Posted on 11/15/2019 11:46:23 AM PST by re_tail20
Yep - wife just had a lot of stuff done at Ochsners.
Medicare/Tricare statements show a huge variance in what is charged and what is allowed.
These days, since it’s so entangled with insurance, they inflate charges by multiples and let insurance companies establish the going rates as far as what they will pay....
I used to think it was a lot cheaper (as far as what was charged/paid) to pay direct and outside the insurance system - I’d wager one who does that actually overpays 2-3 times what a service should actually cost - even at the ‘discount’ rate.
I bet dentists love those of us who just pay for cleanings instead of carrying dental insurance....
Here, in the Philippines, all hospitals and clinics are required to post the prices for their services, (lab, radiology etc.). For outpatient care the patient can chose to use a lab or clinic outside of the hospital if they wish. Prescription drugs, even for in-patients, are frequently filled by a relative at a pharmacy outside of the hospital because they are normally cheaper. However, most patients are not insured so it is necessary for them to seek out the best prices for the services/drugs. We even have several pharmacy chains that deal almost exclusively in generic drugs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.