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So who should I pitch a bitch to aboot a healthcare company takeover causing my bills to double?


Ralphie

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I am thinking maybe my workplace healthcare coordinator, but I don't know.  That would be more if the insurance company was the problem.  I'm sure the corporation that took over doesn't GAS.  Maybe just state regulators or attorney general.  Shirley it will fall on deaf ears, but it just isn't right, dammit, that a healthcare company takes over another and doubles the prices.

OK, here is one answer from Uncle Google.

https://www.propublica.org/article/why-your-health-insurer-does-not-care-about-your-big-bills

OK, not surprisingly, the takeaway from that story is don't bother, you can;t beat the system.  Take your lumps and pay your bills, no matter how high handed they may be. The High Handed Act of 2020.

TRIVIA
The High Handed Code as ammended in 1912 states, "If the party of the first part digs a well cutting off the water of the party of the second part, the water becomes the property of the party of the first part and the party of the second part is hereby deemed 'not to have a leg to stand on'"

The Stupid and Ridiculous Law of 1966, which ammended The High Handed Code as ammended in 1912 states, "Anyone monkeying with the aforesaid section, which deals with one fellow drilling and the other fellow being out of luck, will be subject to a $500.00 fine and two years imprisonment, or both."
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I’m thinking about seeing if it’s possible to switch from my crappy health insurance to the plan I should have been referred to when I retired. If I can get it I know the cost will be at least double what it would have been when I retired but it would still save me money. This is going to be an expensive week for me. My cardiologist wants me to go to cardiac rehab three times a week at the hospital. I’m going to go to “introduction to cardiac rehab” tomorrow and tell them to tell me what I need to do because I can’t afford to come back. I can’t take all that time away from my wife and I can’t afford the copays.

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15 minutes ago, Randomguy said:

Aren't you at least glad we have the best and most affordable healthcare system in the world and that we are so caring and concerned about the best interest and health/wellbeing of the common citizen?

Exactly.  Some people will complain that their platinum encrusted gold bars don't have a silver engraving of their monogram :whistle:

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3 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

Whelp I hope I don’t die. I just canceled my cardiac rehab. I don’t have the time or the money to do that.

With or without the suggested exercises?  I agree that you can probably do it mostly on your own, but some guidance would be better than none (usually, but not always). 

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7 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

Whelp I hope I don’t die. I just canceled my cardiac rehab. I don’t have the time or the money to do that.

I like that you did this.  I think they want the cardiac rehab for people who have no concept or motivation or knowledge on how to move around and get the blood flowing.  You do.

Getting on a bike or kayak and going easy at first is the rehab that you need.  Trust me, I went to Hollywood Upstairs Medical College like Dr. Nick Riviera, so I know what I am talking about.

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16 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

Whelp I hope I don’t die. I just canceled my cardiac rehab. I don’t have the time or the money to do that.

We have an employee that had a heart attack the Sunday before Memorial day and triple by-pass the following Thursday.  He's 60 and has been a jogger/runner since HS.  About 3 weeks post surgery he starter cardiac rehab.  Being a runner he progressed real quickly thru their program.  It was simply trotting on the treadmill and spinning on a cycle.  By week 2 they had him doing week 4 efforts and by week 4 he had graduated from the 6 week period.  He never did anything other than what he considered easy cardio. 

You can do this on your own I'm sure.

 

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I know that my shoulder rehab was designed to separate me from my money.  When I went I did for them the same exercises that I did at home.  I did them so well that the tech was able to spend more time with another patient.  At $40 copay for their 3 days per week that was silly.  I did them on my own,  Insurance would have authorized more than 20 weeks but I didn't use what I had so they didn't.

I still do those exercises and more that I found online that are standard fare for rotator cuff rehab.

Bastids.

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2 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

With or without the suggested exercises?  I agree that you can probably do it mostly on your own, but some guidance would be better than none (usually, but not always). 

I told them I would go to one session just to get an idea of what I should be doing. They said no, if I wasn’t going to do the program don’t bother.

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26 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

They said no, if I wasn’t going to do the program don’t bother.

"Yeah, we don't want a little bit of your money, we want A LOT of your money!" or "We will give you the least little explanation, because we don't want you cutting us out of our deserved income stream".

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2 minutes ago, Randomguy said:

"Yeah, we don't want a little bit of your money, we want A LOT of your money!" or "We will give you the least little explanation, because we don't want you cutting us out of our deserved income stream".

Or, "Your health is so important to us that we will ONLY settle for you 100% buying all our stuff. That's just how much we care."

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38 minutes ago, Dottles said:

 

What would @Kzoo say?  Greatest?!?

WTH is your problem?  WTH is your point?  Are you just trying to be an a** or do you have the union card?

And I have a lot to say about heatl care and health care coverage.  As the owner of a business I have provided company paid coverage for all of our employees for the past 29 years.  Having spent well in excess of $2,500,000 over that time I have thoughts.  But none for you.

 

Moving on to Ignore List maintenance.

