Hospital Overcharges and How to Lower Your Hospital Bill
Posted by: Doris Goodbody in Finance, tags: FinanceDuring my career I have worked in a variety of settings, from pediatrics to the burn unit, to neuro, trauma, cardiac, surgical and medical intensive care units, as well as in the the emergency department. And mostly the patients were grateful for the care they received.
It is terrible to be sick, and when you are you don’t think about the associated cost of treatment. You just want to be well. I have even had family members tell me that they wanted “everything” done for the patient. They were not concerned about the cost only treating the patient.
It is when they get home, weeks later, when they receive the bill that the surprise comes. And while most I am sure, feel they should pay a portion of the bill, some are completely dumbfounded how a 3 day hospital stay can rack up tens of thousands of dollars.
A simple search online will reveal a lot of stories of bankruptcy and unpaid hospital bills that were sent to collections. And I can’t imagine the anxiousness and worry that most of those folks are going through during this.
So in keeping with the tradition of patient advocacy that nurses adhere to, this article will examine some actual hospital and medical bills. You will see how those bills may be overcharged or in error of 400% or more.
Some resources are on the internet and are very helpful. Other examples come from personal experience. And there is nothing better than personal experiences.
Follow along as hospital bills are examined, and in one case you can decide for yourself if the hospital billing and coding department was guilty of fraud.
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