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Off Topic -- Hosptial Bills

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Posted 6/23/2010 12:07 AM (GMT 0)
I just realized that I have like 20 envelopes on my table and they are all from the hospitals, doctors, anesthesiologist, pope, and garbage man ;) My insurance did cover the bulk otherwise I would have to ********** myself in the South Bronx, although, the costs are still adding up? I can't pay them off all at once at all! Is it ok to pay partial amounts until I catch up or will that destroy my credit? Not sure if any of you are going through this, but it is pretty insane.

Thank you very much!!
Posted 6/23/2010 12:34 AM (GMT 0)
Yea you can make payments; as long as you don't miss a payment it should hurt your credit. That's what I'm doing for my GI doc and surgeon. As for my hospital bill, it has been completely covered by insurance/the hospitals assistance program.
Posted 6/23/2010 2:56 PM (GMT 0)
You can get on payment plans from the hospital.
Posted 6/24/2010 12:47 AM (GMT 0)
when the hospital calls you they will usually offer you a deal, like say you owe 100 they will say, if you pay right now you can pay only 70.
Obviously the amounts would be different but you get the idea.
Posted 6/24/2010 3:39 PM (GMT 0)
When I called about my bill, the hospital told me if I paid in full they would take off 25 percent. It makes a huge difference. I asked them if they always offer that and they told me you have to ask. If you have enough $ to pay some of the bills off you could call them and they would probably give you some kind of discount.
Posted 6/24/2010 3:43 PM (GMT 0)
wow, I never knew that. They didn't call me though. I may just do that this weekend. My bills are in excess of like 1000. Although that is nothing compared to what I would have spent if I didn't have insurance. I can't believe the anesthesiologist nearly cost the same amount as the surgery. I am in the wrong field.
Posted 6/24/2010 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
Move here to Canada!!!!!
Im sorry you have to worry about bill's on top of everything else.

-Allie
Posted 6/25/2010 8:35 PM (GMT 0)
lol, thanks Allison. It will be ok
Posted 6/25/2010 10:27 PM (GMT 0)
oh anthony what i should have mentioned is, they wont call us unless you are behind.
Posted 6/26/2010 12:36 AM (GMT 0)
My anesthesiologist was only $1400, but my hospital bill was $33000! LOL

I'm glad I have insurance :D
Posted 6/26/2010 7:48 PM (GMT 0)
I don't even want to imagine what my hospital bills must have been like. I have Medicaid and do not ever see a bill. I am so fortunate to qualify or I don't know what I would have done. All the Remicade, surgeries, hospitalizations, home nurses. I could never have done it. I only pay $1-3 for prescriptions.

Before I had insurance, I had a $6000 bill from one ER visit. Luckily, I qualified for the hospital's financial aid and only had to pay the $500 individual doctor's bill.
Posted 6/30/2010 3:15 PM (GMT 0)
My experience is that they will all gladly take payments but I've always called and set it up with them so they don't think I'm trying to pull something.

Move to Canada? I think not. We have problems with the US health-care system there's no doubt but Canada's system is not something I personally want anything to do with. I have relatives from Canada with too many horror stories.
Posted 7/1/2010 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
Does anyone pay attention to what the insurance company pays? The anesthesiologist might bill $1400, but the insurance company might pay only $250 and they accept it as paid in full! They bill an individuaal for the full inflated price. Ask for a reduced price. Squeaky wheel.........

Dan
Posted 7/1/2010 4:14 AM (GMT 0)
it depends on who your insurace is and which ones have contracts with which drs or hospitals as to what is paid.
The amount on the bill is what a private pay would pay. If for instance your hosptial is contracted with BCBS then the amount the hosptial actually charges will be less, if its cigna, it will be a discounted rate still, but not as much.
The private pay price is higher and other bills are so much higher, because somewhere there has to be a balance for all the nonpayers from the ER, which has become a really big problem for hosptials, they are losing money left and right, and without money, they cant pay their employees or buy new equipment.
So someone has to pick up the slack and sadly its the people who can pay.
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