Something to be outraged about...

From a followup article:

DENVER - When a patient called Columbine Health Plan (CHP) to ask why her chiropractors' bills show extra fees and services that were never performed on her husband, the claims manager admitted the company inflates and changes doctors' bills before sending them to insurance companies, according to a 9Wants to Know investigation that taped the patient's phone conversation.

The claims manager's admission directly conflicts with what the owner of CHP has told 9NEWS in the past. CHP owner David McReynolds has claimed CHP does not add services to bills unless they were actually performed.

Full Article

How is this not fraud? The additional cost are passed on the all the policy holders. Why do you even need this middleman to adjust the codes? The system is totally out of hand.

Maybe one person in the company is over-charging and pocketing the extra funds?

ComputerBreath wrote: Maybe one person in the company is over-charging and pocketing the extra funds?

It looks far to widespread to be a single person.

outdoor338 wrote: I saw that last night...was amazed how the insurance companies do nothing..I hope that changes soon...great post :thumbsup:

Why would insurance companies do something? These healthplan middlemen a) bill in bulk so that the insurance companies don't have to; b) get the bulk of the payments due to the doctors in because the bills going out to patients are so padded and c) don't suffer any loss out their own accounts because the patients are picking up the tab and then some. It's a win-win situation for the insurance companies AND the healthplan companies. This is not limited to chiropractic medicine, or to just this healthplan company or these two insurance companies; or to this state. This goes on all over America. And that's one reason why the insurance companies don't want any serious change to the healthcare system: they're making their money, the healthplan companies are making their money, and the doctors and patients don't even know that they're being screwed most of the time - and a lot of people are employed because of the middlemen scamming the consumer.

The same problem exists with Medicare: except with Medicare, the patients never see the bills that are sent to government to pay, so there's all kinds of undelivered services added to the bills, and the government just pays them.

Insurance is SUCH a pyramid scheme. Damned carpetbaggers, all of them!

Health care is not a right it is a business. Not an opinion, a fact. So to be a mandated business you must buy another product to use.

When you go in on health insurance and purchase differently and not ask about all the options you are the problem.

I have never been able to get rates for doctor's visits in advance, ever, anywhere, I always ask. I am sure some give it, just not places I have gone. I have never been able to promptly get qualifications to decide between doctors. Some even ask why I want it.

Some offices act like it does not even matter which doctor they give you that day, imagine that.

Not that I condone, but why would you expect insurance companies to be non profit, that is just odd, there is a forest behind that tree in front of you...why not skip the insurance all together and make the doctor a noble and non profit profession? Do you something essential for society, should we make you non profit, or do you do something wasteful and unnecessary and therefor should make money? These are products in markets and price will be determined accordingly...or make them rights and give them to people, cannot have it both ways and please stop talking like insurance is actually something that exists or is needed, it is a means to an end, not the end.

What do you call the guy that graduated last in his med class?

The answer is doctor. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT when you are talking to the doctor, ask them where they went to school, and why they are the best for you that day. I bet they are insulted to actually have to sell the service they want to keep a business and not a right.