 

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12 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

WTH is your problem?  WTH is your point?  Are you just trying to be an a** or do you have the union card?

And I have a lot to say about heatl care and health care coverage.  As the owner of a business I have provided company paid coverage for all of our employees for the past 29 years.  Having spent well in excess of $2,500,000 over that time I have thoughts.  But none for you.

 

Moving on to Ignore List maintenance.

 

I hear you, but you just need to give him what he wants! Evidence that we are #1! Loser CAnada is at #15!

image.thumb.png.eb73c1c32e933193b065d7fe9c894c77.png

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1 minute ago, Kzoo said:

He's just being an a**.  He is trying to needle me into something.  He has a long history of this.

 

So do I.  But I hope - sincerely - that you know we're pushing your buttons.  Maybe I don't know the full picture/history, but you gotta admit, you're fun to needle! 

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1 minute ago, Razors Edge said:

So do I.  But I hope - sincerely - that you know we're pushing your buttons.  Maybe I don't know the full picture/history, but you gotta admit, you're fun to needle! 

There's a difference.  I can have thick internet skin but I am not a masochist. 

 

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1 hour ago, Razors Edge said:

I hope - sincerely - that you know we're pushing your buttons. 

We are a miserable shithole of a country in terms of health coverage.  It is expensive as hell, the insurance companies are forever weaseling out of paying for whatever they can weasel out of, they are forever inventing new charges both big and nickel/dime variety, and you gotta choose between living and rehab or medication, you name it.   If that doesn't get you upset, then you need buttons pushed.

We suck as a nation in that regard  "Just move out of the country then" the idiots say in a never helpful manner, as idiots most often do.  Outcomes are not the best, families are very often bankrupted (yup, the ones WITH insurance) with any kind of serious health condition, it is just stupid.  It is also stupid that other countries seem to have their shit together enough to have universal coverage, but we are too stupid or lazy or partison-asshole to actually do it.  Any attempt to take this on is met with the dumbest and most soul-less type of people  screaming "Socialists!!!" or some other dumber types of things, all the while enjoying fire departments, police departments, prison systems, municipal water, sewage, garbage pickup, etc, etc, etc.  We just have a lot of repressive sacks of shit forever throwing up roadblocks to sensibility.

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22 minutes ago, Randomguy said:

Not really, we are a miserable shithole of a country in terms of health coverage.  It is expensive as hell, the insurance companies are forever weaseling out of paying for whatever they can weasel out of, they are forever inventing new charges both big and nickel/dime variety, and you gotta choose between living and rehab or medication, you name it. 

We suck as a nation in that regard  "Just move out of the country then" the idiots say in a never helpful manner, as idiots most often do.  Outcomes are not the best, families are very often bankrupted (yup, the ones WITH insurance) with any kind of serious health condition, it is just stupid.  It is also stupid that other countries seem to have their shit together enough to have universal coverage, but we are too stupid or lazy or partison-asshole to actually do it.  Any attempt to take this on is met with the dumbest and most soul-less type of people  screaming "Socialists!!!" or some other dumber types of things, all the while enjoying fire departments, police departments, prison systems, municipal water, sewage, garbage pickup, etc, etc, etc.  We just have a lot of repressive sacks of shit forever throwing up roadblocks to sensibility.

Just buy some stock in the healthcare sector and get paid as folks get sick.  Make enough and you're covered!  This ain't rocket science!

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5 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

If you were investing, you'd be rich rich rich!!!! Forget about the unwashed masses.

You do need  money to make money in the market.  Some people are just struggling with their normal bills.  

Also, the rate of growth of health care costs exceed most healthcare index funds.  I am not sure that investing a few grand a year will touch this problem of expensive health bills and catastrophes like cancer.

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2 hours ago, Kzoo said:

He's just being an a**.  He is trying to needle me into something.  He has a long history of this.

 

 

2 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

So do I.  But I hope - sincerely - that you know we're pushing your buttons.  Maybe I don't know the full picture/history, but you gotta admit, you're fun to needle! 

It's nothing more than this. I like everything about Kazabooboo except maybe his fucking Steelers.

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1 hour ago, Randomguy said:

We are a miserable shithole of a country in terms of health coverage.  It is expensive as hell, the insurance companies are forever weaseling out of paying for whatever they can weasel out of, they are forever inventing new charges both big and nickel/dime variety, and you gotta choose between living and rehab or medication, you name it.   If that doesn't get you upset, then you need buttons pushed.

We suck as a nation in that regard  "Just move out of the country then" the idiots say in a never helpful manner, as idiots most often do.  Outcomes are not the best, families are very often bankrupted (yup, the ones WITH insurance) with any kind of serious health condition, it is just stupid.  It is also stupid that other countries seem to have their shit together enough to have universal coverage, but we are too stupid or lazy or partison-asshole to actually do it.  Any attempt to take this on is met with the dumbest and most soul-less type of people  screaming "Socialists!!!" or some other dumber types of things, all the while enjoying fire departments, police departments, prison systems, municipal water, sewage, garbage pickup, etc, etc, etc.  We just have a lot of repressive sacks of shit forever throwing up roadblocks to sensibility.

