Re: Was: immunology, IgE Now: health insurance.

[Guest guest]

Medicare and Medicaid are probably paying cost that are closer to what should be

charged. Health care here is so outragesously high that people are going out of

the country, anywhere but here. Person got surgery in England and whole thing

including air fare and hotel and surgery about 1/10th what he would have paid

here. He had no insurance. I wouldn't be surprised if private insurers are

probably paying more so as to drive Medicare and Medicaid out of the business.

Costs are way out of line. Plus when we were billed for something wrong or for

something that didn't work out, I could call Medicare and they would 'back bill

them' if could be supported. My private insurance won't do that. My podiatrist

had custom made orthodics made for my problem foot. They came out not fitting

properly, so I refused to take them since they were very expensive and can only

get one pair a year. Doctors office said I had to sign for them. I said no I

don't. They said your insurance already paid for them and they had required

payment from me upfront. I said I'd talked to my insurance company and I did

call them and they said same thing. " We've already paid for them. It's too

late " . However I have had experience with Medicare and Medicaid and they will

back bill. That's why doctors don't want to deal with them. You squeeze

medicare and medicaid out and you see prices for everything skyrocket. Office

visit cost: I couldn't get through to my podiatrist to ask simple questions so I

made an appt so as to ask simple questions. One time I went in just to ask for

a second MRI of foot as he suggested he intended to do. It was a year, I wanted

to get an rx for it. Cost of visit for something I should have been able to ask

for over the phone 295.00 about. I paid 30.00 copay only though for out of

network doctor but!!!

>

> HI Barb & Mayleen,

>

> I agree with you Barb, EXCEPT that more and more docs are opting out of

> Medicare because they come in and dictate how they can practice medicine

> which doesn't work if you do a lot of alternative stuff, and they don't

> pay as well, so my mom goes to a doctor who opted out of medicare and

> can't even get the meager reimbursement I get from my blue shield

> plan.... I've heard that some Mayo clinics have now opted out of

> Medicare, they looked at what they were getting in reimbursement from

> medicare and looked at their costs of providing service to medicare

> patients, and they weren't covering their costs, i hear more and more of

> these stories...

>

> seu v