Price of my 3 1/2 weeks spent in the hospital...

JillAly

I was on bed rest from June 29th to July 20th when I gave birth (plus 4 days for the c-section).  I just got the break down from the insurance company.  It cost $137,000.  That is just for my shared (1 other person) room.

That doesn't include tests, my OB, other specialists (for pre-e which was basically the blood pressure doc), anesthesiologist or pediatrician.  Those bills are thousands more and some are covered by my insurance and some are not. 

But for the $137,000 bill I got - all I owe is the $300 co-pay.  Whew!!!

I can't believe how hospitals are able to charge insurance companies.  The insurance company paid the entire amount to the hospital.  How come my insurance company never pays me the entire amount when I'm out of pocket?  LOL. 

TwinMomma88

Wow! I'm glad I live in Canada! I've been on hospital bed rest for a week and I'm most likely in here until the babies are born so hopefully another 20 weeks. I'm glad I'll never see that bill!

SarahTx5701

seriously! wow!

insurance in insane. My ds's nicu bill for 17 days was $87,000.

I never saw mine. We have military insurance since dh is active duty, so as long as you're seen on base, you never see a bill. Ds was at a civilian hospital, so we were mailed a copy of the bill. yikes!!

we did not pay one red cent for anything. I am SO thankful for our insurance!

Even yesterday I went to the ER after a car accident(just to be checked out) and the insurance lady today said they would probably get a bill for $4000.

All the did was a physcial exam, try to use the doppler and then a 10 second ultrasound. nuts!!!

JillAly

SarahTx5701:

 I went to the ER after a car accident(just to be checked out) and the insurance lady today said they would probably get a bill for $4000.

All the did was a physcial exam, try to use the doppler and then a 10 second ultrasound. nuts!!!

The important thing is that you and the baby are ok!!!   $4000 is a lot but if the u/s showed something that they had to fix, the money would have been worth it, right?  I'm glad you're ok!

mrsschrager

Thank god all you had to pay was the $300 co pay!!!

 my total bill was 250k when I had ds!! I had hellp and pre e... 6 nights total in the hospital, c section under general, 1 night icu, 2 platelet transfusions, ultrasound, bloodwork, rhogam shot,  circumcision,  the works.. I had a private room. I never got a bill from the hospital.. just from the ped, ob, anastesia ect. It is shocking how much they charge.. this was when I was very happy to have ins!

BananaBlitz

doctors/hospitals charge so much because they typically only get something like 40% of what they bill (due to people not having insurance, or not giving them their insurance information so they can bill the company).... they raise their rates so that when they do get paid, they make enough. thats why its so ridiculously expensive !!

Karen1998

BananaBlitz:

doctors/hospitals charge so much because they typically only get something like 40% of what they bill (due to people not having insurance, or not giving them their insurance information so they can bill the company).... they raise their rates so that when they do get paid, they make enough. thats why its so ridiculously expensive !!

It's also because "insurance" like Medicaid and Medicare pay only about 10% of the total amount billed.  I had a case where the patient had a $115,000 bill for a hip replacement.  Medicare paid $11,000, which, by the way, was less than the company who made the replacement part charged for the hip itself.  Add to that the number of uninsured patients and you get billed a ridiculous amount to make up for the difference.

 As for the OP, I'm glad y'all are okay and didn't have to pay much!

*KC*luvs*RJ*

Yeah, it's crazy what hospitals charge.  Some friends of our had their girls 7 weeks early, and the bill from 22 days in the NICU was $197,000.  Their insurance paid for all of it, but their copay, but really???  How can they get away with that???  No wonder so many people are going bankrupt due to medical bills.

*KC*luvs*RJ*

Karen1998:

BananaBlitz:

doctors/hospitals charge so much because they typically only get something like 40% of what they bill (due to people not having insurance, or not giving them their insurance information so they can bill the company).... they raise their rates so that when they do get paid, they make enough. thats why its so ridiculously expensive !!

It's also because "insurance" like Medicaid and Medicare pay only about 10% of the total amount billed.  I had a case where the patient had a $115,000 bill for a hip replacement.  Medicare paid $11,000, which, by the way, was less than the company who made the replacement part charged for the hip itself.  Add to that the number of uninsured patients and you get billed a ridiculous amount to make up for the difference.

 As for the OP, I'm glad y'all are okay and didn't have to pay much!

I'm just wondering here...who pays the rest?  No one?  Medicare can just say "I'm not paying that, I'll give you this much" and that's that?  Seriously insane!

Halo79RN

*KC*luvs*RJ*:

Karen1998:

BananaBlitz:

doctors/hospitals charge so much because they typically only get something like 40% of what they bill (due to people not having insurance, or not giving them their insurance information so they can bill the company).... they raise their rates so that when they do get paid, they make enough. thats why its so ridiculously expensive !!

It's also because "insurance" like Medicaid and Medicare pay only about 10% of the total amount billed.  I had a case where the patient had a $115,000 bill for a hip replacement.  Medicare paid $11,000, which, by the way, was less than the company who made the replacement part charged for the hip itself.  Add to that the number of uninsured patients and you get billed a ridiculous amount to make up for the difference.

 As for the OP, I'm glad y'all are okay and didn't have to pay much!

I'm just wondering here...who pays the rest?  No one?  Medicare can just say "I'm not paying that, I'll give you this much" and that's that?  Seriously insane!

look at your insurance statements.  the hospital charges one thing, the insurance company has a contract with the hospital to pay a fixed amount for that service.... usually much less.  but they do not charge you the extra, just your copay or whatever is agreed upon by the contract.  even the 80/20 plans usually the ins co has a fixed amt they will accept as chargable... so the hospital may normally bill $200 for a service, the contract agreed upon price may be $150, ins pays 80% of $150, and you pay the $20 of $150... not of $200.  if you were self pay and agreed to pay full price up front, many times hospitals will give you a % off b/c you are actually paying up front or paying the bill in full after.... if you ask.   b/c most self pays do not have that kind of money, most go to billing and the hospital doesn't get the full amt paid for quite some time.  I worked at one ER where if you were a self pay, they wanted $300 down  prior to evaluation.  This was in 1996.  I'm sure it's more now.  

Halo79RN

and I don't remember much about the charges for dd. we were in the hospital over a week... but I remember the anesthesiologists bill was over $7K.... for an epi that took him 5 tries.  my husband was shocked.  we didn't have to pay it.  100% maternity coverage. 

daniellepanda

Eeesssh. My insurance has a $1000 deductible and a 20% co-inurance on all services- so to guesstimate how much childbirth will cost we will get a bill for $1,881 for our portion which still sucks. ($1000 deductible and $881 portion of 20% co pay they can still charge us before we hit out $2500 out of pocket maximum for the year) But if we didnt have insurance at all it would be a bill for about $26,000. Yuck.