Do Not Crash in Florida, Hospital Refuses Rider's Insurance

[9000white]

but i trust the wonderful doctors completely--i have been put on three wonderful drugs so far--Enkaid--Resulin--Vioxx--all have been pulled from the market because they killed so many people--my doctor looks disappointed when i show up at his office still alive.

[txpeeps]

Being a diabetic I have alot of gripes with docs. But, that is mainly due to the inelastic nature of diabetic meds....you need them, so you have to pay whatever they charge.
personal rant over....

I used to be a claims examiner for blue cross and saw stuff that made my head spin. Saw both sides of the insurance business. Saw a 480K hospital bill for an elderly woman cost her 912.00 ( the 2005 deductible rate for inpatient stay)
Eye refractions for example....there are a list of about 15 diagnosis codes that MUST be billed in the first position (there are 4 pos) for it to be payable. But if it's not there..... if the person had an ocular surgery in the past 6 months...not 6 months and 5 days....6 months, then it MIGHT be payable based on a couple other factors. weird rules that can really screw people out of some dough.

Edit: p.s. as screwed as it is....I wouldn't trade w/any other country in the world. plus, diabetic meds keep me alive, so i can't be mad at them....

[oldnslo]

Somehow, it's all George's fault. If it's in Florida, it's Jeb's fault too.

[rapidblue]

I love it here in canada. i can't tell you how many times ive been sick and/or and went to the doctor or the hospital and didn't have to pay a dime.

yeah yeah but I have to pay a little bit higher taxes. Ok but id rather budget for a few extra buck a month rather than $300,000 while im lying at the hospital.

[Digginit]

If his insurance company is worth a damn, then they'll *rethink* having a contract with that hospital at all. That's where the guy's leverage should be. Insurance companies can pick and choose who is on their list of providers, and most hospitals want to be in as many networks as possible. I have to wonder if what was printed is the whole story....

As far as the rider goes, I'd try to do my negotiations through the insurance company as much as possible, and not the hospital.

linz

[oldnslo]

The AMA has been on a kick trying to improve motorcyclists rights in situations like this. Run a biker down just about anywhere and it is treated entirely different than if said biker was in a cage. We get the short end of the stick in just about every case, and the penalties for mowing us down are so small as to make our lives valueless.

[Magnum]

I just received the latest issue of the AMA Motorcyclist magazine today, and they describe a rider who crashed in Ft. Myers, Florida, and was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital, and he praises the quality of care he received there.
The problem began when he attempted to pay his bill. The hospital refuses to submit the bills to the rider's insurance company. Why? The contract between the hospital and the insurance company provides for caps on payments for various services. If the insurance company is out of the picture, the hospital can charge more for things, and that is what they are trying to do.
When I read this I was enraged and amazed. Maybe this is what we all can expect from hospitals in the future. Unmitigated greed.
The rider said hospital officials wanted his wife to sign papers that said they could go after her if he didn't pay. Sickening.
The hospital's vice president for legal services, a Robert McCurdy, is the one to send all hate mail and personal comments to.
AND WHAT EVER YOU DO, STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM FLORIDA IN GENERAL, FORT MYERS ESPECIALLY, AND LEE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN PARTICULAR.

This can't be right.

You pay your insurance to insure you. It is a contract between you and your insurance company. If the insurance company refuses to pay your benifits, you can sue the insurance company. If the hospital refuses to bill the insurance company, that is the hospitals problem.

And I hope your wife did not sign anything.

[NorthernPete]

I enjoy living In Canada, the free health care is nice..but on occation, you GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. waiting room for hours.. sucks.. especially when your bleeding. to top it off, they wont certify or make it difficult for forien trained doctors to get their medical lisences. I mean, nothing pissed me off more to hear about another kid dying in the waiting room due to doctors being over worked, while one trained in say Pakistan or Europe is driving a cab because they cant get certified. Bah. Im just never gonna get hurt again.. *lol* off to pad every sharpe thing in my house now...

[oldnslo]

On the other hand, I just had a biiiig surgery here in the states, and was taken care of promptly, was able to choose the best urologist available, plus visits, due to some heart trouble, from my very own cardiologist during surgery and in the 7-day follow-up period afterward. I have only been home about 4 hours so far, so I am merely estimating here, that I may have to cough up another $1000, and the rest of the remaining $14000 or so will be covered by my health insurance, for which I pay $402 per month.
Both systems have their faults--the US system pretty much demands you have the income to buy health insurance. Lots of people down here just can't afford it