I have family that lives in a country with National Healthcare and while it's not next day, it was not 9 months from now. Too much FUD about National Healthcare.

My experience in Canada is that anything requiring a specialist and is non-life threatening will be a 3-4 month wait per appointment.

I'd take that over being in the us w/ no insurance anyday. Being poor here sucks...

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: Wheezer
could be worse....you could have no insurance to cover it.

In some cases its better NOT to have it, that's how bad it is.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: MovingTarget

Originally posted by: nickbits

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: AnnonUSA
Wait till we have National Health care....It will likely cost the full $800 per event, but don't worry, she won't be able to get an appointment for more than one test within 9 months anyway, so it will be a net savings...

I have family that lives in a country with National Healthcare and while it's not next day, it was not 9 months from now. Too much FUD about National Healthcare.

My experience in Canada is that anything requiring a specialist and is non-life threatening will be a 3-4 month wait per appointment.

I'd take that over being in the us w/ no insurance anyday. Being poor here sucks...

Yes to that and the risk or getting denied here in the states is high. Many try to find an excuse to deny people. Also my family is in Europe so I guess it might be better healthcare over there.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: Wheezer
could be worse....you could have no insurance to cover it.

In some cases its better NOT to have it, that's how bad it is.

When I had insurance I was paying $8/month for my meds. Now that I don't, I pay $10 for a 3 month supply.

Some things I will never understand...

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: Wheezer
could be worse....you could have no insurance to cover it.

In some cases its better NOT to have it, that's how bad it is.

When I had insurance I was paying $8/month for my meds. Now that I don't, I pay $10 for a 3 month supply.

Some things I will never understand...

Yep same with me. I had insurance and my stuff cost $80 and without it cost $20.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: Wheezer
could be worse....you could have no insurance to cover it.

In some cases its better NOT to have it, that's how bad it is.

When I had insurance I was paying $8/month for my meds. Now that I don't, I pay $10 for a 3 month supply.

Some things I will never understand...

If poor people can prove they don't have money then the state picks up the tab. Illegals come over here to have babies cause they know they can get it done for free.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: MovingTarget

Originally posted by: nickbits

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: AnnonUSA
Wait till we have National Health care....It will likely cost the full $800 per event, but don't worry, she won't be able to get an appointment for more than one test within 9 months anyway, so it will be a net savings...

I have family that lives in a country with National Healthcare and while it's not next day, it was not 9 months from now. Too much FUD about National Healthcare.

My experience in Canada is that anything requiring a specialist and is non-life threatening will be a 3-4 month wait per appointment.

I'd take that over being in the us w/ no insurance anyday. Being poor here sucks...

Yes to that and the risk or getting denied here in the states is high. Many try to find an excuse to deny people. Also my family is in Europe so I guess it might be better healthcare over there.

My father is 81 and on dialysis, if he lived in Europe he would be dead cause they don't provide it to people over 72.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: Wheezer
could be worse....you could have no insurance to cover it.

In some cases its better NOT to have it, that's how bad it is.

When I had insurance I was paying $8/month for my meds. Now that I don't, I pay $10 for a 3 month supply.

Some things I will never understand...

If poor people can prove they don't have money then the state picks up the tab. Illegals come over here to have babies cause they know they can get it done for free.

State isn't picking up anything.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: Wheezer
could be worse....you could have no insurance to cover it.

In some cases its better NOT to have it, that's how bad it is.

When I had insurance I was paying $8/month for my meds. Now that I don't, I pay $10 for a 3 month supply.

Some things I will never understand...

If poor people can prove they don't have money then the state picks up the tab. Illegals come over here to have babies cause they know they can get it done for free.

State isn't picking up anything.

Taxpayers, state you get my point.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: Wheezer
could be worse....you could have no insurance to cover it.

In some cases its better NOT to have it, that's how bad it is.

When I had insurance I was paying $8/month for my meds. Now that I don't, I pay $10 for a 3 month supply.

Some things I will never understand...

If poor people can prove they don't have money then the state picks up the tab. Illegals come over here to have babies cause they know they can get it done for free.

State isn't picking up anything.

Taxpayers, state you get my point.

No taxpayers, state or federal.

Or are you not talking about my situation? I'm half blond on my mom's side.

 

[Slew Foot]

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: Wheezer
could be worse....you could have no insurance to cover it.

In some cases its better NOT to have it, that's how bad it is.

When I had insurance I was paying $8/month for my meds. Now that I don't, I pay $10 for a 3 month supply.

Some things I will never understand...

If poor people can prove they don't have money then the state picks up the tab. Illegals come over here to have babies cause they know they can get it done for free.

State isn't picking up anything.

Taxpayers, state you get my point.

No taxpayers, state or federal.

Or are you not talking about my situation? I'm half blond on my mom's side.

Usually the state picks up the tab for people that cant pay. 36% of UC Davis patients fall under "charity care".

 

[MovingTarget]

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: MovingTarget

Originally posted by: nickbits

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: AnnonUSA
Wait till we have National Health care....It will likely cost the full $800 per event, but don't worry, she won't be able to get an appointment for more than one test within 9 months anyway, so it will be a net savings...

I have family that lives in a country with National Healthcare and while it's not next day, it was not 9 months from now. Too much FUD about National Healthcare.

My experience in Canada is that anything requiring a specialist and is non-life threatening will be a 3-4 month wait per appointment.

I'd take that over being in the us w/ no insurance anyday. Being poor here sucks...

Yes to that and the risk or getting denied here in the states is high. Many try to find an excuse to deny people. Also my family is in Europe so I guess it might be better healthcare over there.

My father is 81 and on dialysis, if he lived in Europe he would be dead cause they don't provide it to people over 72.

Not all UHC systems are created equal. Here in teh US, we have different values that we'd base our system around, if we decided to implement UHC. I wouldn't necessarily discount UHC solely on the policy of one country.

Disclaimer: Europe is not a country....but anyway, I highly doubt that all of europe has a single system with that policy in place....

 

[Veramocor]

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I have the insurance. I just think they are wasting away their profits.

The other thing that bothered me was the hospital rate of 800 bucks, that somehow gets negotiated down to 300. If I didn't have health insurance I'd be paying 800 at the hospital which is ridiculous for the amount of service you get. Where else but the medical field can you charge 8 times the fair market value of a service and get away with it. Even when you get a bad deal at a car mechanic you only pay like 2-3 times the fair market value. At least with the mechanic they give you the courtesy of telling you how much it is going to cost before they rip you off and you can find someone else.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: Slew Foot

Usually the state picks up the tab for people that cant pay. 36% of UC Davis patients fall under "charity care".

Ahh...I have never had that privilege. Once my insurance ran out, I started looking into low cost RX's and found out that Walmart does a 90 day supply for $10.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Welkome to kapitalizm komrade.