Medical bills are like snowflakes in two very important ways:

• No two are exactly alike.
• They fall from the sky in flurries or in blizzards.

OK, some medical bills are alike, but it made a good analogy. Still comparing medical bills is a delicate task. Take an earlier post where I had two separate Level 1 ER visits for a child. One bill came in at $705.11 and one at $3667. Both were reimbursed a total of $358 each.

If you look at the line item detail, you can see the difference in the two bills. One had more tests, more meds, more consumables (IV, needles, etc.), and more specialists called in. The EOB said they were the same, but on close examination, they were very unique.

The issue of unique snowflakes comes in with virtually all visits. Some of the more common ailents may be  more predictable. But take a diagnosis of MS as an example. Many physicians are hesitant to reach a diagnosis of MS. It’s a devastating disease. They truly want to find some other cause for the effects. Many of the specialists in the field will tell you that the diagnosis is still a clinical one. They may arrive at the final diagnosis after a long barrage of tests including but not limited to MRIs and spinal taps. Depending on how the disease manifests itself, the MRI may be of different parts of the body. Different parts of the body have different prices for MRIs - snowflakes.

Demographics plays a role as well. A large 300 pound man may require more anesthesia that a slight 110 pound woman - snowflakes.

And there can be a variation in therapy even for the more common ailments. One doc may need a test to determine the problem, the other may be seeing the illness in a different stage and be able to readily identify it without testing and incurring the additional lab costs - snowflakes.

One doc may prescribe an antibiotic, the other may prescribe a different one and a steroid to help move things along - snowflakes.

So when the bill arrives, your insurer (if you are fortunate enough to have one) has negotiated a flat rate for the services based on the average cost (at least that’s the theory). They send an EOB that does its best to make the snowflakes all look alike. And then the provider statement arrives, and it’s really starting to snow paper now!

That’s what drives us at change:healthcare. We want to be the snowplow that helps you get through. And we want to help you look at al of your “snowflakes” to see what makes them unique and more importantly how they compare to other people’s “snowflakes.”

So when your next round of medical bills arrives - just imagine yourself standing out in the snow - try to enjoy it, and hope that global warming catches up to the healthcare industry quickly.