Epilepsy Talk
Who’s Profiting From Your Outrageous Medical Bills? | July 19, 2020
This is from the NEW York Times, February 14, 2020.
It speaks of the secret methods of billing. Who pays and who does not. (A precious few.)
And unmasks the billing process…
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Epilepsy Talk 
I think the real problem is the insurance companies. Take them out of the mix than docs and drug companies could not charge outrageous prices. They charge these outrageous prices since they know the insurance companies have big money and can pay it. I believe in an honest days pay for an honest days work, not this highway robbery. Obama care is many big insurance companies.
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Comment by zolt — July 19, 2020 @ 10:17 AM
Hi Zolt, I agree that insurance companies and their greed contribute to the problem. By charging outrageous prices, they can count on reimbursement from the hospitals, which then charge the difference to you.
Not to mention, insurance premiums are increasing at an alarming rate. (Even with Medicare, our insurance bill is incredible.)
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 19, 2020 @ 10:28 AM
Back in the 80’s when I had my first experience with seizures and diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy,there was no insurance company in Texas that covered expenses related to it. The CAT scan alone cost $1,000. After being put on phenobarbital, subsequently losing my career for associated problems and predjudice, I moved at the first occasion to a European country where I could work again and found healthcare to be covered for E. Prices for controls and exams are well under what I paid back then.
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Comment by andy — July 19, 2020 @ 10:32 AM
Yes, Europe is a model in medical fair practice. So is Canada. The only problem is that you have to wait months to see a specialist. And if it’s a mental health issue, you’re likely to be assigned to a Community Nurse Practitioner.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 19, 2020 @ 10:39 AM
Not always, Phyllis. I had my first neurologist appointment just days after my first seizure in Alberta, and same with another person I know, with migraine-related seizures. Plus, if they’re an emergency the hospitals obviously have them on staff.
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Comment by Marlyn — July 19, 2020 @ 5:47 PM
Noticed what the article does not say ? Notice today WHAT is costing us more & more by the day ? Take notice who does not worry daily how THEY will pay for everything. Any politician knows what they are to do after sworn in any office even a city meater maid or dog catcher. There is no secret who have been trying to ruin the lives of an average person wanting to live a life without any interference from any government by local or federal rules & laws how we are to live our life. What better way to destroy a life than by food & alcohol cartels, Energy concerns every month, week & day, clothing & health problems from which are all a DAILY WORRY when the worlds leaders from govt, BIG business & Banks are powering the NWO & WHO who Trump is trying to make us a nation without those telling us how we are to live according to their rules. It’s time though that Trump & Pence both get fast changes on the drugs, foods & beverages, to make them better & safer to consume & take, which would decrease healthcare cost 50% in a month, but WHO, NWO, NIH, FDA, CDC & BIG PHARMA people never will want that to happen. Many doctors know there are better ways to heal & cure medical conditions, but they ALL work & are advocates for BIG pharma & insurance industries.
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Comment by James D — July 19, 2020 @ 2:34 PM
Yes, I agree. The big guys are doing nothing to lower prices or make meds attainable to the average person. Of course Congress etc. has free medical coverage. While they’re driving up the prices of what we need and depend upon most.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 19, 2020 @ 2:52 PM
The same drugs I take in EU cost 4X more in the US.
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Comment by Andy — July 19, 2020 @ 2:56 PM
OMG! Well that’s a real eye-opener. I guess we can thank our greedy government and insurance for that. Because, theoretically, you get the same drug compounds as we do in the U.S.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 19, 2020 @ 3:01 PM
FACT.. In the state of Pennsylvania I am told by a relative where a person goes for a COVID 19 tests 2 times & that same person is counted as 2 DIFFERENT COVID 19 cases. So there are 2 tests for THE SAME PERSON because a doctor wanted it done to that person TWICE and the 2 SAME RESULTS are counted as 2 DIFFERENT COVID 19 CASES. Both results were to have been – positive- that he of she had the virus. 1 person, but 2 tests, 2 results. << That's just in PA. You can bet the people of the NWO, WHO, FDA, CDC, NIH, JHU, & all 50 governors & others made these tests results & counted them as we have them now today. Get ready for the IMMUNITY ID VACCINE and a greater risk of abnormal brain chemistry.
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Comment by James D — July 19, 2020 @ 2:47 PM
Yes, I heard that. Kind of makes the numbers speculative, eh?