The only ones who seem to truly like our healthcare system are the few folks being rewarded by it or dumb healthy guys who think it's great -- until the become sick and then need it.

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1 minute ago, Dottles said:

The only ones who seem to truly like our healthcare system are the few folks being rewarded by it or dumb healthy guys who think it's great -- until the become sick and then need it.

This is it, exactly, plus the "I got mine" crowd who don't give a shit about anyone not them.

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1 hour ago, Randomguy said:

This is it, exactly, plus the "I got mine" crowd who don't give a shit about anyone not them.

That sounds like raw, unabated capitalism of the 18th century. Surely we are doing better than that. Better than those commies pinkos anyway but how about the rest of the civilized world? Oh that's right. We rank 36th.

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4 hours ago, Kzoo said:

WTH is your problem?  WTH is your point?  Are you just trying to be an a** or do you have the union card?

And I have a lot to say about heatl care and health care coverage.  As the owner of a business I have provided company paid coverage for all of our employees for the past 29 years.  Having spent well in excess of $2,500,000 over that time I have thoughts.  But none for you.

 

Moving on to Ignore List maintenance.

 

I thought your 2.5 million sounded pretty high. Then I divided by 30 & then by 12. We aren't quite that high but it's ballpark territory. sheesh

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 A health care CEO's salary in large American hospitals runs above $1 million a year. A 2019 Forbes report found only eight of 82 nonprofit hospitals paid their CEO less, and some paid as much as $21 million. A 2018 study in the Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research journal found that pay increases for CEOs and other hospital executives have grown steadily throughout the 21st century.

Obviously they aren't non profit for some people.

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15 hours ago, Randomguy said:

What if you are bankrupted from medical expenses?

Ohhhhh!  I can answer this one! It's not a bankruptcy, but it's close.

When your wife needs emergency care, you don't really think about the cost.  You just go to the hospital and do whatever it takes to make sure she, and the baby she is carrying, is safe.  A few months later, you get the bill.  That bill is more than you and your wife make in two years.  You want to do the responsible thing, so you call the hospital and set up a payment plan. Sure, you'll be paying for thirty years, but you are responsible with your money.  You are not deadbeats.

A couple years go by and the hospital changes hands.  Their billing company changes hands as well.  The bill you agreed on almost quadruples. You call and they are inflexible.  Your options are to accept the new payment or pay the bill in full.  You couldn't pay the full amount, but you paid as much as you could.  You are not deadbeats. 

You fall farther and father behind in paying this bill.  Eventually, the hospital sues you for the balance. You hire a lawyer, and he tells you your only hope is that you show all of the ways you tried to work with the hospital and perhaps the judge will show mercy. You go to court and explain to the judge all the ways you tried to pay. It was just that the bill was too much.  You are not a deadbeats.

After the judge hears both sides, he decided to go on a rant about people who bought too much house and are getting bailed out by the government because they made bad decisions. "You people are always looking for a handout." The judge says. Your lawyer tries to interrupt and the judge threatens him with contempt. The judge rules for the hospital.

For the next seven years, you have a 25% wage garnishment on your salary until the hospital gets all of their money.  

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5 hours ago, Forum Administrator said:

Ohhhhh!  I can answer this one! It's not a bankruptcy, but it's close.

When your wife needs emergency care, you don't really think about the cost.  You just go to the hospital and do whatever it takes to make sure she, and the baby she is carrying, is safe.  A few months later, you get the bill.  That bill is more than you and your wife make in two years.  You want to do the responsible thing, so you call the hospital and set up a payment plan. Sure, you'll be paying for thirty years, but you are responsible with your money.  You are not deadbeats.

A couple years go by and the hospital changes hands.  Their billing company changes hands as well.  The bill you agreed on almost quadruples. You call and they are inflexible.  Your options are to accept the new payment or pay the bill in full.  You couldn't pay the full amount, but you paid as much as you could.  You are not deadbeats. 

You fall farther and father behind in paying this bill.  Eventually, the hospital sues you for the balance. You hire a lawyer, and he tells you your only hope is that you show all of the ways you tried to work with the hospital and perhaps the judge will show mercy. You go to court and explain to the judge all the ways you tried to pay. It was just that the bill was too much.  You are not a deadbeats.

After the judge hears both sides, he decided to go on a rant about people who bought too much house and are getting bailed out by the government because they made bad decisions. "You people are always looking for a handout." The judge says. Your lawyer tries to interrupt and the judge threatens him with contempt. The judge rules for the hospital.

For the next seven years, you have a 25% wage garnishment on your salary until the hospital gets all of their money.  

Ain't it great? Next time marry a wife who doesn't need medical assistance. And while your at it, don't have any kids.

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5 hours ago, Forum Administrator said:

For the next seven years, you have a 25% wage garnishment on your salary until the hospital gets all of their money.  

You should have just worked harder.  That way, you wouldn't have to worry with all the extra money you were making in our glorious meritocracy.

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