it has to stay free, too important!

There are two ways around this:

Option 1: Fight the collection agency. They aren't tied to the government, and the reason they harass you so much is because they purchased your debt from the Hospital for something cheap like 10-25 cents on the dollar. Then they make their money by either offering you a settlement plan, or by charging the full amount. The Hospital has been paid regardless. So you can tell them "I don't care if you assumed my debt, the Hospital treated me, not you, so I'm not paying anything". Or you can really have fun with them and tell them you already paid everything in the mail. When they call back asking for the money cause they didn't recieve it, act very mad about it, don't let them intimidate you. Fuck up your credit my ass, no one fights with a pissed off consumer. There are actually legal ways around it, but I forget what they were, because this option is actually fun.

Option 2: Move to Canada and never pay for a hospital bill again, because it's covered in your taxes or something. Canadians are far superior to the USA when it comes to the important stuff.

To add more insult to injury --- most people in healthcare are in it for the ridiculous amounts of money that industry generates -- NOT because they want to help people and from my own experiences, more often than not these days - it shows.

Those that did actually want to help people learn pretty quickly by having their hands tied in various matters that doing what is in the best interest of the patient isn't what it's about.


Take teachers for instance... one of the most important, yet underpaid, professions in this country. If someone applys to be a teacher, they are most likely genuinely interested in educating people (or they are pedos :( ).

Public education doesn't get enough funding because they've never wanted a well educated slave class.

i broke my arm and some lady called the cops so the fire truck came.. and they WOULDN"T let me go i was like 15.. i was like naw im fine i don't need to goto hospital... next thing i knew 5 firemen held me and strapped me into a bed and threw me in the fire truck, charged my parents 3,000$ for the fire truck ride, and like 8k for my broken arm, parents were pissed :(

Canada?

Kick ass healthcare system!?

:eek7

OMFG! This has to be the most hilarious shit on GFY.. EVER!! :1orglaugh

Dont knock it, its pretty much free :) I pay $44 cdn/month for healthcare and havent ever paid more for any injuries or illness.
I've spent more than enough time in the hospital due to sports and fighting too.

I'm not talking about paying.. I'm talking about the quality of service you get.

oh fuck ya they will. and.. that probably wont be the only bill.

You know, if you just got that today.. I bet you've got more coming. I think I got 6 different ones, or so it seemed.

It's not just he war against other countries...it's all the Bullshit wars we wage on everything ranging from Drugs to Pornography. Who does pornography hurt? Instead of waging wars against it, why not educate about it? The more money you pump into education, the richer the country will become hence less drugs, crimes, etc.

I'm going to pay the bill, it's my obligation. It does chap my ass that what it costed for me to spend one night in a hospital I could have spend 5 nights in Hawaii! Fuckers! :321GFY

50 anxiety attacks

I'd be broke if that were the case!

I'm not right all the time but this is one of them.




:glugglug

You considered sending more signups to ARS and taking part in their Health Insurance coverage ?

And people say dialers are a rip off. :1orglaugh

Well highonacid, as a self employed person you NEED to get health insurance. Sure it costs a fuck load but it's worth it. I'm paying about $350 a month for mine.

By the sounds of it you can afford to pay it so its not so bad. But if you were broke then it would be pretty fucked up.

Not saying its ok coz you can afford to pay ( if you can ) just mean its not so bad for you.......

Um unless you don't pay taxes, you are paying for it one way or another. I'm sorry but socialized health care is shitty. Have fun waiting in line.

That fucking sucks Acid... :(

The medical field sucks. My Dad is a doctor and although he makes a lot of money, it isn't worth the work he has to put into it. Way too much stress.

Personally I prefer working in the field I currently do, and I'm doing just as good as your average doctor salary wise without going through the shitload of schooling and training.

damn I thought mine was bad but they raped you...

