Medical Bills Suck

Ran across this blog entitled medical bills suck. Have to say we empathized with their situation. This is a young couple with a new baby and lacking insurance. That’s a tough spot. They are getting hit with medical bills for the birth of their child now, and the mom despairs about not being able to realize the rest of her dreams of owning a home, etc. because of the medical bills that keep holding them back.

But like the comment I posted says, they probably won’t have to pay the whole bill amount. If they just pick up the phone and call and ask for a discount or failing that, ask to make monthly payments, the hospital will probably negotiate. Some rediculous percentage of people (I think around 60% or more. If I find the source, I will come back and add it) who called and asked for a discount got one.

Making that call can be hard for someone with high moral standards and a strong sense of responsibility. After all, if you incurred the bill, you should pay it. The problem is, the docs and hospitals are not burdened by those same standards. Yes, they are healers and are bound by the hypocratic oath, but that oath says nothing about fair payment between patients. It really would not hurt to add something to that end.

Providers (docs and hospitals) generally charge everyone the same for services. However, what they get paid varies drastically between the uninsured and the insured. It also can vary widely between insured. Uninsured usually wind up with the biggest payments made to providers. Then the privately insured. And then the low cost payors – Medicare and Medicaid.

So. All of that to say that chances are she’s looking at paying the equivalent of MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested List Price) or the sticker price for the healthcare. Nobody pays MSRP for a car. You should not for medical bills either.

So pick up the phone and negotiate. You’ll be talking to someone in the back office, not the doc. And there’s little need to be worried that the doc won’t take your appoinment next time. Hell, the doc probably won’t even know what you paid.

Even though providers don’t have to charge fairly, if you need them in the future, the hypocratic oath does require them to provide you with care whether you paid the full amount for your previous bill or not.