Re: I got my surgery bill yesterday...YIKES !!!

[Guest guest]

That really sucks......Its like getting your car fixed in a body shop, when

they hear its an insurance job, they triple the bill!!!

Mike T

I got my surgery bill yesterday...YIKES !!!

>I got my bill yesterday, and I got to thinking what it cost you. There

> were three of us gals having the surgery the same day, one was a self

> pay and they told her that it would cost 18,000 for everything. When I

> got my bill I was a little shocked when it had 42,000 on there. Is

> that because I have insurance?

> No wonder insurance rates are so high.

>

> H.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> We are a very active support group.

> If the email becomes overwhelming,

> please change your setting to NO EMAIL!

> Please contact Group Creator

> Robyn@...

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Barb,

What hospital, how long were you there, and what

procedure open or lap?

Debi

--- happieruth523 wrote:

> ,

>

> My hospital bill (hosptial only) was $70,000. I had

> to pay $2000 and

> insurance paid $3000. The hospital is taking a

> $65,000 loss on my

> surgery because of the ins company.

>

> Barb

>

>

> -- In GastricBypass-LOSERS , " "

>

> wrote:

> >

> > I got my bill yesterday, and I got to thinking

> what it cost you. There

> > were three of us gals having the surgery the same

> day, one was a self

> > pay and they told her that it would cost 18,000

> for everything. When I

> > got my bill I was a little shocked when it had

> 42,000 on there. Is

> > that because I have insurance?

> > No wonder insurance rates are so high.

> >

> > H.

> >

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

This hasn't been my experience with insurance nor my relatives. Take

eyeglasses for an example. With insurance my eyeglass company was

able to only charge a certain amount dictated by the insurance

company. I then got something paltry off like $90 for a total of

$405. Without insurance my glasses would have cost $750. They make

there money off those without insurance not those with insurance.

My Aunt who has no insurance also gets charge a great deal for her

medical procedures. If she had insurance the hospital would only be

able to charge a fixed rate for the procedure.

This was the case with my WLS. The bill was something like 22,000 but

my insurance said they'd only pay $17,000 of it so that's what the

hospital had to take. If I hadn't had insurance I would have had to

pay the full $22,000.

I doubt your insurance company is going to pay the full $42,000.

Mike in GR.

>

> That really sucks......Its like getting your car fixed in a body

shop, when

> they hear its an insurance job, they triple the bill!!!

>

> Mike T

>

> I got my surgery bill

yesterday...YIKES !!!

>

>

> >I got my bill yesterday, and I got to thinking what it cost you.

There

> > were three of us gals having the surgery the same day, one was a

self

> > pay and they told her that it would cost 18,000 for everything.

When I

> > got my bill I was a little shocked when it had 42,000 on there. Is

> > that because I have insurance?

> > No wonder insurance rates are so high.

> >

> > H.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > We are a very active support group.

> > If the email becomes overwhelming,

> > please change your setting to NO EMAIL!

> > Please contact Group Creator

> > Robyn@...

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

I had my surgery done at an aArmy Hospital. I got a statement that said if

you would have done this on the economy you would have had to pay $56,000.

Marilynn

>

> I got my bill yesterday, and I got to thinking what it cost you. There

> were three of us gals having the surgery the same day, one was a self

> pay and they told her that it would cost 18,000 for everything. When I

> got my bill I was a little shocked when it had 42,000 on there. Is

> that because I have insurance?

> No wonder insurance rates are so high.

>

> H.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

The bill is so high because your insurance has negotiated a contract with

the hospital. The insurance will pay only a small fraction of that bill and

the hospital and other service providers will have to accept that as payment

in full. I think my insurance gets an 80% discount.

Hope this helps,

Lee

[Guest guest]

**The hospital is taking a $65,000 loss on my surgery because of the ins

company.**

The hospital really isn't taking a loss on your surgery because of the insurance

company. The hospital and the insurance company have a contract that dictates

what they will pay for certain procedures. The hospital knew exactly how much

money they would be able to collect prior to the authorization of your procedure

and they had no choice but to accept it.

The same thing probably happened with the woman who went through insurance and

the one who self paid. I wouldn't be surprised if when it is all said and done

that the self pay and the insurance surgery end up being exactly the same cost.

Doctors negoitiate contracts with insurance companies too. In the past,

insurance companies have paid doctors close to nothing for preforming weight

loss surgeries. Some companies pay doctors more than others because of the

contracts they negoitated. In NJ/PA a lot of surgeons are no longer going to be

accepting insurance for these surgeries because of the poor contracts with the

insurance companies.

At one of my last appointments with my surgeon's team, I learned that he is

considering no longer accepting insurance. So, if anyone is on the fence about

this surgery, I'd say to really consider if you need insurance to cover the

surgery or not. If you do need the coverage to pay for it, go for it as soon as

possible.

