Looking for the cost of health care; e.g., knees, hips, kidneys?

Chances are your Health Insurer’s Member Portal is one source. 

Platforms like Healthcare Bluebook is another. How about this one;

https://www.medicare.gov/procedure-price-lookup/

This is a not too clever segue into re-visiting Tip # 582, which noted how ‘Andy’ was told by his surgeon – 22 months ago, literally while being wheeled into the OR – that his insurer hadn’t approved 3 of the 4 scheduled procedures, adding “you might be on the hook for some of the charges!”

The ensuing nightmarish odyssey included two denied appeals; never mind – among other things – the Pre-Certification Denial letter arrived by snail-mail the day Andy had already checked into the hospital.

Although the surgeon magically got paid, Andy was left holding the bag for the hospital ‘facility charges.’

Health Systems routinely badger consumers into paying co-pays, when none are owed. Similarly, they balance bill for specious services not covered by insurance, or worse, not rendered! When collection agencies start calling, they bank (literally) we’ll just cave.

Not tenacious Andy.

Just this week, finally acknowledging their “mishandling” of the case, the hospital wrote off $45K.

Ergo, one measure of the cost of a (strong) backbone!