Comments on: The Finance Physician tells you how you can survive the ER http://www.financephysician.com/2007/06/25/the-finance-physician-tells-you-how-you-can-survive-the-er/ everything outside of work you need to think about Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:42:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Carin http://www.financephysician.com/2007/06/25/the-finance-physician-tells-you-how-you-can-survive-the-er/#comment-7859 Carin Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:07:09 +0000 http://www.financephysician.com/2007/06/25/the-finance-physician-tells-you-how-you-can-survive-the-er/#comment-7859 ON JUNE 3 I LEFT A COMMENT ASKING FOR YOU TO REMOVE THE COMMENT I LEFT ABOVE. I AM ONCE AGAIN REQUESTING THAT YOU REMOVE THE COMMENT BY CARIN. WE ARE NO LONGER TRADING COMMENTS WITH SITES THAT IN ANY WAY HAVE COMMENTS THAT CAN BE CONSTRUED AS SPAM. THIS NOT ONLY HURTS SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS, BUT IT ALSO FURTHER ENCOURAGES THIS DISHONEST AND UNETHICAL PRACTICE. PLEASE REMOVE MY COMMENT AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION, CARIN ON JUNE 3 I LEFT A COMMENT ASKING FOR YOU TO REMOVE THE COMMENT I LEFT ABOVE. I AM ONCE AGAIN REQUESTING THAT YOU REMOVE THE COMMENT BY CARIN. WE ARE NO LONGER TRADING COMMENTS WITH SITES THAT IN ANY WAY HAVE COMMENTS THAT CAN BE CONSTRUED AS SPAM. THIS NOT ONLY HURTS SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS, BUT IT ALSO FURTHER ENCOURAGES THIS DISHONEST AND UNETHICAL PRACTICE. PLEASE REMOVE MY COMMENT AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION,

CARIN

]]> By: Carin http://www.financephysician.com/2007/06/25/the-finance-physician-tells-you-how-you-can-survive-the-er/#comment-7726 Carin Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:22:01 +0000 http://www.financephysician.com/2007/06/25/the-finance-physician-tells-you-how-you-can-survive-the-er/#comment-7726 ON MAY 29 I LEFT A COMMENT ASKING FOR YOU TO REMOVE THE COMMENT I LEFT ABOVE. I AM ONCE AGAIN REQUESTING THAT YOU REMOVE THE COMMENT BY CARIN. WE ARE NO LONGER TRADING COMMENTS WITH SITES THAT IN ANY WAY HAVE COMMENTS THAT CAN BE CONSTRUED AS SPAM. THIS NOT ONLY HURTS SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS, BUT IT ALSO FURTHER ENCOURAGES THIS DISHONEST AND UNETHICAL PRACTICE. PLEASE REMOVE MY COMMENT AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION, CARIN ON MAY 29 I LEFT A COMMENT ASKING FOR YOU TO REMOVE THE COMMENT I LEFT ABOVE. I AM ONCE AGAIN REQUESTING THAT YOU REMOVE THE COMMENT BY CARIN. WE ARE NO LONGER TRADING COMMENTS WITH SITES THAT IN ANY WAY HAVE COMMENTS THAT CAN BE CONSTRUED AS SPAM. THIS NOT ONLY HURTS SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS, BUT IT ALSO FURTHER ENCOURAGES THIS DISHONEST AND UNETHICAL PRACTICE. PLEASE REMOVE MY COMMENT AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION,

CARIN

]]> By: Jerry http://www.financephysician.com/2007/06/25/the-finance-physician-tells-you-how-you-can-survive-the-er/#comment-2198 Jerry Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:42:17 +0000 http://www.financephysician.com/2007/06/25/the-finance-physician-tells-you-how-you-can-survive-the-er/#comment-2198 The point about an itemized bill is a good one - that won't be forthcoming during your ER trip, even if you provide your insurance card and are completely organized (which can be a challenge in a truly emergent situation. Also, I am glad that you put in something about an Urgent Care Clinic. In a rare demonstration of good planning, our hospital recently opened a UCC next door to the ER, ostensibly to manage the huge number of people showing up with cold-n-flu, sprains-n-strains, etc. The challenge, of course, is trying to lead people to the proper department when they all show up at the same triage... Jerry www.leads4insurance.com The point about an itemized bill is a good one - that won’t be forthcoming during your ER trip, even if you provide your insurance card and are completely organized (which can be a challenge in a truly emergent situation. Also, I am glad that you put in something about an Urgent Care Clinic. In a rare demonstration of good planning, our hospital recently opened a UCC next door to the ER, ostensibly to manage the huge number of people showing up with cold-n-flu, sprains-n-strains, etc. The challenge, of course, is trying to lead people to the proper department when they all show up at the same triage…
Jerry
www.leads4insurance.com

