Vent - Hospital Bill and ineligibility for "prompt pay" discount

stellablue1972 · February 2013

I got my hospital bill for delivery and am floored at the cost for an uncomplicated, un-medicated delivery and 1-night stay.

The amount billed to insurance = $15,750! That seems crazy to me, but whatever - I know hospitals are expensive. Oh, and that doesn't even include the doctor, which is another $2,800.

The amount I owe of that, after insurance, is $3,762 for the hospital and another $1,192 for the doctor.

Crazy.

What's really killing me right now is that I called the hospital to ask about a Prompt Payment discount, which I was able to do for the birth of my son 3 years ago.

I was told that their policy at the time I was discharged was that the Prompt Pay Discount was only available to those without insurance. Apparently that policy has been in effect since January of 2011. They have since reviewed the policy and decided that it wasn't fair, so the policy changed so that for those discharged after February 1st, the Prompt Pay Discount is available to everybody.

So I am ineligible for the discount by a matter of days (I was discharged on Jan 27th) because I have insurance.

Ugh.

LadyNikon · February 2013

good grief!

CAMOnurse · February 2013

I would fight that, it's baloney, especially since they have reversed the policy

dande2129 · February 2013

Oh my gosh.... that makes me terrified to see my own hospital bill.

If they're going to deny you the Prompt Pay Discount, I hope that they are A-okay with you taking the rest of your life to pay them $5 each month What an idiotic policy...