# 55,000 Dollar Apendectomy



## WhatInThe (Jan 1, 2014)

The $55,000 Appendectomy

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/reddit-user-posts-55000-hospital-bill-appendectomy/story?id=21384393

Wild variations in price for the same operation ranging from $1500 to $180,000

Although no medical procedure is really routine there are many that are not the Cadillac of treatment. Appendectomies have been around for decades.

This is what gets lost in the Obama Care battle-price or price gouging.


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## Old Hipster (Jan 2, 2014)

I'm not surprised at all of the amount. 

I don't have the figures at hand,  can't remember the amounts, but when I have heard the grand totals of some of the medical procedures and trips to the ER that friends and family have had over the last 10 years, the bottom lines were staggering, to the point where we thought somebody had accidentally added one to many zero's.
I don't know who's to blame for the outrageous medical costs, but it just didn't start being bad, it's been this way for quite a while.

I know that is why I am scared to death at the thoughts of not having good medical coverage. And then when you are on Medicare, it doesn't matter how good your Medigap Ins in, if Medicare say no, you are screwed.


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## Pappy (Jan 2, 2014)

Just got a statement from the hospital for a chemical stress test I had last month. Five hours in room, mostly waiting on my part, a shot of god knows what, two trips to a machine to make sure everything was okay and doing what it was designed to do and nothing to eat or drink for all that time. 

Not to downgrade the service and good people looking after me, but $17,000 for this service?  My cost ended up around $150.00. The statement we received never had any itemized items on it so I guess the hospital can charge Medicare anything it wants to.


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## Old Hipster (Jan 2, 2014)

My husband had to have a test last year at the hospital, looking for a heart murmur or something, who can remember now! 

Anyway the guy at the hospital, when he made the appointment, wanted us to pay up front ?!? "You can just give me your credit card info"..Er, not so fast buddy.

I told the hospital, somebody asked again, that we would pay the bill when we get it, I wanted to see what the insurance was going to pay first. Insurance ended up paying the entire bill, but I know if we would have paid first, it would have been hell getting our money back. 

"They" can't make you pay up front, but they sure like to make you feel like you have to.


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## Ozarkgal (Jan 2, 2014)

January 2nd, and I still don't know if I will be insured this month under Obummercare..no followup from the insurance plan I chose as of yet.  Countless hours of trying to navigate the exchange system, now today have to start making calls again to see if I can find out what's going on.  

Hate to be a downer OH, but you have every right to be afraid..we all should be.  I think a lot of people are unaware of how the "Affordable Care Act' will affect Medicare, and what limitations have been added.


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## Jackie22 (Jan 2, 2014)

Pappy said:


> Just got a statement from the hospital for a chemical stress test I had last month. Five hours in room, mostly waiting on my part, a shot of god knows what, two trips to a machine to make sure everything was okay and doing what it was designed to do and nothing to eat or drink for all that time.
> 
> Not to downgrade the service and good people looking after me, but $17,000 for this service?  My cost ended up around $150.00. The statement we received never had any itemized items on it so I guess the hospital can charge Medicare anything it wants to.



As I understand it, there are provisions in Obama Care that will prevent the hospitals and doctors from charging whatever they want, this accounts for some of the corporate negativism.  Obama Care certainly has flaws, but to me, this is just one of the good things that is being implemented.

Another good thing.....

*OBAMACARE HAS SAVED CONSUMERS $2.1 BILLION | Regulations in Obamacare set up a program to review insurance rate increases and instituted an 80/20 rule, requiring insurance companies to spend no more than 20 percent of consumer premiums on profits and administrative costs. 

And since September 2011, insurance providers have had justify premium rate increase of more than 10 percent for individual and small group markets. Consumers have saved an estimated $1 billion on their insurance premiums as a result of rate review, and 13 million Americans received $1.1 billion in rebates last year from the 80/20 provision. 


http://www.healthcare.gov/law/resources/reports/rate-review09112012a.html*


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## Old Hipster (Jan 2, 2014)

Ozarkgal said:


> January 2nd, and I still don't know if I will be insured this month under Obummercare..no followup from the insurance plan I chose as of yet. Countless hours of trying to navigate the exchange system, now today have to start making calls again to see if I can find out what's going on.
> 
> Hate to be a downer OH, but you have every right to be afraid..we all should be. I think a lot of people are unaware of how the "Affordable Care Act' will affect Medicare, and what limitations have been added.


You aren't being a downer, just are being real. I hope you can find out what is going on today with your situation.

I've already been looking at what is out there for an individual insurance policy for me if I do retire at 62. I can of course keep my medical insurance from work, but I'd be paying (I don't have the figures handy) but I think it was $865.00 a month. About the cheapest individual policy I found was around $560.00. So I don't know what I am going to do yet, I'll be 62 this June, I might hang around work a few more months after that. The thoughts of having to fork over that kind of money every month is making me sick. 
I have to decide how much I am worth to myself.

I just saw your post Jackie, I'll have to read up on that later, I am just headed to the salt mines.

Ok at work now, I just looked, why I was wrong, I can continue my health insurance from work for _only_ $854.78 a month.

Jackie that link doesn't work, it says it can't find the page on the Goobermint website, due to reorganizing.


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## TICA (Jan 2, 2014)

I am truly shocked every single time I hear what health care costs are in the US.  I just can't imagine paying $500. a month (or more) for health care and then having a company turn down the claim????

I may be freezing my ass off here today, but if I have an emergency, I go to the hospital and get treated - no cost!!!   Not quite because our health care comes out of our taxes but holy moly, I consider myself so fortunate that I live here, regardless of the weather.


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## That Guy (Jan 2, 2014)




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## Old Hipster (Jan 2, 2014)

Sad but true. 

Even if I do go with my plan at work for awhile even at $854.78, I still have $1,000. deductible and co-pays and it only pays 80% of everythig else, like if I went to the hospital. But there is an out of pocket cap, which is $3,000. After that I think they pay 100%.


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## Jackie22 (Jan 2, 2014)

Old Hipster said:


> You aren't being a downer, just are being real. I hope you can find out what is going on today with your situation.
> 
> I've already been looking at what is out there for an individual insurance policy for me if I do retire at 62. I can of course keep my medical insurance from work, but I'd be paying (I don't have the figures handy) but I think it was $865.00 a month. About the cheapest individual policy I found was around $560.00. So I don't know what I am going to do yet, I'll be 62 this June, I might hang around work a few more months after that. The thoughts of having to fork over that kind of money every month is making me sick.
> I have to decide how much I am worth to myself.
> ...



Sorry about the link, I found these two on the 80/20 rule.....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...-obamacare-provision-that-terrifies-insurers/



http://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/.../Downloads/2012-medical-loss-ratio-report.pdf


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## Old Hipster (Jan 2, 2014)

Thanks Jackie, it looks good on paper as they say.

 But I just don't get it.

This year the portion we have to pay for our medical insurance at work went up a bit and HR said it was because of Obamacare !?!


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## Jackie22 (Jan 2, 2014)

O H, this is a nonpartisan site that answers a lot of questions.....go down to cost, it gives the pros and cons about the debate of increase in premiums....I hope this helps, it looks like some increases depend on several factors, one being what state you are from.

http://healthcarereform.procon.org/


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## Old Hipster (Jan 2, 2014)

I'm in a State of depression! 

That is an excellent website Jackie, looks like loads of info.


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