The Connecticut Mirror article noted : “Many patients now have insurance plans that require them to pay a portion of their medical bills. But finding out what their care will cost remains difficult.”
“Because her family’s health insurance plan has a $10,000 deductible, Sue Haynie tries to watch what they spend on medical care and figure out what it will cost ahead of time. But that’s easier said than done, she’s found. There was the time her daughter needed to see a doctor about a lingering sore throat. Haynie wondered how she’d know the cost of any tests the doctor performed, so she asked her insurer, Aetna. Haynie said the representative suggested two options: Ask the doctor’s office to call Aetna and find out, or leave the appointment after finding out what tests the doctor recommends, price out the tests, and — if she decided they’re worth it — go back for another appointment to have the tests done. Haynie chose the first option, so when her daughter went to the appointment, she asked the office staff to call Aetna. But Haynie said she was told they didn’t have time to do so, and that if Haynie wouldn’t pay the bill, her daughter could be pulled out of the visit.”
“Why don’t you see a menu of prices when you walk into your doctor’s office? In part, it’s because there’s no single price for any service. The doctor might get paid a different amount for each person in the waiting room. Medicare and Medicaid set their own payment rates, while each private insurer negotiates rates with health care providers.”
“So what’s a patient looking for price information to do?”
Click here to read the full Connecticut Mirror article “How much will that MRI cost? Patients often in the dark” by Arielle Levin Becker.
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Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands? ™ provides information to consumers on understanding, managing and navigating health care options.
Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H., is Clinical Professor, Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; and Adjunct Professor, Baruch College ( C.U.N.Y.), Rutgers School of Public Health, and Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration.
This blog shares general information about understanding and navigating the health care system. For specific medical advice about your own problems, issues and options talk to your personal physician.