COVID-related: insurers stiffing hospitals

[Winehole23]

Anthem Blue Cross, the country’s second-biggest health insurance company, is behind on billions of dollars in payments owed to hospitals and doctors because of onerous new reimbursement rules, computer problems and mishandled claims, say hospital officials in multiple states.


.
Anthem, like other big insurers, is using the covid-19 crisis as cover to ins ute “egregious” policies that harm patients and pinch hospital finances, said Molly Smith, group vice president at the American Hospital Association.


“There’s this sense of ‘Everyone’s distracted. We can get this through,’” she said.


Hospitals are also dealing with a e in retroactive claims denials by UnitedHealthcare, the biggest health insurer, for emergency department care, AHA says.

https://khn.org/news/article/anthem-...doctors-covid/

[Thread]

As they should. COVID was presented as a Government responsibility from the start. The vaccines were free. The tests were fre...well, almost free. tee, hee. If they made 'em free the numbers would skyrocket, so, first President Trump denounced tests. Then mother er Biden denounced tests after swearing up and down he wouldn't denounce 'em. But that unsavory business aside, this is on the government, let the government pay it. I wouldn't give 'em a dime..."Girl, pull the Caddy around front. I'll get my duds on, slow down at the front desk,,,tell the woman biller there..."Hey, look over there, a white man with an assault rifle!" Then when she turns, or ducks, I'll head for the car. You peel off in 2nd gear, there's a QT 5 miles out and we'll get a cone-a-piece, then home for a happy ending for Dale.

CHARGE!!!

[baseline bum]

Poor hospitals. They're scammers just like the insurance companies, it's all in the game.

[baseline bum]

As they should. COVID was presented as a Government responsibility from the start. The vaccines were free. The tests were fre...well, almost free. tee, hee. If they made 'em free the numbers would skyrocket, so, first President Trump denounced tests. Then mother er Biden denounced tests after swearing up and down he wouldn't denounce 'em. But that unsavory business aside, this is on the government, let the government pay it. I wouldn't give 'em a dime..."Girl, pull the Caddy around front. I'll get my duds on, slow down at the front desk,,,tell the woman biller there..."Hey, look over there, a white man with an assault rifle!" Then when she turns, or ducks, I'll head for the car. You peel off in 2nd gear, there's a QT 5 miles out and we'll get a cone-a-piece, then home for a happy ending for Dale.

CHARGE!!!

Um, tests are free.

[pgardn]

Poor hospitals. They're scammers just like the insurance companies, it's all in the game.

Hospitals run a very tough business. Insurance is dead dog easy to make money compared to hospitals. And never forget doctors. They went to school for many years to get PAID. Not to help people. This is not some real clergy that gracefully attempts to help patients. The AMA made sure of that.

[Thread]

Um, tests are free.

Where? Even the VA hedges..."Well, it's.........yes, well,,,,,,you have to make an appointment. You can't just walk in off the street, Dale. But, yes, it's free. We have an appointment available in 3 weeks."

tee, hee.

[Thread]

Poor hospitals. They're scammers just like the insurance companies, it's all in the game.

Precisely. So, you stick it to 'em, jam a ram rod up your asses, and shoulder-to-shoulder with the girl and past the billing desk we go...not run, mind you, just quick step. Climb into the Caddy. "Culver's for a two scooper, Girl?"

"Yes."

"Then upon arrival back at the house a nice happy ending?"

"No."

[Thread]

Hospitals run a very tough business. Insurance is dead dog easy to make money compared to hospitals. And never forget doctors. They went to school for many years to get PAID. Not to help people. This is not some real clergy that gracefully attempts to help patients. The AMA made sure of that.

If the wet ones can use the hospitals as free doctor visits then it's fine for the native born.

[RandomGuy]

https://khn.org/news/article/anthem-...doctors-covid/

[DMC]

When it was pointed out that hospitals were falsifying COVID results on death certs to collect the money, people scoffed at it. Now they're calling hospitals corrupt when it suits them.

[baseline bum]

Where? Even the VA hedges..."Well, it's.........yes, well,,,,,,you have to make an appointment. You can't just walk in off the street, Dale. But, yes, it's free. We have an appointment available in 3 weeks."

tee, hee.

I got a PCR test a few weeks ago same day at Walgreens.

[RandomGuy]

Hospitals run a very tough business. Insurance is dead dog easy to make money compared to hospitals. And never forget doctors. They went to school for many years to get PAID. Not to help people. This is not some real clergy that gracefully attempts to help patients. The AMA made sure of that.

1/4 of all the health care dollars in this country are spent on administrative overhead. Billing. Collections.

