I call upon the awesome power of DU for a medical billing question...

[Javaman]

Okay, under the new National Health Care bill, all preventitive procedures are covered 100%, however, I just got a bill for the anesthesia.

I'm still swimming the currents with the billing dept for the docter that did the precedure.

Do any of you know if the anesthesia is covered under the health bill?

Have you had any experience?

Cheers!

[FSogol]

1. Why would anesthesia be preventative?

Preventative is like cholesterol checks or teeth cleaning.

[Lil Missy]

2. How many threads are you going to start for this?

Preventive care is for things like pap smears, breast exams, PSA for men, flu shots. Such care can catch a condition in early stages, thus prevent an illness from happening or from getting ay worse.

Anesthesia is medically necessary. A surgery without anesthesia would be inhumane, barbaric, torture, etc.

[Javaman]

6. Probably about 4 more, why?

first I posted it in here than thought better and put it in GD.

Why does that matter to you?

[Lil Missy]

7. You're welcome. n/t

[Javaman]

10. For what?

you gave a general answer and that is supposed to help me?

Last year I got a preventitive check up that required anesthesia. Anesthesia was part of that procedure. So that's not part of the preventitive check up?

[Lil Missy]

12. Call your fucking insurance carrier.

Jeezus Christ, you only asked a general question, no detail at all.

My answer stands nevertheless.

Now go play in traffic.

[Javaman]

14. You state that I didn't provide any detail, yet complain when I post it twice..

between the two, there is more than enough detail

go away.

Thank goodness for ignore.

[Phentex]

3. The only thing that matters is what is in

YOUR specific plan. If you aren't sure how to look it up online, you can call the number on the back of your insurance card.

It's CRAZY what is and isn't included these days and you just can't assume anything. And the billing people won't always know what's allowed on your specific plan either.

Be sure to ask about the specific procedure code (5 digits on your EOB). Often, the insurance person can look that up on your plan faster than using the name.

[RebelOne]

4. OK, this is off topic, but it is really funny.

There was a lady on a Web site that I visit daily who said she was going to visit the hospital to straighten out a charge on the bill. Her husband was in the hospital because he had an accident with a lawnmower and lost a toe. The hospital billed him for a breast pump.

[trueblue2007]

5. SUE THE HOSPIAL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HopeHoops]

8. I don't even WANT to know what they used it for.

[MerryBlooms]

9. A friend had foot surgery last year

The insurance covered the procedure, doctor and anesthesiologist, but NOT the physical location of the surgery!?! So she called to see what the heck that meant - sure enough, they cover everything but the room the surgery was to take place in. Still makes no sense to me. Iirc, her out-of-pocket for the room was around $350, outpatient.

[geardaddy]

11. She should have just had them come to her house to do the surgery

That'd have saved her some money.

[hedgehog]

13. A colonoscopy can be done under a light form of anesthesia

or under general anesthesia. If you have general anesthesia, you pay more, I think because your breathing has to be supported etc. In other words, you can get cheap anesthesia or expensive anesthesia. I have no idea why anyone wold have the more hazardous general anesthesia if the lighter form is sufficient, but I'm not a doctor. I think some insurance companies will cover the cheaper form but not the more expensive form. I'm guessing this is what you're dealing with.