Healthcare issues hit home...

[SteamWake]

I just learned today that my scheduled physical with a healthcare physician (that I have been with since 1970) has been canceled "Due to billing disputes with your provider".

It seems that the provider (that I have been paying into for decades) has stopped paying their bills waiting to see what the current health care legislation is going to do and how it will effect them.

So only one day into the new legislation and already I'm being pushed into the single payer plan.

Hoooray :nope:

God forbid something serious should happen right now.

[tater]

Serious problems mean a specialist, and they (among providers) we have the most profound changes should you need them. This is because they must take Medicaid to have hospital privileges. Since this stupid plan adds Medicaid patients (whose care pays the doc below cost), expect long delays for treatment.

[AVGWarhawk]

It seems that the provider (that I have been paying into for decades) has stopped paying their bills waiting to see what the current health care legislation is going to do and how it will effect them.



Is your policy still in effect? Is your premium paid and current? If so, how can you provider just stop? You have paid the money on a contractural agreement. The last place I would be is posting at SS. I would be calling my provider making the inquiry. :03:

[SteamWake]

Is your policy still in effect? Is your premium paid and current? If so, how can you provider just stop? You have paid the money on a contractural agreement. The last place I would be is posting at SS. I would be calling my provider making the inquiry. :03:

Simply put... there in legal dispute with the providor for non payment. It is within their right to not accept 'debt' from a bad source.

Oh and trust me I have already been on the phone with the provider since we got that letter saying our coverage is being dropped.

[AVGWarhawk]

When was the letter received? Did the letter state that coverage would continue for x amount of weeks until you can find another provider? Did they just drop you the day you opened the letter stating you will be dropped?

[GoldenRivet]

my wife experienced her first rate hike in about 7 years.



60% increase:nope:

[AVGWarhawk]

I think it was predicted that the cost will go up as a result of this bill.

[SteamWake]

Well it was 'promised' that it would reduce costs.

It was also promised that "If your happy with your current healthcare you get to keep it".

Well looks like I wont get that chance.

Anyhow I dont want to turn this into another O bash thread. I was just supprised as to how quickly this hit home.

[AVGWarhawk]

The question I have for you is the premium you paid already. Was coverage cut off before the coverage date expired. In short, does the insurance company owe you any pro-rated days/weeks that you should have been covered but the insurance company elected to drop you instead?

[AVGWarhawk]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/Obamacare-is-even-worse-than-critics-thought-960772-103571664.html




And now we know why there are so many Obama threads! :haha:


» Obamacare won't decrease health care costs for the government. According to Medicare's actuary, it will increase costs. The same is likely to happen for privately funded health care.
» As written, Obamacare covers elective abortions, contrary to Obama's promise that it wouldn't. This means that tax dollars will be used to pay for a procedure millions of Americans across the political spectrum view as immoral. Supposedly, the Department of Health and Human Services will bar abortion coverage with new regulations but these will likely be tied up for years in litigation, and in the end may not survive the court challenge.
» Obamacare won't allow employees or most small businesses to keep the coverage they have and like. By Obama's estimates, as many as 69 percent of employees, 80 percent of small businesses, and 64 percent of large businesses will be forced to change coverage, probably to more expensive plans.
» Obamacare will increase insurance premiums -- in some places, it already has. Insurers, suddenly forced to cover clients' children until age 26, have little choice but to raise premiums, and they attribute to Obamacare's mandates a 1 to 9 percent increase. Obama's only method of preventing massive rate increases so far has been to threaten insurers.
» Obamacare will force seasonal employers -- especially the ski and amusement park industries -- to pay huge fines, cut hours, or lay off employees.
» Obamacare forces states to guarantee not only payment but also treatment for indigent Medicaid patients. With many doctors now refusing to take Medicaid (because they lose money doing so), cash-strapped states could be sued and ordered to increase reimbursement rates beyond their means.
» Obamacare imposes a huge nonmedical tax compliance burden on small business. It will require them to mail IRS 1099 tax forms to every vendor from whom they make purchases of more than $600 in a year, with duplicate forms going to the Internal Revenue Service. Like so much else in the 2,500-page bill, our senators and representatives were apparently unaware of this when they passed the measure.
» Obamacare allows the IRS to confiscate part or all of your tax refund if you do not purchase a qualified insurance plan. The bill funds 16,000 new IRS agents to make sure Americans stay in line.
If you wonder why so many American voters are angry, and no longer give Obama the benefit of the doubt on a variety of issues, you need look no further than Obamacare, whose birthday gift to America might just be a GOP congressional majority.

