A glimpse into what government run healthcare will look like

The town I live in is running a program offering to vaccinate school aged children for the flu as well as H1N1. I’ve lived in this town over 17 years and am not sure why it is being done this year.

A letter came home from all the schools in September announcing this program, with the shots to be administered by a third party agency in the first week of October. The notice mentioned that this will just be the seasonal flu vaccine, and will not protect against H1N1. Shortly afterwards, we got another notice stating that due to a shortage, the schedule vaccinations will take place November 9 – 14.  Another notice came out stating that there will indeed be a H1N1 vaccine, but the seasonal flu vaccine will not be available. Furthermore, the H1N1 vaccine would not be a shot, but instead a nasal spray (much to the delight of my younger children. Finally, the first day of vaccinations and low and behold, the seasonal flu vaccine is available along with the H1N1, in both shot and nasal spray form.  Not only did they get the wrong information out to the families, but they had 3 chances to it correctly and still didn’t get it right. Do we want all of our healthcare run like this?

Due to the size of our town, the vaccines are to be administered based on your last name (A-F the first day, G-M the second etc.) Sound like rationing to anyone?

Additionally, the vaccines are to be administered between 2:00 and 7:00 at the high school. My daughter who attends the high school went to register for the vaccines immediately after school ended at 1:45. She got in line behind others, who were already in a line extending outside of the school. I know people who waited in excess of 2 hours for their children to be  vaccinated yesterday.

Furthermore, there is no fee to be paid at the time the vaccine is administered. It appears to be a free program, which many will indeed believe does not cost them anything. How much are taxes going to go up to run this program this year and into the future?

Our healthcare system is indeed in need of change, but I believe that the government should stay out of it.

Haggling with your Doctor

Forbes Magazine ran an article recently titled Cut your Doctor Bill. The article explains that with the rising cost of healthcare that people need to find out the costs associated with a medical procedure before they have it done. The problem is actually finding the cost beforehand.

If you are seen at a doctor or hospital and don’t know beforehand what the approximate cost will be, you are in for sticker shock once you receive your bill, especially if the medical provider is not part of your insurance network, or if you don’t have any insurance.

INSNET,LLC President Jack Gillis was interviewed for this story and shares some tips for those who feel confident enough to do their own negotiations. First he says you need to determine if the facility is authorized to give you a discount. If they are, your next question should be, who is authorized to give me a bigger discount? Not all medical providers are willing to reduce their fees, but with unpaid debt at record levels, many any re-thinking those policies.

If you would rather have a professional organization who has been negotiating medical bills with providers for over 20 years review and negotiate your medical bill, INSNET is available at www.myinsnet.com or by calling 877-MYINSNET (877-694-6763)

When not knowing can cost you money

Yesterday Insurance Negotiating Service, which negotiates out of network medical claims for insurance companies and TPA’s got a phone call from a gentleman wondering if we negotiate non healthcare claims. This seems like a strange question since INS has saved insurance companies millions of dollars since opening in 1985.

It turns out this gentleman was calling on behalf of a friend of his who had a fire at their home. The home is a duplex and the friend’s side of the home suffered major damage while the other side just had smoke damage. The gentleman, who found our site on Google, was calling to see if we could assist his friend deal with the insurance company adjuster as they had no idea what  to do.

The call was routed to me as I had experience as a property casualty insurance adjuster. I  informed the gentleman that this is not something that INS could help with, for among many reasons, the fire took place in a state I am not licensed in; but I was able to pass on some information. I informed the gentleman that their are Public Adjusters who do just what his friend needed, they represent the homeowner or insured deal with the insurance company adjuster, to ensure a fair settlement is made. I was able to assist the gentleman find 3 public adjusting companies in his area.

This got me thinking that if there are people out there who do not know that Public Adjusters can help them with property casualty claims, then there are people who do not know that patient advocates such as INSNET can help individuals save money on their medical bills. Just like the price of a new automobile, a hotel room or an airline ticket; medical bills are negotiable! Professionals like INSNET ensure that individuals pay a fair price on the medical bills.

