Comments on: Where you’re getting ripped off now: Uncompensated care on the rise

By: Antoine

Antoine — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:25:21 +0000

I am also working for 31 years… how can you save on overhead in an office with all the bureaucracy involved??? paper work, forms.. necessity for a staff for billing dictation when needed, utilities supplies, taxes licences insurances CME, salaries accounting, Phone, tonners , answering services .. stamps computer support … etc.. etc… an office can hardly spend less than 100$ an hour.. I have hundreds checks of less than 25 cents each from payers (may be should redeem them ) but I though I can use them as wall paper, rather than painting my office
a board recertification today between trip refreshment course hotel exam fees and CME can excced 8000$ not including an office that is closed with a paid staff
Good luck for us

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:49:29 +0000

If you’ve been in healthcare for two years, you must know by now that heathcare providers only received a contracted rate. The costs of healthcare are regulated by the insurance companies, not the healthcare industry. If you take a look at the EOB and look at the charges versus the allowed reimbursements it is impossible to explain how the healthcare industry survives!!! I have been in the healthcare industry for over 30 years. Healthcare is a necessity, not a commodity. You are right that healthcare should be treated as a business and competition should be encouraged. In reality, all services are paid at a fixed rate across the board–there is no way to compete in healthcare today.

By: John

John — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:41:41 +0000

Let’s be pragmatic about this situation: deal with uncompensated care costs by lowering the costs instead of increasing the government reimbursements. I’ve been in the Health Care industry for 2 years now after working in high tech manufacturing for the prior 25 years and I’m amazed at the opportunities for cost savings in Health Care. Other US industries have increased efficiencies to lower costs or they have gone out of business due to competition. The health care industry can learn from their experiences. It’s a shame that there isn’t more competition based on cost in health care and the current ‘health care reform’ efforts in Congress don’t appear to deal with that fact in a meaningful way. However one thing is clear – the US Government isn’t extending a blank check to the health care industry. So, let’s all work to find ways to lower costs. My suggestion for today: take a look at how manufacturers procure materials. Anyone interested in online auctions for commodity products? You’d be amazed at how much less can be paid for a commodity in an open market…