Jeanne Pinder
“It was 2 in the morning when Annette Alexander rushed her daughter Cherie to Abington-Lansdale Hospital with throbbing head pain,” Sarah Gantz writes over at partner philly.com. “The 24-year-old’s two-hour visit for what turned out to be a migraine headache led to a bill of $1,642. But in her haste, Alexander had left the family’s […]
Jeanne Pinder
How much will that cost? Why did that cost so much? People are getting used to asking this in the health care marketplace. Many of us grew up with the $10 co-pay, but that’s rapidly becoming a thing of the past. With rising deductibles, more out-of-network providers, more uninsured people and more out-of-pocket spending, it’s increasingly a […]
Jeanne Pinder
Summary: A shift in the way hospitals collect bills has been taking place for some time, and is picking up speed. “Hospitals and providers, historically, received 90% of the reimbursement from insurers, according to The Advisory Board. The patient portion was more of an afterthought,” writes Holly Fletcher at The Tennessean. “That dynamic is shifting […]
Jeanne Pinder
Summary: A surprising number of providers are listing cash prices publicly. Why? Because of the growing unhappiness over high deductibles, high co-insurance, and generally high out-of-pocket costs. Among the most recent: St. Luke’s University Health Network, in the Lehigh Valley, which says it’s listing prices to take the surprise out of hospital costs. Others are […]
Jeanne Pinder
e-Patient Dave deBronkart is a patient advocate and author of the new book “Let Patients Help.” He has been a firm advocate of transparency in billing, and he recently posted this on his blog, epatientdave.com. We are cross-posting with his permission. * * * * * * * By e-Patient Dave deBronkart Latest in my series Let patients […]
