Very helpful comment and info. This is one way to take control and solve the overcharging problem. So people can see it, here is the form:
NOTICE
Dear Healthcare provider,
As a condition of my accepting any medical exam, treatment or service approval of all charges must be obtained from me in writing prior to commitment. Any charges not approved by me prior to commitment will not be payable. This notice is binding. Service may not be denied on the basis of this request. This is not a dictate of the services and methods used or applied by you or your facility, it is a requirement that I be informed of all costs prior to commitment and to be allowed control of the costs and obligations that may be demanded of me. Notice to agent is notice to principal, notice to principal is notice to agent.
Thank you,
NAME___________________________________
SIGNED__________________________________
DATE____________________________________
Anne Landman
You can easily protect yourself from surprise bills from any health care provider. We did a segment on this on our TV program last week. There is a form that you can carry with you when you have medical treatment. It's right at the bottom of my column on this page of our site:
http://www.matrixnewsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2369:monday-october-19-2009&catid=31:general&Itemid=46
I can never understand how this sort of campaign financing can be tolerated. There must be a better way of doing things, instead of having the politicians be beholding to the big companies which fund their campaigns.
My doctor asks me a similar question every year and has never added on an extra charge when I've brought up things that I had questions about at the end of my physical. I sure hope that doesn't change. And when some immunizations showed up on my insurance EOB this year after my son's annual physical, I called and questioned them because he didn't receive any immunizations this time. It turned out to be an error due to my doctor's office switching to on-line medical records. The immunization charge was removed and my doctor even called to personally tell me what had happened. I think I've got a good doctor and a good doctor's office that, so far, isn't out to pad their bottom line. Just wanted to share a story of an honest doctor.
I dropped something on my foot and after a week of pain went to a doctor recommended by my primary care physician. After an X-ray, and a two minute exam I was sent home with a plastic and foam boot and told to stay off the foot for six weeks due to a slight stress fracture. The bill for that visit was over $900. When I complained about the excessive costs the doctor told me he had to charge that much to get paid enough from the insurance company. He said the boot cost him a lot and he had to mark it up. I found the boot online for $75 - the doctor charged $500. Most of the cost of that visit came out of my pocket because of the deductible.
In the future I will always ask the costs before any service is provided at a doctor's office. This is one example of why our health care costs are out of control and we need a single payer option.
I can never understand how this sort of campaign financing can be tolerated. There must be a better way of doing things, instead of having the politicians be beholding to the big companies which fund their campaigns.
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