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 19, 2020 @ 2:54 PM
In the “very civilized world” claiming to respect & value the wellbeing of human race, capitalism racing for more profits in the name of free market economy turning medical adversity expendable mechanism for vultures to exploit, the misfortunes of human race has become expensive death sentence in search of medical cure for the downtrodden voiceless patients languishing seeking cure for their medical difficulties & economic survival, while the designated powers established to protect the general public are gambling for more power to conquer human race.
Having paid enormous taxes & insurance deductions to the establishments claiming to represent the interest of the general public, I didn’t knew my epilepsy was going to be financial nightmare I got to live with.
Little did I knew every seizure, ambulance ride, hospital visit, prescription drug,,, was going to be expensive journey to total bankruptcy.
Then again, I’m still alive to complain about it which may never had been the case without the interference of medical establishments.
Therefore, I guess I should be grateful for all the medical bills for the alternatives are hard to imagine.
Gerrie
.
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Comment by BahreNegash Eritrea — July 19, 2020 @ 4:19 PM
It’s good that you’re alive. But it’s expensive to STAY alive.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 19, 2020 @ 4:23 PM
Andy, u don’t need to go to Europe to get a great deal, u just need to get a job at the right place. If u work for a major company like i did ur drug and medical cost are peanuts. I used to pay 50 dollars per every other weeks pay check for insurance and the rest the company picked up. The Kaiser HMO i was on was great, any drug prescription price to me was 10 dollars and doc visits were also 10 dollars. Govt run medical is the worst there is, well most anything run by the govt, decays and goes south. One lady i know living in Jordan would rather pay higher price than go to the govt run places.
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Comment by zolt — July 19, 2020 @ 5:36 PM
Cuba has impressive professional free public health services for the whole population.
Why can’t the US do, with all the tax dollars the general public is paying for?
Why does seeking cure for medical adversity need to be financial drain to the victims of medical hardships, desperately trying to make it to the next day?
Where’s the protection your tax dollars meant to provide for?
Why do corporate insurance empires & big pharma determine the price & quality of your medical needs & financial stability, when your elected representatives should represent your interest?
Thanks to epilepsy, some of us have learned hard lessons on what it takes to stay alive, having found no answers to the desperate questions of our plight.
Gerrie
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Comment by BahreNegash Eritrea — July 19, 2020 @ 7:01 PM
I was in the hospital for almost a month a few weeks ago. My medical bills keep coming in and of course I’m on disability due to having Epilepsy of course. St this moment I can’t work or drive and it hurts my heart to be in this situation. I’m tearing up now just texting about it. 😥
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Comment by jjayp75 — July 20, 2020 @ 1:58 AM
Were your hospital bills paid by insurance? If not, here are some tips towards paying your hospital bills:
Hospital Bill Relief for the Uninsured https://epilepsytalk.com/2019/03/21/hospital-bill-relief-for-the-uninsured/
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 20, 2020 @ 8:53 AM
Thank you so much, and I will surely check out this site for assistance. Thank you again.
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Comment by jjayp75 — July 20, 2020 @ 9:00 AM
Yes, Gerrie. Our society is doomed if we do not get some kind of socialized medicine. Getting E was the icing on the cake, as the word pre-existing condition became the “dirty little word”. IF one could retain their job insurance, wonderful, but if not, you are really in trouble. And gosh, a lot of employers really are leery of people with E. Hate to say it.
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Comment by skolly9 — July 20, 2020 @ 9:21 PM
Skolly,
Political makeup aside, imagine two young pregnant women dying from blood hemorrhage few days apart in a hospital bed trying to deliver babies, because the young women don’t have health insurance for the hospital to wait & spend more time for the pregnancy to complete it’s cycle on it’s own terms & therefore the hospital decided to carry out C-Section to deliver the babies sooner to cut costs, causing the pregnant women to bleed excessively.
Now, imagine these two young pregnant women had a better chance of safely delivering 8-9 children in third world, cared for free by midwives of tiny villages who never saw or heard of medical school, hospitals or insurance companies in their lives but happy to take their time to let the pregnancy complete on natural terms & safely deliver the babies at no cost to the poor women?
Yes ended, the truth being far more stranger than fiction, I’m positively sure it’s hard to fathom, looking at both scenarios.
Unfortunately, while it’s hard to swallow the bitter truth but making profit at all costs has become more important than saving lives.
Gerrie
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Comment by BahreNegash Eritrea — July 21, 2020 @ 6:13 AM