Healthcare Horror: Care Denied Over $7 Debt for Insured Patient ...by Donna Smith »
Posted By jovial 4 months, 3 weeks ago in Health & FitnessOK, if this wasn't personal enough just yet for me, it just got a whole lot more so. And if you think for one instant that in this nation at this point in history and with this popularly elected President and Democratic Congress you will be treated for a heart attack simply because you might die if you are not treated, think again. And if you think having insurance helps, think some more.
On Friday, my husband was denied a blood test because a computer record from some distant time past and some other state showed he had a $7 balance with LabCorp. I am not making this up.
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jovial
Grew up In Brooklyn. Joined the Navy in 1976 stayed in 10 years. Aircraft Electronics tech. Worked for Major Govt. contractor then settled in California ...
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libsRfunnyComment removed: Hard Banned2 Replies
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Endoscopy4 months, 3 weeks ago
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All I have to do is see the place where the story is placed. That tells me it is probably faked or extremely exaggerated. Moore is so biased he would thing that anything to promote his cause is just fine. He has had no problem telling lies before so why should this be any different.
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The whole rant is about insurance and Medicare while the real problem in this case is with the health care provider wanting a whole $7 to be paid first. My lab work is billed to the insurance company and then the rest if billed to me. I guess they ignored to pay it one time.
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tadair9194 months, 3 weeks ago
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big deal. he can't get his blood work until he pays $7. give me a fsking break.
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obviously it wasn't life threatening, otherwise they would have treated him.
this person is so stupid, they even returned a second time sans the 7 bucks and still asked to be treated for free.
I think this sentence pretty much sums up how her mind is completely infested with the the idiotic socialistic mind-set:
"Did my husband return to the doctor's office to tell them what happened and ask for their help? Yes. And he said not one person, not one, would reach into their pockets and give him the $7..."
Who the heck should give these lunatics $7?
"We'll get the tests done somehow."
Gee, how about by bringing the $7 you owe. Maybe on your third visit?-
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Newenglander4 months, 3 weeks ago
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You must be a good conservative Christian you fricken turd ball. I try and understand the conservative mind but it is so foreign and completely void of any consideration of other human beings. If there were a hell you and your fellow cons would burn in it for all eternity 8-P
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sonofreasonComment removed: Hard Banned14 Replies
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tadair9194 months, 3 weeks ago
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doppich4 months, 3 weeks ago
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Brad Delong correctly described the problems with a public plan:
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"It would be able to provide people with better health care more cheaply, and would drive the private-insurance companies out of business, and their executives would lose their jobs and be sad, and their shareholders would lose their money and be sad, and their lobbyists would lose their jobs and be sad, and their tame legislators would lose their campaign contributions and be sad."
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jovial4 months, 3 weeks ago
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Kind of reminds me of the that part in the "Sicko" movie where a woman was billed for her emergency room visit. They said she didn't have pre-authorization. The details show that she was involved in a head-on collision and was unconscious when she arrived for treatment. When exactly was the time she was supposed to get pre-authorization? Before she had the accident or after?
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injest4 months, 3 weeks ago
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Who T/F is Donna Smith
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Donna Smith
"Donna Smith is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Colorado College with a degree in history. Her journalism career includes work as a stringer for NEWSWEEK magazine."
And she can’t pay a $7 dollar bill?
"She has been honored by the Associated Press Managing Editors with 15 regional awards from 2004-2006 and by the Inland Press Association's top honor in 2006 for community-based journalism. Since 2007, she has co-chaired the Progressive Democrats of America's national "Healthcare Not Warfare" campaign, and she has so far spoken in 41 states and the District of Columbia about single-payer healthcare reform."
And she can’t pay a $7 dollar bill? Oh “single-payer healthcare activist” that explains why her husband was begging for “other people to pay his bill!
And on May 22, 2009 Donna Smith. On PBS Bill Moyer show, hawking her as a
“community organizer and legislative advocate for the California Nurses Association, whose 85,000 members across the country were early champions of a single-payer”
"But she is best know her major role in Michael Moore's 2007 “SiCKO”
So lets recap, okay!
Donna Smith is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate.
And she can’t pay a $7 dollar bill?
legislative advocate for the California Nurses Association
And she can’t pay a $7 dollar bill?
Journalist for NEWSWEEK magazine.
And she can’t pay a $7 dollar bill?
Since 2007, she has co-chaired the Progressive Democrats of America's national "Healthcare Not Warfare".
And she can’t pay a $7 dollar bill?
Donna Smith is best known for her major role in Michael Moore's 2007. “SiCKO”
And she can’t pay a $7 dollar bill? (okay that’s not fair cuz we all know MM won’t pay anyone)
Seriously, nothing will fix this, You can’t fix stupid and this woman is an idiot!-
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jovial4 months, 3 weeks ago
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She shouldn't be denied the healthcare for 7 dollars. While you're digging for info don't pass this up.
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http://www.g2reports.com/issues/LIR/2009_4/1620164...
