Medical Bills

[OhMari]

Do you ever get socked with Docter bills all at once.

It seems our family of 6 went to the dr for different things, and they insurance co, has applied it to the deductible. $250 on each person.

It just seems like a bad time of year to get hit with a lot of bills.
The Dr's and hospital and clinics don't let you make payments, they want to be paid or put it on your credit card.

My youngest went to a speech therapist cause she is always horse, $88 aplied to dedutible
Son- $800, wisdom teeth, they only paid 70%, plus they wouldn't pay for 1st visit and x-rays, grrrr.
Daughter went to foot dr. over summer for infected sweat glad, owe them $145 yet.
$150 to Ortho each month
Son broke ankle and I know there will be some charges, cause husband came home with crutches from hospital.
Husband had cat scan done for migraine's. Clean bill of health but we even haven't seen the bills yet.

I work full time from 7:45-4, I put my name in at Kohls today to work the Christmas Season for 2nd or 3rd shift.

Husband works full time too!
I might just put everything on my home equity and try to pay it off as fast as possible so I don't get the nasty calls. What you would you do?

 

[nativetxn]

I'm sorry you have had so many medical bills lately. I would try to work out monthly payments with the different medical/dental offices. Yes, they <i>want</i> payment upfront but if you don't have the money, you don't have the money. They will survive. Tell them what you can afford to pay each month and then pay it. What else can you do?

 

[Chattyaholic]

We are still working on paying off the bills from my thyroid surgery in May, still owe the hospital a couple hundred and the surgeon about $800. I make monthly payments to them. In my first payment I just wrote a note saying what we could pay each month and they have accepted that.

Now I just spent 4 nights in the hospital again for severe pulmonary embolisms in both lungs...AND found out I'm diabetic, so MORE bills will be coming in. We are on the COBRA plan for our health insurance, as DH no longer works for the company, and that will be running out in December so now we need to change insurance companies...UGH!! Paying $442 a month now, and I'm sure it will be more with a different company. Plus we each have $1000 deductible.

The health insurance system is awful. They were talking about putting in a pic-line to draw my blood while I was in the hospital but by the time they got around to thinking about it I probably wouldn't have it 24 hours, and if you don't have it 24 hours the insurance co. won't pay and it would cost us $1700! Geez!!!

 

[FreshTressa]

I'm sorry! It is like quadruple whammy over there!

It has happened to us before, and to top it all off, our insurance costs have doubled this year for our family! I can't believe we pay so much for insurance, that barely covers what we need to have done.

 

[skuttle]

We're starting to get in medical bills that the insurance won't pay from my delivery. Plus, the darn insurance doesn't cover well baby visits or immunizations. We receieved the bill from my epidural (worth every penny!) a month ago...insurance paid half and we owe half...about $400. We can't afford to pay that right now, so I just send what I can each month and they haven't complained. As long as you explain your situation and send something, I think most people will be satisfied.

 

[jamsmom]

Insurance is getting more and more outrageous as time goes on! I wish I had some suggestions, but I think if you explain you can only pay X amount monthly, and you do...then they should accept it

 

[OhMari]

Thanks for all the suggestions. In Wisconsin I know our hospital which is privately owned, want the amount paid in 3 payments. For some reason since the hospital did it, clinics and dr's in the area went with that same policy.

Chatty-wow, how do I express myself, I guess I can say you just need a hug.

FreshTressa, I know what you mean, all our married life, we always have paid half of our insurance. When I found out some people only have to pay 5, 10, 10, 20 % I was amazed.

Skuttle I raised 4 kids with no coverage for well baby check ups and no insurance for immunizations. For the last 5 years our insurance covers these, go figure. We want to get rid of maternity on our insurance and we found that isn't an option. When I was pregnant with 2nd daughter we had to pay out of pocket for maternity insurance and we couldn't afford it. I was in hospital 1 day with her. Nineteen years ago, that was unheard of.

 

[Eeyore2U]

Having worked on both sides of the healthcare fence let me give a hint. Doctor and Hospital bills don't show on your credit report. Take it for what it's worth. If they won't work with you don't work with them.

 

[Planogirl]

Originally posted by Eeyore2U
Having worked on both sides of the healthcare fence let me give a hint. Doctor and Hospital bills don't show on your credit report. Take it for what it's worth. If they won't work with you don't work with them.

This is true but what if you need them again? At any rate, you should be able to work out something with them.

This happened to us once and I put everything on a Visa because I felt overwhelmed. Of course, then it was HARD to pay it all off again and not paying it messes up your credit if it's a VISA.

 

[Steve H.]

Know it all too well -- cancer ain't cheap, trust me.

 

[Eeyore2U]

Originally posted by Planogirl
This is true but what if you need them again? At any rate, you should be able to work out something with them.