How do these numbers add up to savings?

I recently came across this story that says that hospitals have agreed to give up $155 billion in future Medicare and Medicaid payments to help defray the costs of President Obamas healthcare plan. This piece of news was seen as the bright spot in the White House effort to reform healthcare. Digging deeper into the story I’m amazed how this can be seen as positive news for people interested in reducing healthcare costs.

About $50 billion of this projected $155 billion “savings” is expected to come from a reduction in payments made to hospitals that provide care to uninsured and low income patients. The effected hospitals say this will put a strain on these local communities. These reductions come from payments currently made by Medicare and Medicaid (Government).

The story goes on to detail that in exchange for giving up $155 billion in future payments, the hospitals have negotiated a deal should the Finance Committees’ (Government) legislation include a public health insurance plan. Under this agreement, the hospitals would receive reimbursement amounts in excess of what Medicare and Medicaid currently pay.

So hospitals have agreed  give up a lesser amount from Medicare and Medicaid (Government) in exchange for higher reimbursements under potential Finance Committee’s legislation(Government). How does this end up saving any money on healthcare expenses. Where does the average citizen realize any savings in this plan?

US Open Golf and medical bills?

The second major tournament in golf in this week, the United States Open. I don’t play as much golf as I used to thanks to the responsiblities of parenthood, but I always look forward to this tournament and its last day which takes place on Father’s Day.

The responsibilities of providing for my children and how I go about it prompted the following comparison between golf and patient advocacy. The object in most weekend players game and the US Open is to break par on the course. Similarly, as a Patient Advocate, I try to help my customers break ‘par’ by reducing the amount they must pay compared to billed charges on their medical bills.

In the game of golf, one of the best ways to succeed is to have the proper tools, whether it be properly fitted clubs or a high distance golf ball. On a professional level, a caddy you can trust and a dedicated swing coach are essential. Patient Advocate’s help individual through the maze of health care statements from medical providers and insurance companies. INSNET has the experience through over 20 years of negotiating medical bills to know a fair price to pay on a medical bill.

The golf courses at most US Open sites have penalizing rough with high grass just outside of the fairways. Have you tried to contact a medical provider and speak to someone about reducing your medical bill?  If so, then you know it is possible to spend the better part of an hour doing so if you do not know the right department to ask for or the correct words to say to speak to the person who actually has authority to reduce your bill. At INSNET our service is not rough at all, as a matter of fact it is easy and painless; if we don’t save you money on your medical bill you pay us nothing!

I hope all father’s have an enjoyable day this Sunday, and reflect on how they provide for their families. I also hope every father gets a chance to step onto a golf course with if not your own father, then your children.

Back in the saddle again

It sure has been a hectic past couple of weeks. Preparing taxes, kids on school vacation and securing additional negotiators has left precious little time for this blog. It then struck me that if I’m struggling with squeezing more items in my day than so must others.

Which got me thinking obviously about our negotiating service. I believe that anyone can negotiate their medical bills, just like anyone can negotiate what they pay for hotel rooms, airfare and new automobiles. The major stumbling block is most individuals do not know what a fair price is to offer their provider or what is fair to accept as a discount.

The founders of INSNET have been negotiating medical bills for over 20 years. We have the experience to not only know what a fair price to pay for services is, but also what dollar amount your provider has accepted from insurance in the past. With this information we base a settlement proposal and ensure you pay a fair price for your medical care.

I was recently reminded of an article our president Jack Gillis wrote for the Self Insurer years ago. The article references a Case Management Nurse who was looking for pricing information for a lymphadema pump. The homecare medical dealer was billing the insurance company $5,200.00. The Case Management Nurse  negotiated the price down to $2,300.00. Now most would say that the savings was fantastic. However, before she contacted the provider we informed her that the manufacturer had a suggested list price (not dealer cost) of $1,600.00 . In this case, the fanatastic negotiated settlement was a least a $700 overpayment. If a medical provider is able to negotiate a deal that great for themselves with a trained medical professional, just what kind of chance does the average citizen have?

