Why Hospitals Want Your Credit Report

[SummerSailing81]

This is just wrong on so many levels! You can't tell me that if this becomes the "norm" for hospitals that it won't eventually affect what level of treatment a patient receives. If the hospital doesn't think you're going to pay then they won't be doing expensive procedures on you even if you need them. IMO, hospitals don't have any right to look at someone's credit report. So nice that even with our health in this country, it's all about that financial bottom line. :faint

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120580305267343947.html?mod=yahoo_free

[can4christ]

This is just wrong on so many levels! You can't tell me that if this becomes the "norm" for hospitals that it won't eventually affect what level of treatment a patient receives. If the hospital doesn't think you're going to pay then they won't be doing expensive procedures on you even if you need them. IMO, hospitals don't have any right to look at someone's credit report. So nice that even with our health in this country, it's all about that financial bottom line. :faint

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120580305267343947.html?mod=yahoo_free



I don't think they should have access to our credit report, however they should at least inquire about legal status. If a person is an illegal they should be deported after treatment.

I am striving for a zero credit rating. We haven't had any credit cards or loans for 4 years and paid our mortgage off Nov. '06. My husband was in the emergency room last month (no insurance) and they did not even ask for a payment when we left. I did get the bill last week and we should have them paid off next month.

[Biblenuggetlady]

I was in the hospital for 3 1/2 weeks last fall, my bill so far...$187,000 in hospital charges alone, not including the physicians, and I did not have any surgeries. Even with insurance paying a portion, I have no idea how I will ever pay my share. The gov't sets aside $250 million a year to pay hospitals for treatment rendered to illegals, but what about US citizens? I see this all going to socialized medicine. It just has to at this point because the increased cost WE pay who HAVE insurance, to cover the shortfall for those who do not. Many of us who DO have insurance are still not able to pay the co-pay or left over portion. :pray

[can4christ]

I was in the hospital for 3 1/2 weeks last fall, my bill so far...$187,000 in hospital charges alone, not including the physicians, and I did not have any surgeries. Even with insurance paying a portion, I have no idea how I will ever pay my share. The gov't sets aside $250 million a year to pay hospitals for treatment rendered to illegals, but what about US citizens? I see this all going to socialized medicine. It just has to at this point because the increased cost WE pay who HAVE insurance, to cover the shortfall for those who do not. Many of us who DO have insurance are still not able to pay the co-pay or left over portion. :pray



Back in 1990 my husband was in for 3 months (3 surgeries) and we had no insurance then also. It took ten years to pay them off. If you make regular payments to them even if it is only $20.00 a month they will work with you. They eventually start to settle on realistic amounts and don't just accept what they bill you for. We had doctors we had never seen send us bills and charges for medications that were way out of line. I negotiated with them like I would for any other major purchase like a car.

That is one of the problems with so many bills being paid by third parties (insurance co.) the patient doesn't gripe about the cost to the hospital or doctor, so it's easy to pad the bill.

We will have insurance at the end of the month, y husband started a new job Dec. 26th and we had to wait 90 days for insurance. The answer is not socialized health care, that would make it worse and we would see rationing of treatments. We should only treat illegals when it is a life threatening emergency.

My mom just finished cancer treatments, she had insurance, but they were not paying at first because they said it was pre-existing. The treatment center said she did not qualify for Medicaid because she had a job (part time at Wal Mart $10.00hr.). The insurance eventually paid. Meanwhile I would see the illegals get free treatment from Medicaid.

In Dallas at Parkland hospital they have set up pre-natal care and birthing facilities for illegals and give them diapers, car seats, and bottles when they leave the hospital. It is now the 2nd or 3rd busiest hospital in the world for births, almost all illegals, all at the expense of the tax payer's.

[yeshuasavedme]

What about illegals who don't have credit reports or any Welfare recepients many of whom man not have credit reports?

[markofthebest]

What about illegals who don't have credit reports or any Welfare recepients many of whom man not have credit reports?

Illegals should'nt get free care and welfare recepients get medicaid.

[Issachar]

I see this all going to socialized medicine. It just has to at this point because the increased cost WE pay who HAVE insurance, to cover the shortfall for those who do not. Many of us who DO have insurance are still not able to pay the co-pay or left over portion. It is going to socialized just like education did long ago. It's funny how so many that have employer provided health insurance are so adamantly opposed to socialized healthcare but the SO CALLED private system is so broken. One argument I hear a lot is about the "long waits" they have in Canada where they have a socialized system. My youngest granddaughter has these weird spots on her. FINALLY, with my dil's insistence, the pediatrician recommended a dermatologist. Dil calls for appointment. Ha! Over two months! Sounds like waiting to me. And that is with a good insurance plan through my son's employer. Oh ... that $140 prescription a couple weeks ago (that didn't even work)? Insurance doesn't cover it. They had to pay out of pocket. Refund since it didn't work? LOL! No way. Doctors can do that. Hospitals can do that. I have been opposed to insurance for many years because it is a form of socialism. It creates a large pool of funds. The fallen human nature dictates that prices will go up to meet the size of the pool of funds. What that does is leave those outside of insurance unable to even begin to pay for what they need. It becomes a situation like we have today where there are those with healthcare and those without. It doesn't work.

Sin messes up everything.

Issachar

[I'm all 67X]

It is going to socialized just like education did long ago. It's funny how so many that have employer provided health insurance are so adamantly opposed to socialized healthcare but the SO CALLED private system is so broken. One argument I hear a lot is about the "long waits" they have in Canada where they have a socialized system. My youngest granddaughter has these weird spots on her. FINALLY, with my dil's insistence, the pediatrician recommended a dermatologist. Dil calls for appointment. Ha! Over two months! Sounds like waiting to me. And that is with a good insurance plan through my son's employer. Oh ... that $140 prescription a couple weeks ago (that didn't even work)? Insurance doesn't cover it. They had to pay out of pocket. Refund since it didn't work? LOL! No way. Doctors can do that. Hospitals can do that. I have been opposed to insurance for many years because it is a form of socialism. It creates a large pool of funds. The fallen human nature dictates that prices will go up to meet the size of the pool of funds. What that does is leave those outside of insurance unable to even begin to pay for what they need. It becomes a situation like we have today where there are those with healthcare and those without. It doesn't work.

Sin messes up everything.

Issachar

Lord help me- I worked for a large insurer named after an Italian volcano, but spelled differently...I could rant for about an hour straight- but I won't, hoping instead to make my lack of comment my comment. It would disgust. I am glad to be out of there. I may be jobless, but I regained my health- I was slowly dying, sick all the time, gave up a gall bladder- all from the stress of working for such an immoral (dare I say evil?) industry.

I'd sooner rely on folk medicine if possible. Healthcare as a whole cares nothing for you, me, or anyone else. Individuals do sometimes. I lump doctors right in there with lawyers. No offense intended, I know there are good in both, but not many.

:banning