]]> By: Carin http://www.financephysician.com/2007/06/25/the-finance-physician-tells-you-how-you-can-survive-the-er/#comment-1821 Carin Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:27:48 +0000 http://www.financephysician.com/2007/06/25/the-finance-physician-tells-you-how-you-can-survive-the-er/#comment-1821 Great post! In Canada there's a service called Telehealth where you can call (call 211 for the number in your area) that gives you access to a registered nurse. You can talk to a nurse, and she can give you qualified advice on whether to go immediately to the emergency room, wait to see your own doctor, etc. I've personally used it, and it's an amazing service. By calling Telehealth beforehand, you can save yourself an unnecessary trip to the ER for things such as the flu, and not add to the overcrowding. Great post!

In Canada there’s a service called Telehealth where you can call (call 211 for the number in your area) that gives you access to a registered nurse. You can talk to a nurse, and she can give you qualified advice on whether to go immediately to the emergency room, wait to see your own doctor, etc. I’ve personally used it, and it’s an amazing service. By calling Telehealth beforehand, you can save yourself an unnecessary trip to the ER for things such as the flu, and not add to the overcrowding.

]]> By: admin http://www.financephysician.com/2007/06/25/the-finance-physician-tells-you-how-you-can-survive-the-er/#comment-45 admin Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:16:54 +0000 http://www.financephysician.com/2007/06/25/the-finance-physician-tells-you-how-you-can-survive-the-er/#comment-45 Thanks for the comment. I understand that it may be difficult to get an itemized bill...but after an ER visit, it does suck to have some sort of bill for thousands of dollars and you don't know what was charged. The advice i guess should be to be more proactive about understanding what you are paying for. The person that you should talk to about your bill is usually the billing department. i remember when I had some charges that were for some reason not covered by my insurance for some weird reason. However, by keeping everything orgainized in a file folder with all my paperwork, it was much easier to navigate. And no, you shouldn't be paying for the surgeon's plumber cousin. Thanks for the comment. I understand that it may be difficult to get an itemized bill…but after an ER visit, it does suck to have some sort of bill for thousands of dollars and you don’t know what was charged. The advice i guess should be to be more proactive about understanding what you are paying for. The person that you should talk to about your bill is usually the billing department.

i remember when I had some charges that were for some reason not covered by my insurance for some weird reason. However, by keeping everything orgainized in a file folder with all my paperwork, it was much easier to navigate.

And no, you shouldn’t be paying for the surgeon’s plumber cousin.

]]> By: shadowfax http://www.financephysician.com/2007/06/25/the-finance-physician-tells-you-how-you-can-survive-the-er/#comment-44 shadowfax Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:01:38 +0000 http://www.financephysician.com/2007/06/25/the-finance-physician-tells-you-how-you-can-survive-the-er/#comment-44 LOL. "Ask for an itemized bill"? Are you serious? Who should you ask? The doctor? The tech? The admitting clerk? The janitor? Truth is that the bill will be generated three-five days after the ER visit by clerks in the bowels of ths hosipital's adminstrative building. More significantly, the bills these days are bundled into APC's -- large more-or-less comprehensive codes based on multiple data points. So you are no longer billed $10 for the aspirin you got, but you just get one big bill for $1500 for setting your foot in the door. Also, you will get six separate bills - from the hospital, the ER doctor, the radiologist, the pathologist, the surgeon, and the surgeon's plumber cousin who didn't actually do anything for you but figures by now you'll just pay any bill put in front of you... LOL. “Ask for an itemized bill”? Are you serious?

Who should you ask? The doctor? The tech? The admitting clerk? The janitor?

Truth is that the bill will be generated three-five days after the ER visit by clerks in the bowels of ths hosipital’s adminstrative building. More significantly, the bills these days are bundled into APC’s — large more-or-less comprehensive codes based on multiple data points. So you are no longer billed $10 for the aspirin you got, but you just get one big bill for $1500 for setting your foot in the door.

Also, you will get six separate bills - from the hospital, the ER doctor, the radiologist, the pathologist, the surgeon, and the surgeon’s plumber cousin who didn’t actually do anything for you but figures by now you’ll just pay any bill put in front of you…

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