How much time do you have to contact your medical provider with questions on your medical bill. The time you spend on hold can be an eternity. In fact I finally used my time well and wrote this post during my 14 minutes and 34 seconds I was on hold with a provider.

I feel your pain

I recently had an encounter with my daughters pediatrician office which showed a brief glimpse into the frustration many feel about our system of healthcare

About a year and a half ago my twelve year old daughter had her annual physical examination. My daughter’s pediatrician is a male and the office has a Physicians Assistant who is female. For several years my daughters have seen the PA for the exams, which is fine with my wife and I because the girls are more comfortable having a female examine them. During the physical the PA noticed something unusual about the curvature of my daughters spine. Her examination noted that the curve was a bit more pronounced then they would like to see at a child this age, she was concerned, but not overly so and figured it was something my daughter may grow out of. To be safe, she ordered x-rays at another facility and asked us to come back every 6 months for checkups.

In January I took my daughter to this checkup. The PA came into the room and we small talked for a minute or so and then she asked my daughter to stand up and bend forward at the waist so she could exam her. The PA used an instrument about the size of a ruler that had the middle hollowed out and ran it up and down my daughters spine. She did this twice and then showed me as well. This instrument is kind of like a level and apparently my daughters spine is now within the acceptable range of curvature, for which I am thankful. We were in the exam room less than 5 minutes, including the time small talking.

We left the office and a few weeks later I received a bill from the pediatrician. I have a high deductible plan, so I knew going in that I would be responsible for all costs involved in this exam. What shocked me was the statement from the pediatrician said that the exam was done by the attending pediatrician, not the PA. Common sense told me that a pediatrician should receive a higher reimbursement than a PA.  The statement also included CPT code 99212 and I was charged $77.00. Thankfully I know what the code means and it was the appropriate code, and the price for my geographic area was at about the 70th percentile, another words a fair price. My problem was with who gave the examination.

I contacted the billing company about this. The first person could not answer my question and offered to check with their supervisor and call me back. A few days later they called back and said they bill according to how my insurance company requires, which is to bill in the name of the attending pediatrician, even if he does not perform the exam. Furthermore, the biller stated that the code does not differentiate between the exam being done by a pediatrician or a PA. I was not satisified with this answer and asked to speak to the supervisor. Later that day they called and still did not give me an answer that satisfied me.

The pediatrician’s office is in network, which means the pediatrician agrees to write off a portion of the bill in exchange for increased volume from others who participate in this network. The statement I got from the pediatrician stated the billed charge was $77.00, which is fair, and the write off was $40.00, leaving me a balance of $37.00. I consider this a fair rate of reimbursement and have no problem paying this.

Our healthcare system is far from perfect and everyone needs to be alert about their bills. If you need assistance with a bill review or negotiation, contact INSNET.

We need to reform our attitudes before we can reform healthcare

Deloitte recently published a 2009 Survey of Health Care Consumers. Some of the findings are not surprising; 40% would grade the current healthcare system with a D or a F, a significant number of consumers have skipped care because they could not afford it, were not covered or thought the costs were too high and 53% believe employers should be required to provide health insurance for their employees.

The study also states that 7 in 10 say the would participate in a wellness program if they were given financial incentives such as reduced insurance premiums or monetary rewards. What is wrong with the 30% who would decline this offer? Everyone agrees the cost of health insurance is skyrocketing and needs to be controlled. The best way to lower the insurance premiums is to lower the bills the insurance must pay. Isn’t it easy to see if you are healthy, you will have less medical bills?  Participation in a wellness program will promote a healthy lifestyle and reduce healthcare costs. It just amazes me that 3 of 10 people surveyed have no interest in bettering their health, even if it puts money in their pocket. In this economy couldn’t we all use a little more in our wallet?