[Tchocky]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/health/policy/23careintro.html?_r=1&hpw=&pagewanted=print

Some of the provisions coming in today.


SteamWake, seeing as your provider has had 6 months to analyse the changes, it seems negligent to just stop paying their bills.

[AVGWarhawk]

SteamWake, seeing as your provider has had 6 months to analyse the changes, it seems negligent to just stop paying their bills.

Hence all my questions concerning his provider. Something very wrong here IMO.

[Tchocky]

Nice little infographic bit from the NYT.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/09/23/opinion/20100923_opart.html?hp

The source is what it is.

[frau kaleun]

Hence all my questions concerning his provider. Something very wrong here IMO.

After 15+ years of dealing with health insurance companies on a daily basis, I'm gonna have to go with "We found yet another excuse not to pay claims" for $1000.

[AVGWarhawk]

After 15+ years of dealing with health insurance companies on a daily basis, I'm gonna have to go with "We found yet another excuse not to pay claims" for $1000.


Well sure, the companies go through each record with a fine tooth come looking for some small discrepency to drop you like a bad habit. Typical. There are some provisions of the health bill I like but others just plan suck.

[frau kaleun]

Well sure, the companies go through each record with a fine tooth come looking for some small discrepency to drop you like a bad habit. Typical. There are some provisions of the health bill I like but others just plan suck.

Well I was thinking more of how supposedly they have suspended claims payments while they assess the potential effects of the health care bill, when surely they've had ample time to do that in the months since it passed.

Not so much about the sudden termination of coverage, but, yeah, they can always find a reason to enhance their own bottom line in whatever way possible.

We used to theorize hereabouts regarding what percentage of insurance company shenanigans were caused by simple incompetence, what percentage was deliberate intent to screw people over for $$, and what percent was incompetence encouraged and maintained in order to serve the deliberate intent to screw people over for $$. We never did arrive at a definitive answer. Dealing with the "lower level" employees most of the time, it's hard to decide if what you've got is #1 or #3; OTOH some of the things that lowly CSRs have out-and-out admitted on occasion (perhaps without knowing any better) do give one pause.

[AVGWarhawk]

Truth be told I have had good dealings with my health insurance people. We have used them quite a bit over the years. I can not say anything very negative with exception of a few things. Such as some pencil pusher dictating how long a hospital stay should be or what kind of treatment is best for you. Case and point, after our first child the insurance allowed 1 day recovery. They felt that was enough. If you wanted a second day that was on your tab. This, probably coming from a pencil necked geek. Hmmmmm sir, lets have a bowling ball pushed though one of your orifices and tell me how many days you you think is ample for recovery. :doh:

[tater]

Insurance profit margins are not excessive, so it's understandable that they have to try and control costs some how. Particularly when DC is telling them they MUST cover people who they know will cost more. The "re-existing conditions" nonsense done by lawmakers is just that, nonsense. They SHOULD charge more to people they know will use more services. Heck, allow them to charge more for bad BMIs, etc. Incentivize good health practices.

[Bubblehead1980]

Well part of the Pledge to America released today is to Repeal and Replace Obamacare.I am sure they will do their best to keep costs from rising.I knew the bill was toxic, now it's already showing up.