California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown has joined a civil suit against seven clinical laboratories—including national leaders Quest Diagnostics (Madison, N.J.) and LabCorp (Burlington, N.C.)—alleging that the defendants charged the state’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, up to six times more for tests compared to other clients over the past 15 years. -
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jovial4 months, 3 weeks ago
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Here's some typical compalints...
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"For quite some time I have been going to LabCorp in EastLake Fla. Because they are a PPO Provider on my insurance plan. As they did every other time they took my insurance card that has PPO provider right on the front – did a full blood panel etc. Then came the bill over $400 … nothing had been PPO’d – my insurance covered -0- -- ok I call their billing was told they needed to submit it through their North Carolina offices not Florida. They resubmit it and again nothing but a $400+ bill. I call my carrier BCBC – PPO – they tell me LabCorp pulled out and did not renew their PPO agreement therefore No PPO deductions ! but since there have been so many people making the same complaint they would review the bill and get back to me, well needless to say – their answer .. no coverage. This is crazy ! LabCorp photocopied my card – submitted the bill and they have not been notifying patients they are no longer in the PPO network and sticking us with a bill 4 times what it normally would be .. this is crazy and I feel like I have been taken advantage of knowing fully there isn’t anything I can do about it – because no one will help. Now I am stuck with a bill for services I would have had done somewhere else had they been honest enough to advise they were no longer associated with the carrier." -
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tchef4 months, 3 weeks ago
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It's not the matter that he couldn't pay the $7, He didn't have it with him. He had been covered constantly by his insurance, he shouldn't have owed anything. Once again the insurance company is ducking their responsibility to pay the bills on time. You miss one premium and your gone. Health insurance should not be for profit.
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injest4 months, 3 weeks ago
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jovial
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“Kind of reminds me of the that part in the "Sicko" movie where a woman was billed for her emergency room visit. They said she didn't have pre-authorization. The details show that she was involved in a head-on collision and was unconscious when she arrived for treatment.”
Amazing coincidence Donna Smith was in that movie as well!
donna Says: June 16th, 2007 at 3:35 pm ... Then Aetna claimed it was a “pre-existing condition” for which I had not gotten proper pre-authorization-
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jovial4 months, 3 weeks ago
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And..what is the point? I know, just pay the 7 dollars and shut up. If you want to live pay, or else you will die for that 7 dollars. The reason she is such an advocate for universal healthcare is because of her own experiences. She took up the cause after being screwed by the insurance companies.
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CHAM4 months, 3 weeks ago
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I never cease to have problems with LabCorp. And this has been going on for the last ten years. They never pay for any lab work that is sent in by my clinic without sending me a bill stating that my Insurance Company has denied payment.
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When I call my Insurance Company, they always tell me they haven't received a claim from LabCorp. I always find the problem to be that they - LabCorp, have made an error in their claim, the policy number, or the clinical number for the procedure. It always gets straightened out after several calls etc, but it never stops happening. I think they do it so that some people will pay never knowing that their Insurance Company might have already paid. Something that I have also had occur, "they made a mistake", they had already been paid.
I hate the fact that my Doctor uses LabCorp. I feel for the woman. I've been there with LabCorp. -
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canadianrancher574 months, 3 weeks ago
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I really don't know much about your medical insurance system down there so I have a very simple question, when one visits a doctor or has to have tests done is there a deductible that has to be paid. I'm just curious how someone would only owe $7 for anything that is related to medical services.
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tchef4 months, 3 weeks ago
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This is the problem with our health care. Insurance companies change the rules without proper notice. Anyone who tries to tell you that if the government gets into the health care business it will become a bureaucratic mess obviously hasn't dealt with an insurance company. It already is a bureaucratic mess. When my Wife had our last child it took 8 months to get the hospital bill. That's how long it took the insurance company to settle their end of the bill. When my other daughter was born under medical assistance it was paid right away. We knew what we owned and settled before leaving the hospital.
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CHAM4 months, 3 weeks ago
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That's right Tchef. A couple of those LabCorp instances that I referred to took around 8 months to get settled. And I would say that about half the time they sent my insurance claim to the wrong Insurance Company.
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I had Empire State Blue Cross before retiring. After retiring I had a different Insurance Company for MediPak. Invariably Lab Corp would sent the claim to Empire and after the second time that happened, I called the LabCorp Home Office and told them to pay attention that the clinic copied my Insurance Cards and if they would look they would see it wasn't Empire. They thanked me and said it was corrected. The next claim they did it again, and the next claim, and the next.
I don't have any problem with my Medicare. Makes me feel good about a Government Option if available.
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CHAM4 months, 3 weeks ago
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Wolfie and all the rest of you who take the position that Wolfie did:
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I said LabCorp was notorious about billing and mistakes. They have also been sued for fraud.
My question was - did Ms. Smith owe the $7? Or did she even know that there was a claim that she owed $7 prior to the denial?
I've dealt with LabCorp for 10 years and nothing from that company would surprise me.
They should be banned from doing business. They have been known to try to double and even triple bill a patient, for example, ME!
Are you people listening?
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