Information is just the begining

The recent episode of the tv show 24 showed Jack Bauer discussing strategy with his one time boss, Bill Buchanan. Jack wanted Bill to interrogate a known terrorist planner. Before Bill would even discuss the matter he wanted to know “how good the intel was”, or how reliable was the information. Even though Jack reassured Bill the information was accurate, Bill decided it was not his personality or in his capabilites to do this task.

Many individuals who now have high deductible health plans are in the same position, they have access to good information, but lack the necessary skills to negotiate better prices for the healthcare.

Resources such as Healthcare Blue Book and Change Healthcare provide individuals with pricing information for medical procedures. Their information comes from what insurance company ppo contracts have reimbursed providers for these procedures. This information is valuable in assisting individuals to determine if they are being billed a fair price for their healthcare. In other words their ‘intel’ is good.

Many individuals become like Bill Buchanan (by the way I love the Bill character on the show) and realize they don’t have the courage to take the next step, which is to contact their medical provider and ask for a discount. Many also do have the courage, but lack the time to wait for an answer or response from the patient accounts department.

Thankfully individuals have medical bill negotiators like INSNET,LLC who  provide risk free bill review and negotiation of medical bills. INSNET was formed by Insurance Negotiating Service which has over 20 years experience negotiating medical claims for insurance companies. INSNET uses the ‘intel’ gathered from previous negotiations to determine a fair price for your medical bills.

There are many Jack Bauer type personalities who can and will negotiate their own medical bills and be very successful. If you are a Bill Buchanan type and wish to have professionals review and negotiate your medical bills, INSNET is here to help.

Would medical providers benefit from thinking outside the box?

I just read where Norman Regional Health Care system is expected to lay off approximately 200 of its employees this week.  Given the current economy any news of lay offs shouldn’t be a surprise.  What I found a bit interesting was some of the facts and figures in the story and believe similar occurences are happening at hospitals across the country.

CEO David Whitaker states that the system realized a decline “of about $15 million” in the “investment income earned on reserved funds”.  Like all businesses and individuals, we’ve all lost a lot of money with the stock marketing tumbling.  This is undoubtedly a tough break, but one for the most part out of the hospitals hands and is the responsibility of the financial planners.

Financial reports show that the Norman Regional Health Care system is currently holding about $16 million in bad debt while the system anticipated about $12 million in bad debt for its budget year.  Now we get to an area where tought innovative decisions can help the hospitals bottom line.  It is a fact, even before this economic crisis, that some people do not have the ability to pay for their healthcare, as evidence by the budgeted $12 million write off.  The tough choices come as a result of the additional $4 million.  CEO Whitaker explains part of the reason for the additional bad debt as follows, “due to the state of the economy, we are seeing longer delays in the turnaround of payments from third party payors and a large increase in the portion of our patient accounts that need to be written off to bad debt as uncollectible”.

It is my belief that due to larger deductibles, individuals are responsible for paying more for their healthcare.  As a patient advocate I’m always amazed when a hospital declines to negotiate a patient balance.  For example I recently reviewed a hospital bill (not from Norman Regional)which was approximately $4,000.  The hospital was in my clients’ health insurance ppo network, which provided a discount of $800 (20% of billed charges), leaving the patient responsible for $3,200, of which he has funds to pay for in his health savings account.  This is the first bill of the calendar year for my client and they have a $5,000 deductible.  Based on my review of the bill, the hospital was billing in excess of the 90 percentile of what other hospitals charge in this geographic area for similar procedures.  I offered the hospital terms in which the patient would pay with their hsa debit card, $2,200 as full payment.  They stated that it is not their policy to negotiate with patients, but were willing to set up a  payment plan where the patient could pay 20% up front and spread payments over a year.  How much will it cost the hospital to have this payment plan set up, including time and resources to mail out statements, collect payments, and balance books?  Would it make more financial sense to accept a lesser amount up front and use those funds now, instead of waiting?  In a small way I cannot help but think decisions like this will help hospitals across the country improve their bottom line.