Question: A number of studies have well established that hospitals and other healthcare providers routinely overcharge their patients; e.g., a hospital may charge you twice for the same service under different names, a doctor who had little to do with your case may send a separate exorbitant “consulting” fee, a simple item or procedure may be given a high price hidden behind medical jargon.

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/Insureyourhealth/P74840… http://www.health.com/health/money-article/0,,20221597,00.html http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/insurance/20040206a1.asp http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/money/personal-investing/check-med…

As a result, a number of companies and consumer organizations have been established in recent years. Some will offer advocacy and advice. But a number of companies will audit your bill to find overcharging and unjustified charges that force the provider to lower the bill. Most work on a contingency basis: they get a percentage of the amount they saved you. In the vast majority of cases, they will be able to lower the bill; but if they can’t, you pay them nothing. Don’t engage any company that requires an up-front fee. Some of these organizations are:

http://www.hospitalbillauditing.com/Hospital_Bill_Review.html http://www.southwestmedreview.com/index.html http://www.erwaxman.com/How_Our_Service_Works.html http://www.medicalcostadvocate.com/landing.aspx?gclid=COjZ_5WC1pwCFeR… http://www.hospitalvictims.com/ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/26/eveningnews/main2610217.shtml

Answer: It’s one of the reasons healthcare is so expensive in the U.S. compared to other countries–fraud and waste. After one hospital stay, I got a bill from some doctor I never even saw and whose specialty had nothing to do with my case. I got bills from TWO doctors for “interpreting” my EKG (which I didn’t need in the first place since I’d just had one and it also had nothing to do with my problem). Avoid hospitals–they’re not like you see on TV; they’re more like the film “The Hospital” with George C Scott and Diane Rigg. Hospitals are a unique industry in that they do not provide upfront estimates for treatment, so it is impossible for the consumer to shop around for the best price. Hospitals also charge higher prices for patients with insurance, knowing they are more likely to collect from a covered patient.

This sort of shakedown only happens in U.S. hospitals, though. Medical insurance is almost non-existent in Mexico and the people are very poor, so Mexican hospitals do not play games with billing and quote the prices upfront – though they probably collect payment upfront, too.

Related posts:

  1. Student Loan Horror Stories: Is There A Book?
  2. I am looking for information about finansial aid programs
  3. Real help for Defaulted Student Loan
  4. Rejection Letters to Colleges
  5. Defaulted DSL Student Loan
  6. President Bush raises interest rates on student loans starting July 1
  7. paying for college
  8. Friend in dire straits due to LONG outstanding student loan
  9. unemployment
  10. Student Loan Default Questions
  11. Student Debt? New org. is forming to lobby Washington to forgive debts
  12. Student loan nightmare