Damn Healthcare kills me every year

I did not get the bill from the hospital - but I did get a statement from the insurance company - the charge they stated was over $700, however, lucky me having insurance was entitled to a discount so the total cost to me should only be $671 and change. They let me know that I should not pay more than that amount - I haven't seen anything yet from the hospital.

You're going to love senior advantage when you retire. When I was hospitalized for two weeks, my share of the cost was a very small fraction. I think it averaged $75/day.

Ok so my bill is not going to be $691.98 for the emergency room. It is going to be $1,149.82 plus the $691.98 - the $691.98 is just for the doctor - now for the drugs it is $36.54 and $26.38 then lab work is $20.18; emergency room $820 and two other physician charges of $169.46 and $88.77. So this visit is going to cost me almost $2k.

I guess the doctor charges one fee and the hospital charges other fees. Thank goodness I have a discount with my insurance otherwise I would be paying around $2,700.

Then I had 3 follow up in office visits one at $264 and one at $180 haven't received the third yet. So another at least $500 -

Since this new healthcare has come into place it has cost me significantly more - how is this "affordable" healthcare affordable? I would have paid a flat $100 for the emergency room visit with my prior "unaffordable" healthcare plan along with $25 for each doctor's visit for a total of $175 vs. $2,500. Please let me know which plan in your opinion is more affordable?

Oh but wait I get free birth control pills --- well actually not --- as I no longer need them.

Try to work out some discount with the hospital. They usually cut their fees quite a bit if you tell them you're unable to pay the entire amount.

Maybe you can look into secondary insurance that can pick up on the deductible?

I have the money -- or should I say I will have the money.

I have a health saver account. So I arranged to have enough deducted from my pay to cover the entire deductible plus what my daughter's orthodontist costs will be through the year. This amount comes out of each of my paychecks before taxes so there is definitely a good benefit. The problem is you do not have access to the amount until it is pulled out of the your pay (which makes sense). The other pro is if you do not use it in that taxable year, you can roll it over into the next year.

The other health saver account I had previously you had access to the full amount on day 1 of the new year even though you did not put anything into it yet. It is a slightly different type of program (comes out before taxes too) where you are very limited on how much you can put it and you either use it in that tax year or you lose it. So there were pros and cons to this one.

The problem being my kid going to the hospital in Jan I don't have he full amount available to me yet. I think when I get the bill from the hospital I will call and see if I can pay monthly. I have only received a bill from the doctor in the hospital. I haven't received the bills yet from the hospital and from the care from our doctor for follow up visits.

The discount I don't think will work as we already are getting a discount because of our insurance. So we would have been paying a lot more if not for the insurance discount already.

Just really bad timing - if this happened toward the end of the year, we would have had all this money accrued.

The hospital has worked out a fee schedule for application to each patient, who is enrolled in that insurance plan. If you don't like the charges, you must put in writing to the insurance company, the reasons, you think you were unjustly charged by the hospital. You won't get anywhere if you try to deal with the hospital directly.

You must realize, and you probably do, that your daughter was treated at one of the best hospitals in the US. Everything has its price, as you well know. So, it's not too surprising that the costs have added up.

Set up a separate savings account, either in your bank or in your brokerage account, if you have one. Then you'll have $2500-$5000 on had if you should suddenly need it.

The charges added up, as soon as your daughter started to see specialists, like the neurologist...etc. Your payment of $100 for the ER seems reasonable, as mine ( listed on my card) is $65. The patient always pays this for the ER, unless he/she is admitted to the hospital.

Also, when you turn 65 ears of age, Medicare only pays 80% of the hospital cost and you 'll have to pay the 20% remainder or your medicare advantage plan, if you have one, will have to pay this.

And...again...the fee schedule is a contract between the hospital and the insurance company.

Also, your medicare fee each month is deducted from your SS check. The advantage plans' charges are a function of the insurance company and where you live in Massachusetts.

Our cost for using ER is $250 in Silicon Valley, and I think that's reasonable.

The cost for the ER is determined by the Insurance plan.

Medicare

I thought you said you had a Medicare Advantage plan...Your medicare card doesn't say anything on it about the ER or how much you will pay for an ER visit. Your medicare advantage card ( BC/BS?/ will say how much you pay for a visit, or an ER visit, or medications...