The "Free market" of private health insurers adds massively to administrative costs due to having to pay so many people to get paid, and the layers of profits for each little sub en y.

This is why our healthcare system is so ty and expensive.

[DMC]

1/4 of all the health care dollars in this country are spent on administrative overhead. Billing. Collections.

The "Free market" of private health insurers adds massively to administrative costs due to having to pay so many people to get paid, and the layers of profits for each little sub en y.

This is why our healthcare system is so ty and expensive.

So you lay all those people off who work in the HC industry and tax unemployed people for social medicine. With all the contributors flooding across the border it should be a breeze. There's your solution.

[RandomGuy]

When it was pointed out that hospitals were falsifying COVID results on death certs to collect the money, people scoffed at it. Now they're calling hospitals corrupt when it suits them.

No one scoffed. Feel free to find a single post where it was.

[RandomGuy]

So you lay all those people off who work in the HC industry and tax unemployed people for social medicine. With all the contributors flooding across the border it should be a breeze. There's your solution.

A single payor system paid for by an across the board tax on everybody.

Government pays out the hospitals standard rates, and has bargaining power to tell the - s at the pharmacuetical companies to get bent when they jack prices.

This is not difficult, and would cost less than what we have now.

[DMC]

No one scoffed. Feel free to find a single post where it was.

[DMC]

A single payor system paid for by an across the board tax on everybody.

Taxing the unemployed works wonders

Government pays out the hospitals standard rates, and has bargaining power to tell the - s at the pharmacuetical companies to get bent when they jack prices.

Hospital's standard rates are absurd. Your model failed before conception.

This is not difficult, and would cost less than what we have now.

no

[SnakeBoy]

A single payor system paid for by an across the board tax on everybody.

Government pays out the hospitals standard rates, and has bargaining power to tell the - s at the pharmacuetical companies to get bent when they jack prices.

This is not difficult, and would cost less than what we have now.

If it is so easy why won't Democrats run on it?

[Thread]

I got a PCR test a few weeks ago same day at Walgreens.

For free? Walgreens wants health insurance proof here in Arizona, or, cash. For a regular test anyway. I wouldn't dare ask them about a PCR test for free. They'd call security.

[baseline bum]

For free? Walgreens wants health insurance proof here in Arizona, or, cash. For a regular test anyway. I wouldn't dare ask them about a PCR test for free. They'd call security.

Not true. If you don't have health insurance the government pays for your tests, if you do they bill your insurance. I'm not talking the tests they have on their shelves, I'm talking about the ones you go schedule online. Walgreens and CVS offer a couple of rapid tests and the PCR. Don't you have Medicare, old man?

[RandomGuy]

To be fair we are probably talking past each other a bit here.

I have little doubt that hospitals were inflating some of their reporting for money.

I absolutely don't think that had any material affect on the reported total COVID fatalities.

You and the rest of the dupes wanted to use that to prove the virus wasn't as bad as it was, for your cult leader, if you will recall.

[RandomGuy]

If it is so easy why won't Democrats run on it?

They should.

The right wing propaganda machine has very effectively moved the Overton Window of debate on this to where such an idea seems untenable, though.

The special interests that fund that propaganda machine would be kicked into overdrive by donations from the big businesses that would be the biggest losers, and they have very deep pockets.

ed and un able, the first rich nation of poor people. Can't afford the healthcare, beg for money on Gofundme. smh

[RandomGuy]

Taxing the unemployed works wonders

Hospital's standard rates are absurd. Your model failed before conception.

no

This model is in place in about thirty other countries and has been functioning in those countries for decades.

Your criticism is ignorant of how and why hospitals price their services. I actually had a rather long conversation with a hospital system CEO about this very thing right after the ACA passed.

[DMC]

To be fair we are probably talking past each other a bit here.

I have little doubt that hospitals were inflating some of their reporting for money.

I absolutely don't think that had any material affect on the reported total COVID fatalities.

You and the rest of the dupes wanted to use that to prove the virus wasn't as bad as it was, for your cult leader, if you will recall.

Are you referring to the body count you've ignored since somewhere near the end of January 2021?

[DMC]

They should.

The right wing propaganda machine has very effectively moved the Overton Window of debate on this to where such an idea seems untenable, though.

The special interests that fund that propaganda machine would be kicked into overdrive by donations from the big businesses that would be the biggest losers, and they have very deep pockets.

ed and un able, the first rich nation of poor people. Can't afford the healthcare, beg for money on Gofundme. smh

Oh I see. The dems won't run on that because of the "right wing".

Brilliant

Can't afford healthcare but they get healthcare. Otherwise why are the hospitals overcrowded?