Unfortunately, I know most of this because I am an insurance agent. PLEASE

DON'T SHOOT ME!

xoxo, S. in NJ

[Guest guest]

I had Lap RNY at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, I was in hospital

for 2 days.

Barb

Debi Ernser wrote:

Barb,

What hospital, how long were you there, and what

procedure open or lap?

Debi

--- happieruth523 wrote:

> ,

>

> My hospital bill (hosptial only) was $70,000. I had

> to pay $2000 and

> insurance paid $3000. The hospital is taking a

> $65,000 loss on my

> surgery because of the ins company.

>

> Barb

>

>

> -- In GastricBypass-LOSERS , " "

>

> wrote:

> >

> > I got my bill yesterday, and I got to thinking

> what it cost you. There

> > were three of us gals having the surgery the same

> day, one was a self

> > pay and they told her that it would cost 18,000

> for everything. When I

> > got my bill I was a little shocked when it had

> 42,000 on there. Is

> > that because I have insurance?

> > No wonder insurance rates are so high.

> >

> > H.

> >

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

,

I live in PA and I have Independence Blue Cross... Will they still be covering

me?

Simberg wrote:

**The hospital is taking a $65,000 loss on my surgery because of the

ins company.**

The hospital really isn't taking a loss on your surgery because of the insurance

company. The hospital and the insurance company have a contract that dictates

what they will pay for certain procedures. The hospital knew exactly how much

money they would be able to collect prior to the authorization of your procedure

and they had no choice but to accept it.

The same thing probably happened with the woman who went through insurance and

the one who self paid. I wouldn't be surprised if when it is all said and done

that the self pay and the insurance surgery end up being exactly the same cost.

Doctors negoitiate contracts with insurance companies too. In the past,

insurance companies have paid doctors close to nothing for preforming weight

loss surgeries. Some companies pay doctors more than others because of the

contracts they negoitated. In NJ/PA a lot of surgeons are no longer going to be

accepting insurance for these surgeries because of the poor contracts with the

insurance companies.

At one of my last appointments with my surgeon's team, I learned that he is

considering no longer accepting insurance. So, if anyone is on the fence about

this surgery, I'd say to really consider if you need insurance to cover the

surgery or not. If you do need the coverage to pay for it, go for it as soon as

possible.

Unfortunately, I know most of this because I am an insurance agent. PLEASE DON'T

SHOOT ME!

xoxo, S. in NJ

[Guest guest]

**I live in PA and I have Independence Blue Cross... Will they still be covering

me?**

I don't know. It depends on your doctor. I'd call the doctor's office

I believe that my doctor takes that insurance right now, but the real question

if for how long.

The way I see it, pressure has to be put on the insurance companies to pay

doctors better for performing this surgery. I think that the nurse coordinator

said that when she had her surgery, insurance only paid the doctor $1,500 for

performing the procedure. Given the fact that we place our lives in these

surgeons' hands, I think they deserve more than that. I'm not so sure that they

really deserve $50,000+, but there's a middle ground that needs to be found.

Good luck with your surgery. Where in PA are you having your surgery? I'd love

to hear from anyone who has had or is having surgery at Easton Hospital with Dr.

Koren.

xoxo, S. in NJ

[Guest guest]

*****Good luck with your surgery. Where in PA are you having your

surgery? I'd love to hear from anyone who has had or is having surgery

at Easton Hospital with Dr. Koren.

xoxo, S. in NJ*****

I live in Lancaster PA, I am having Dr. Monk from York Hospital do my

surgery Lap. He has also done surgery on a few of my friends and

acquantainces. My sister went to Reading Hospital to have hers done

Lap. last october and is doing wonderful. I guess I am blessed to be

surrounded by many doctors in a close proximity who do such a wonderful

job. In fact, the program I chose based on recommendations, was

Wellspan Clinical Weightloss Program... Once I scheduled the first

appointment for the initial consult and they determined be to be a

candidate for WLS, they put me on a program. They do work with my

insurance and have it down to a science. A woman from my work had it

done fully covered on our insurance, and they are paying for her belt

surgery and her breasts to be done. So I am very lucky. We meet once

a month with the doctor and a nutrtitionist in small groups of like 5

or 6 and they tell me what me what to schedule and what nutrition needs

that I have to meet. The only person I know of that had a problem with

the program and their insurance was on medicaid but they gave in very

fast. So, as far as it seems, I should be done with my portion of the

requirements in January with surgery in February or early March!!! Wow

that seems so far away! But I am consumed with finding info and reading

all the info I can find at this point and my new eating regime from the

doctor so I admit to be a bit obsessed which makes it even worse!!