The insanity of the US health care system.

[CrispyQ]

I recently had my annual visit to my doctor. It was just a basic physical. I paid my $30 co-pay for the office visit & there were two lab charges, one was covered, one was not.

Our insurance company is United Healthcare & coverage is provided through my husband's employer. We pay approx $250 in monthly premiums for the two of us & his employer picks up the rest. This particular visit, with lab work, resulted in total charges of $788. The total paid was $287 - United paid $156 of that & I paid $131.

No wonder we're fucked! How can the doctor's office & the labs make money when only 36% of the total $788 bill is paid? By raising rates on all services, & gouging people who don't have 'negotiated rates,' I'm sure.

Note that United, whose CEO, Stephen Hemsley, has stock options totaling 3/4 of a billion dollars, paid $25 more for these services than I did. :eyes: Also, I've only been to the doctor once this past year, so while I shelled out $3000 in premiums over the year, United shelled out $156 for the same year. Plus I got stuck with an additional $101 for the lab charge United didn't cover.

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

The system is insane. The rest of the developed world is laughing at the great & mighty USA.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. They are laughing indeed, but I think a great many of them also pity us.

[lsewpershad]

2. Didn't you hear?

We live in a free market society in which the "poor" capitalist must make a profit...and it does not matter how much.

[Suich]

3. United Health is one of the worst.

Rachel Maddow did a segment on them (or maybe it was KO) and it was scary! You have my sympathies!



:-(

[TheCoxwain]

4. I had a back injury ..and had to go for physical theraphy ..

I bet 2 and 3 visits a week for 4 months ... and I had to pay $40 in copay each visit. ( I ended up paying close to $900 )...while those bastards paid about a $500.


Wtf??

[eridani]

5. The bil would not have been that high if the Dr. didn't have to deal with --

--all the insurance company paperwork.