When I had my car wreck.. I went to the emergency room.. sat there for two hours before they even checked me out (by law they are supposed to check you out within 15 mins) They then put men in a neck brace and I sat there another 1 hour in the waiting room before they let me go in the back. I then sat another hour, and nurse saw me then had me go get some X-rays, after another hour I saw the doctor for lass than 5 mins. I then sat there for another 45 mins or an hour waiting to be released..

fucking shit took about 6 hours to get a $550 dollar bill. Good thing the insurance company is covering it..

It only costs me $15 when i visit a doctor or ride the ambulance to the emergency. It's pretty ok. But you have to use it sometimes so your paid 50% income tax money makes it up. :thumbsup

I have a question about insurance, what are good private
companies that have health insurance, and not managed care, it
seems that EVERYONE has managed care. When I used to have free health insurance cov beause I worked
full time, my employers would always either offer me the option of Blue Cross HMO or PPO. Is there any other medical insurance that is better, and if so through what company?

And what do you think is generally better, hmo or ppo?

PPO, don't give it a second thought. If you want to call me in the office tomorrow, I'll give you a ton of reasons why. That's what I have, btw.

Brad

Fuck, that sucks!

Your lucky you can get treatment.. pay your bills!

LOL you just ruined your credit.


First.

They could care less if they say you paid the hospital. They could care less about ANYTHING you say UNLESS it has to do with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

If you send them a letter in writing saying you want proof that you owe the money, they CANNOT CONTACT YOU until they have sent the proof. Half the time they cannot prove the debt actually belongs to you. Them sending you a bill is NOT proof. Your signature is proof, a court judgement is proof.


They cannot report this to your credit (unless they already have) once you have sent them that letter in writing (be sure to get registered mail or signature proof that they got it) and until they send you proof. If they attempt to collect on the debt before sending proof they have violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

One company was trying to get $800 from me. They called, lied, etc. But in the end I just stopped hearing from them and its not on my credit, because I knew what I was doing.

Wow, that's some pretty hefty fees. I had throat surgery at a public hospital, and I ended up being about $AUD500 ($US375) out of pocket. If I had opted to go fully private (I have no health insurance) it would have cost around $AUD1500 ($USD1125). This covers the surgery plus an overnight stay in hospital.

Sounds like the USA hospital system is completely fucked up.

I agree with the medical insurance after this debacle.

I can afford to pay it, that's not the issue. To me the issue is that I sought help at my local "emergency room" and took up roughly 45 minutes of staff time. The rest of the time I just sat there waiting for them to call me in. Once I got in, they gave me a robe (probably $1 to clean at most) and I laid there for another 2 hours. So basically for a robe, a bed, Xanax, 40 minutes of nurse attention, and 5 minutes of a Doctor's I'm paying $1600! :mad:

jesus

can u say robbery ? that's just fucking too much man

Glad you can pay but take TurboAngel advice.

I once had really shitty insurance and went to the emergency room over what was deemed two days later as a 'zit'. The bill was 980.00 and my insurance would reimburse me half.

Called the hospital finance department and asked why three doctors thought it was a bug bite that two days later for 45.00 dollars my doctor lanced it and explained how my insurance work.

They asked me to fax the 45.00 bill and sent me an alter bill for 85.00. Not sure how panic attacks are classified but you just may want to call the billing department since they work out some nice deals.

I have personal choice now and I don?t mind paying the monthly premium, since I am cheaper to insure myself than my car. :)

I hope you mean 1 mg of xanax.

I'd ask them to itemize the bill... I would want to see just where all that money freakin went ! damn :(

Socialised medicine is the answer.

It's that simple.

Yes, you have to pay it but do what someone else suggested and call their social services department first. You'd be surprised what they'll do if you just ask.

It makes me sad to think about how many people won't take their sick baby to a hospital because they can't afford the bill :(

I love Canada.

time to move to canada bro

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Why the hell go to the Hospital over a Panic Attack if you don't have it?

Pull up ya skirt

I can understand. I just paid off a 3000.00 hospital bill for an emergency visit myself. The part that sucked is that they knew i didnt have insurance and didn't treat me properly the first time so i had to go back the same night. Ended up being twice as much as i should have paid because they are greedy. I'll never go back to an ER if i can help it.

ouch