Something to be outraged about...

The adjustment bureau: Company makes millions adjusting patients' bills
10:51 PM, Sep 13, 2011

DENVER - When people get their backs adjusted by some chiropractors, they're never told a for-profit company may also be adjusting their bills. The changes drain some patient's benefits, render billing records inaccurate and help the company make millions in revenue, according to a 9Wants to Know investigation.

The company, Columbine Health Plan (CHP), says it's allowed to operate that way in a special deal with two of Colorado's largest health insurance companies, Kaiser Permanente and CIGNA Health.

"We have a relationship with the insurance company that doesn't affect the doctors," McReynolds said. "What's on the bills is irrelevant because we have a contract to get paid that way."

Full Article

I saw that last night...was amazed how the insurance companies do nothing..I hope that changes soon...great post :thumbsup:

The entire healthcare billing system is dysfunctional, wasteful and not transparent. And its not likely to get better. Try scheduling an appointment and asking for price information in advance. There is no set price, it all depends on who your "middleman" is that is paying for you.

It is a long article to read, but the quote below is instructive. When you have three different organizations involved in paying small bills like $36, it is going to add overhead cost. This is not insurance and should be paid cash on the spot, or thru an HSA debit card.

When Havekost got her explanation of benefits from MVP Health Plan, which is administered by CIGNA, it looked like her chiropractor had been paid $61 for each visit, instead of $36 he said he charged.

This is why our healthcare system needs to be rebuilt but NOT handed over to the government. (can you imagine the DMV on steroids? When you're sick? :VeryScared: No.) we need another plan, one where middlemen don't make huge profits on the backs of sick people and taxpayers.

chickaree wrote: This is why our healthcare system needs to be rebuilt but NOT handed over to the government. (can you imagine the DMV on steroids? When you're sick? :VeryScared: No.) we need another plan, one where middlemen don't make huge profits on the backs of sick people and taxpayers.

With agencies like that no wonder we pay so much. Absolutely disgusting. In some ways when one looks at the big picture of how we live our lives and the status of our economy, you can see that there is much blood sucking going on. Would it not be great to have the economy crater to the point where it gets reset to a way that is less dysfunctional? It be great to see a company like that go under, alng with a host of others in other sectors that do much the same thing.

chickaree wrote: This is why our healthcare system needs to be rebuilt but NOT handed over to the government. (can you imagine the DMV on steroids? When you're sick? :VeryScared: No.) we need another plan, one where middlemen don't make huge profits on the backs of sick people and taxpayers.

(emphasis added)

The problem is Ronnie Raygun's Administration's deregulation of the insurance industry as a whole and making it legal for insurance companies to make a profit to begin with. Insurance companies should be NON-PROFIT entities interested in the health and well-being of their customers and not their stock price.

I'd jave no problem with insurance companies being non-profit, private entities competing for our business. This seems to be the optimal solution. The government would have no incentive to provide excellent service.

The problem is Ronnie Raygun's Administration's deregulation of the insurance industry as a whole and making it legal for insurance companies to make a profit to begin with. Insurance companies should be NON-PROFIT entities interested in the health and well-being of their customers and not their stock price.

Wrong. This isn't reagans fault- it's the fault of all of us consumers of health care. Insurance was never intended to cover office visits, physicals, routine things like pap smears- it was intended to "insure" one's self against unforseen medical costs. It has been bastardized into somthing un-recognizable.

We kept demanding that insurance companies cover this and that and the other thing- and now they are the middlemen for every visit to the doctor, every pill we take and every routine cost. We allowed these insurance companies to get in between us and the doctors and our medicine.

I have started asking how much things cost - the doctors don't like hearing the question. I also ask if each blood test, other tests and medication are covered by my insurance and what percentage I would be responsible for. Doctors are experts in dealing with insurance companies to get paid- but know nothing about them when I ask a question about coverage- they are supposed to know this stuff so hold their feet to the fire- expect answers to your questions.

I'm tired of being nickeled and dimed by my doctors and my insurance company. I call it "double billing". I have asked my insurance company representatives in front of all the employees at my company- why they say a blood test is covered and then I get a second bill from the blood testing company. You should see them do the dance around the bush- but I don't care if I cause embarrassment- I'm talking about my money damnit.

Start raising hell- start asking questions- start demanding information- from your insurance company- from your doctor- from your employer. I started asking these kinds of questions 15 years ago, and one employer stood up and took notice and dumped one health insurance comapny and found another one who had a better deal and didn't beat around the bush. I saved everyone who worked at my company hundreds of dollars in bills that year.

If we all start taking an interest in our own medical care instead of just keeping our mouths shut- things WILL start to change for the better.

And I think every doctor should be required to provide a price list for every service- just like a supermarket or gas station. None of us know how much things cost when we go to the doctor- what other industry works like that?

The system sucks because we allowed it to get that way. We don't need the government to solve this problem, we just need all of us to take responsibility for our own health care.

There are some (few) doctor's offices out there that will work with patients. One that I took my son to last week in Salida for his broken elbow. They told him when he called and made the appointment how much the visit would cost (he is too old to be on my plan, and doesn't have any other insurance). Then when we told the doctor that he didn't have insurance, she made sure to give us the least costly options...to include forgoing more x-rays (can't take just one...gotta take two...and they were over $130 each) and giving us a less expensive brace for his arm.

I'd recommend this clinic to anyone in a heartbeat...good people not out to make a buck.

ComputerBreath wrote: There are some (few) doctor's offices out there that will work with patients. One that I took my son to last week in Salida for his broken elbow. They told him when he called and made the appointment how much the visit would cost (he is too old to be on my plan, and doesn't have any other insurance). Then when we told the doctor that he didn't have insurance, she made sure to give us the least costly options...to include forgoing more x-rays (can't take just one...gotta take two...and they were over $130 each) and giving us a less expensive brace for his arm.

I'd recommend this clinic to anyone in a heartbeat...good people not out to make a buck.

Perfect example of what I'm talking about- you took responsibility for your own (or your son did) interests.

Here's another example- Call up a winshield repair business- tell them you have full coverage insurance and want a price for replacing a broken windshield. Call back again later and get a price after you tell them you have no insurance.

Do you think there's a difference?
You bet your ass there is!