If I could tell the number of patients I have seen over time that don't pay and still get seen. I honestly think doctors do care about "care." Most states have pools that insurers donate to that offset some of this unrecoverable money for the hospitals.

As an aside, I've never seen anyone denied a budget plan.

 

[lil mermaid]

Originally posted by Eeyore2U
Having worked on both sides of the healthcare fence let me give a hint. Doctor and Hospital bills don't show on your credit report. Take it for what it's worth. If they won't work with you don't work with them.

Actually, if they go to collections they do. When DH and I applied for a mortgage, one showed up from an old doctor bill (he wasn't sure if he paid it or not, couldn't remember) and the mortgage company made us pay it off before they would approve us.

Still, I don't understand why the health care providers won't work with you.

 

[RKC]

Originally posted by Eeyore2U
Having worked on both sides of the healthcare fence let me give a hint. Doctor and Hospital bills don't show on your credit report. Take it for what it's worth. If they won't work with you don't work with them.

They sure do if your account gets sent to a collection agency. My huband is a doctor and we deal with this all the time.
He is more than happy to work with patients to get paid within a reasonable time frame. The people who want to pay a 100$ bill at 10$ a month are another story. Just talk to them and make good faith payments. But nonpayment will get you sent to collections, and that will go on your credit report.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by OhMari
Do you ever get socked with Docter bills all at once.
I work full time from 7:45-4

I got a doozy from the hospital for DS's 3 day stay in April...an even $1,000. Gee...how did they come to an even thousand???? And now there's the lab bill. They say my insurance company wouldn't pay them. Why do they cover the hospital stay to a degree but not the lab?????????? Guess I'll be calling them. I've never even gotten an EOB from the insurance company.

7:45 - 4 is full time? I need to move to another state!

 

[Eeyore2U]

Originally posted by RKC
They sure do if your account gets sent to a collection agency. My huband is a doctor and we deal with this all the time.
He is more than happy to work with patients to get paid within a reasonable time frame. The people who want to pay a 100$ bill at 10$ a month are another story. Just talk to them and make good faith payments. But nonpayment will get you sent to collections, and that will go on your credit report.

I respectfully disagree.

 

[RKC]

Originally posted by Eeyore2U
I respectfully disagree.

I'm sorry, but I don't understand how you can state that. Maybe your state is different, but in Wisconsin Doctor and hospital bills are considered debt against your credit.

Take for example my nephew. 2 years ago he had a procedure on his thyroid. He made payments on the portion not covered by insurance. Recently while trying to buy a car his credit application was denied b/c the credit agency repoted that he hadn't paid the bill in full. Luckily he had the cancelled checks and was able to correct the problem on his credit report. But it WAS ON HIS CREDIT REPORT!!!!! And my husband has sent people to collections for nonpayment, and collection agecies report to the companies that compile the credit reports. In addition medical bills are one of the first things cleared when someone files bankruptsy, so obviosely (sp) the debt is recorded somewhere. SO... I am unsure how you can back up your statement.

Also............ were you seriously suggesting to people that that they not pay their doctors?!? Why would you assume that the doctors don't need to be paid for their services. Do YOU work for free??? And Doctors , at least ones in private practice, CAN refuse to treat a patient again if they don't expect to be paid.

-Rachael

 

[Planogirl]

I know that at my former place of employment where we regularly reviewed credit reports, we were instructed to disregard anything pertaining to medical expenses as these were considered "unimportant". I was also told that this was standard practice but maybe I was told the wrong thing.

I also realize that doctors will continue to see a patient even with a bad history but will all medical facilities? In any event, I do believe it's important to pay.

 

[Eeyore2U]

Originally posted by RKC
I'm sorry, but I don't understand how you can state that. Maybe your state is different, but in Wisconsin Doctor and hospital bills are considered debt against your credit.


Also............ were you seriously suggesting to people that that they not pay their doctors?!? Why would you assume that the doctors don't need to be paid for their services. Do YOU work for free??? And Doctors , at least ones in private practice, CAN refuse to treat a patient again if they don't expect to be paid.

-Rachael

Did you read my original post? My guess is you didn't get to the end.

I'll give you that maybe my experience is based on location.

Do you work in a Medical Billing environment? Do you know how the system works? Do you think Doctor's make a living on what a patient pays? Please....

Doctor's can refuse care. Find me one that does.

 

[RKC]

[ Do you think Doctor's make a living on what a patient pays? Please....

Could you please clarify this statement for me? Maybe I'm dense, but I'm not sure what you mean.

 

[Eeyore2U]

Patients pay very little of there bill eith a copay or coinsurance. The majority is paid by insurance. The self pay amounts are for the most neglible.