Could we be at the edge of health care’s tipping point? Care And Cost

Jeanne Pinder June 13, 2019

Could we be at the edge of health care’s tipping point? Care And Cost

“Health care wonks play a game where they wonder whether health care really is changing in ways that are palpably better for everyone,” Brian Klepper writes over at careandcost.com and the Valid Points Newsletter. “Everyone, that is, except for the senior executives of the drug and device firms, electronic health record companies, major health plans […]

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Barriers to care experienced by women in the United States: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

Jeanne Pinder June 11, 2019

Barriers to care experienced by women in the United States: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

“This Visualizing Health Policy infographic looks at barriers to care experienced by women in the United States. Women incur greater health care costs than men, particularly during the reproductive years,” The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation says on its website. “Despite a lower uninsured rate than men (11% vs 14%), women are more likely to […]

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How much does an emergency room visit cost? Or how to successfully argue a bill

Jeanne Pinder

How much does an emergency room visit cost? Or how to successfully argue a bill

His kid was treated at the emergency room at Children’s Medical Center – Plano, Tex., he told us when he shared his experience on our website. The charge was $1,770; insurance paid nothing, and he was asked to pay $1,501.24. His remark: ‘Waited six hours. Very expensive treatment for a kid’s tummyache.” I asked him […]

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A missed opportunity for the malpractice system to improve health care: The New York Times

Jeanne Pinder May 28, 2019

A missed opportunity for the malpractice system to improve health care: The New York Times

“The American medical malpractice system is doing almost nothing to improve the quality of health care, research suggests,” Aaron E. Carroll writes over at The New York Times. “What may be more concerning is that there is very little discussion, much less action, about changing this. Despite worries among doctors that they are at financial […]

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Medical coding and billing: The inside story of how the sausage is made

Jeanne Pinder May 27, 2019

Medical coding and billing: The inside story of how the sausage is made

Medical coding and billing seems impenetrable — those strings of numbers on a bill that purport to show what was done, and what was spent. Sometimes it looks as if chimpanzees are typing in random strings of numbers. The bills and explanations arrive months if not years after the event. The numbers are unfamiliar. Memories […]

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Strategies for Effective Cost-of-Care Conversations with Patients: Revcycle Intelligence

Jeanne Pinder May 25, 2019

Strategies for Effective Cost-of-Care Conversations with Patients: Revcycle Intelligence

“Patients are paying more and more for their healthcare services, making effective cost-of-care conversations a skill that providers need to successfully treat patients,” Jacqueline LaPointe writes over at RevCycle Intelligence. “Health plans with deductibles are becoming commonplace. A new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) shows that about 85 percent of covered workers had […]

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How much does a hip replacement cost, $95,459 or $77,967? Or, why does the insurance company pay more than the bill?

Jeanne Pinder May 21, 2019

How much does a hip replacement cost, $95,459 or $77,967? Or, why does the insurance company pay more than the bill?

How much does a hip replacement cost, $95,459.83 or $77,967? Or $63,604? A friend had a hip replacement recently, and she sent over her bill. What’s interesting to us is, among other things, the Hospital for Special Surgery bill and the Cigna bill don’t add up. Cigna reports that it was billed $95,459.83; HSS reports […]

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Tales from the American medical system, or getting insulin: Don’t Worry About the Vase

Jeanne Pinder May 11, 2019

Tales from the American medical system, or getting insulin: Don’t Worry About the Vase

“I am walking and talking with my friend, a Type I Diabetic, when he receives a phone call from his doctor’s office,” a blogger named TheZvi writes over on “Don’t Worry About the Vase,” in a piece that is frustrating to read about the hurdles one insulin user had to go through recently. “As a […]

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Why Drug Costs Are Skyrocketing for Conditions Like MS, Parkinson’s: Healthline

Jeanne Pinder May 7, 2019

Why Drug Costs Are Skyrocketing for Conditions Like MS, Parkinson’s: Healthline

“The financial cost of having a neurological disease such as Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis is growing,” according to Healthline. “Those are the findings of a new study funded by the American Academy of Neurology and published in the organization’s journal Neurology. In it, researchers say they found the average out-of-pocket costs for a number of […]

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How much do blood tests cost? Or, how to argue a bill for a $3,000-plus trip to the doctor.

Jeanne Pinder

How much do blood tests cost? Or, how to argue a bill for a $3,000-plus trip to the doctor.

It was one of those shares that seemed hard to believe. The charge for the blood tests at University of North Carolina Hospitals was $2,378, and the person who shared was asked to pay $1,474.92. Cigna, the insurer, paid nothing. The comment: “The UNC facility in question notably distinguished by Cigna as meeting certain quality […]

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Category: Health plans