Be Sure to Ask for a Discount - RF Cafe Forums

 Post subject: Be Sure to Ask for a Discount

Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 9:41 am 

Greetings:

We often hear about how the advent of medical insurance is responsible for sky-high costs of care. In the two years now that I have been self-employed and paying for my own insurance (just a catastrophic coverage plan with a $7,000 - yes seven thousand - deductible), I have seen evidence of that being the case.

Recently, I had a minor surgical procedure performed. The amount presented to the insurance company (BCBS) for being applied toward my out-of-pocket deductible will total around $1,350. The amount I paid on my credit card (I get 2% back on it) was $470. The cost for surgical consultation cast me $95, but the insurance record shows $475. That's a significant difference.

Melanie recently got a 10% discount on having a tooth crown replaced by paying cash. The key is to ask.

An honest assessment is that if it were not for the doctors being able to collect the higher amounts from insurance companies, my costs would have been higher. It is like when doctors have to settle for the very low amounts paid to them by Medicare and Medicaid - others pay more to compensate.

The only better deal is to sneak into the country illegally and get you to pay for it all.

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- Kirt Blattenberger
RF Cafe Progenitor & Webmaster

 Post subject: Re: Be Sure to Ask for a Discount

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:06 pm 

I had the same kind of experience with my doctor for having a mole cut off. The cash cost was $125 for the 5-minute office procedure. The insurance company was presented with a cost of $350 which like you wnet toward my deductible. So it didn't cost the insurance company a dime but that's what they would have paid if the procedure was covered.

I can only imagine how corrupt the entire system will be once the socalized medicine goes into effect. Based on stories I hear about places like Canada, rather than an on the spot treatment like I got I'd probably have to either wait months to have the mole removed or they would just refuse to do it at all. Once the US system goes down, the people from Canada will have nowhere to go for treatment unless they fly to India or China. I hear the rates are really cheap there anywany, and even with the price of an airline ticket and hotel can actually be way less.

God help us!

 Post subject: Re: Be Sure to Ask for a Discount

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:08 pm 

Yeah I'm self-employed as well. I always require a price discount or I go somewhere else. I guess if you have an emergency of some sort you don't have that luxury. Although, I have read stories of people demanding to be taken to a different hospital when the ambulance takes them to one they don't like.