Oh, well given what you did for years, yeah you absolutely know the drill!! It CAN be extremely frustrating. An additional frustration we've had with my CCC is that each and every doctor, department, lab, area, etc bill separately. We tried to consolidate onto one account number for the CCC but noooooooo can do. Separate accounts for each, with separate account numbers. Holy cow that creates confusion, because then of course you've got separate insurance statements for each, etc.

Sorry, getting off course there. Now I'm ranting I suppose....
-Steve

Well, I received some bills in the mail today...

My txs were just under $106 000
My stay in the Hospital 65 000

I can't remember what the neck dissection and the tumor removal was.... about 15K??...I can't remember...I don't think it was under 10K...

That Hospital stay was expensive...thank goodness for health insurance

btw...i wasn't ranting or anything...it was just the first time i received anything about costs...

Ray

The more of the costs I see the more I want to rant. Thank goodness for insurance this time. The first time around I had none to start with and then had to fight mine every step of the way. I keep everything in a 3 ring binder and then file the bills behind the insurance statement so I can make sure that everything is getting taken care of. I still get new bills and currently have 3 things going through the appeal process. One of them being the bill for the pathologist's service while I was hospitalized. It must be normal for it to be denied since the pathologist's office sent me a letter and some pre-printed material to send with my appeal. I am afraid to total them all up, it would probably send me to the emergency room.

Patty

i received a notice that the UW was billing my insurance $16,000 for some treatment I did not receive. I called the insurance and could not believe how passive they were about it ... like 16k didnt matter much ... No wonder we pay so much for insurance if 16k doesn't matter. and get this "I" had to call the UW to get it taken off ... they could not do it ??? say what ??>

It is amazing how the hospital bills for one amount and then the insurance pays a completely different discounted amount - why not skip the first step and just bill for what will be paid. It is really a shame that sick people can not focus on getting well because they have to spend so much energy keeping the insurance company in line and watch all of the different billing services so carefully. My first surgery was scheduled for the Tuesday after Labor Day 06. My insurance company called me the Friday before at like 3 pm and requested that I change doctors or they would not pay for my surgery. I told them to take a flying leap. I was not changing doctors and had just spent the day with an attorney making sure that my affairs were in order. I was so stressed by the time I went to surgery. There now I am off my soap box, maybe.

Patty

Insurance companies and the SSA....sigh...truly paperwork hell. Fortunately our insurance co has a website. I can access all claims and convert to excel spreadsheet in order to keep track. Then I have a folder for each thing (rt, chemo, misc, consults). Old habits die hard I guess. I set this stuff up just as if I were prepping a case. Years ago when my daughter was still at home (seizure disorder) I compiled all this stuff and when she left home I had everything for her SSI claim at my fingertips. I also had a lot of just junk but better too much than not enough. I've also found that when I open my totebag and start pulling stuff out before offices can find it in their file that I don't have to take a lot of BS from them. A very wise neurologist once sent my daughter home from the hospital when she was still quite ill and told me that I knew my daughter better than any of the staff did and I would be able to pinpoint problems faster than the staff. Every caregiver should keep that in mind. I've had several go 'rounds with hospital staff over that very thing - one told me my aging mother was just "confused" because she was at the hospital when she was actually going into sepsis! Ok, now off my soapbox too...my motto, as always, question authority

[quote=Good1]It is amazing how the hospital bills for one amount and then the insurance pays a completely different discounted amount - why not skip the first step and just bill for what will be paid.[/quote]

The billing amounts are effectively the undiscounted cash price for the procedure, followed by the much lower discounted price negotiated by Medicare and other ins providers. Just let the dust settle, esp if you have Medicare plus a supplementary insurance, because it takes time to process individual cases through two ins cos.

I don't know if it is because they don't do the same thing in England, but we never got a CD? One time the consutant got an urgent call for sommeone on the ward (Martin is an out patient), and he left the file in the room. So I peeked and looked at all of the scans. But no one ever gave us a CD.
Otherwise, I have the consultants' and nurses' numbers in my mobile phone. I also have reminders in my mobile phone for appointments and scans, in case my trusted filfax gets lost. i also have a special martin folder with all of the copies of appointments and leaflets and stuff. it pays to be organised.
Best of luck as well.

[quote=Pete D]The billing amounts are effectively the undiscounted cash price for the procedure, followed by the much lower discounted price negotiated by Medicare and other ins providers. Just let the dust settle, esp if you have Medicare plus a supplementary insurance, because it takes time to process individual cases through two ins cos. [/quote]

Medicare and different insurance companies negotiate their own maximum allowable charges which can vary tremendously. Here is a great example of what Craig and I were each charged for a simple two-film chest X-ray.

We have FEPBlue Insurance since Craig is retired from civil service. Last year Craig signed up for Medicare and that is now his primary carrier and FEPBlue is now medigap (i.e. picks up all the charges Medicare does not cover). I still have FEPBlue as my primary carrier, and they pay 100% once a year for a chest X-Ray as a part of their preventive care program. Therefore, the chest X-rays we had at the same institution on the same day cost each of us $0.00.

Here are the numbers reflected on our BC/BS statements:

Submitted charges by the hospital: $705

Craig's statement:
Plan allowance-Medicare: $705
Medicare PAID: $696.55
FEPBlue paid: $8.45
Total insurance payment: $705

My statement:
Plan allowance-FEPBlue: $68.78
FEPBlue paid: $68.78
Total insurance payment: $68.78

I realize that the negotiations between medical providers and insurance companies are give and take (i.e. we will pay more for this test if you will take less for that test, etc.).

BUT.... Is a two-film chest X-ray (not including the charge for reading the X-ray) worth $705?

And look who is putting out $696.55?

We are, fellow taxpayers!

[quote=Pete D]

The billing amounts are effectively the undiscounted cash price for the procedure, followed by the much lower discounted price negotiated by Medicare and other ins providers. Just let the dust settle, esp if you have Medicare plus a supplementary insurance, because it takes time to process individual cases through two ins cos.[/quote]

I like the let the dust settle advice Pete. That means I can just keep putting it in the binder and only look at it once or twice a month instead of fretting about it more often than that. You are a wise man.

Patty