tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980421295592818922.post3450584116444933336..comments2023-10-23T14:15:29.331-07:00Comments on Shallow Cogitations: A Sense Of EntitlementHank Greerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243840232233423724noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980421295592818922.post-21050178344401713732009-09-06T21:24:39.802-07:002009-09-06T21:24:39.802-07:00This whole thing isn't unique to Medicare. I h...This whole thing isn't unique to Medicare. I had to take a trip to the emergency room not long ago and then get some imaging done as a follow-up and the insurance reimbursement was considerably less than the "retail" cost of treatment. I have private insurance. I would guess that one of the reasons that the nominal cost of healthcare has been rising is that providers are raising their "retail" prices so that their discounted reimbursements come closer to the actual cost. The sad thing of it is that the uninsured end up getting stuck with the retail cost, since they don't have an insurer to negotiate discounts. <br /><br />The other thing is that no one forces the provider to accept Medicare, or insurance for that matter. They have the option to work for cash, but know that so few people are willing or able to operate that way that there isn't an easily sustainable model for doing so. In the end, I want doctors who practice medicine out of a deeply rooted need to serve others. I know medical education is expensive, and that the years out of the workforce while in school put doctors behind the curve in terms of saving for retirement. Those are things we can fix, and should fix.<br /><br />I agree that the Dr.'s point was kind of ranty, and didn't do anything to advance the discussion.Lucashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01247999979754738405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980421295592818922.post-50315773590544495822009-09-06T19:02:41.627-07:002009-09-06T19:02:41.627-07:00Hank,
I am ex-military and also have TriCare for ...Hank,<br /><br />I am ex-military and also have TriCare for my medical as well as Delta Dental. Over the past couple of years I have had to find new dentists as my current dentist, at that time, stopped accepting Delta Dental. And while finding a replacement was not overwhelmingly difficult, it did require a number of calls until I was able to successfully locate a provider who would accept my dental plan.<br /><br />And while I have no way of knowing, I suppose the numbers of providers who accept TriCare could be shrinking a bit a well.<br /><br />We may see more of this in the future depending on percentages of provider payouts.<br /><br />Take care.Spokane Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14322733412232169837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980421295592818922.post-8719495464015300802009-09-06T14:44:26.640-07:002009-09-06T14:44:26.640-07:00Addendum: According to the claim summaries for my ...Addendum: According to the claim summaries for my emergency room visit to stitch up my box cutter wound, the hospital billed $1188 and TriCare allowed $415. $30 of that is my co-payment. The reimbursement rate is 35% of the billed amount.<br /><br />Paying less than the billed amount is not unique to TriCare or Medicare. Nor it is a recent problem. See http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20040330&slug=premera30m. This was an issue again just a year ago. See http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=16733 and scroll down where it's mentioned.Hank Greerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15243840232233423724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980421295592818922.post-90925319971281901922009-09-06T11:40:00.230-07:002009-09-06T11:40:00.230-07:00Not at all. But the majority of his piece does not...Not at all. But the majority of his piece does not address that. Consequently, the tenor of his letter leans towards a rant.<br /><br />Rather than making use of the available space to present a cogent argument about the "primary problem" (as he called it) that Medicare doesn't pay, the good doctor goes off on tangents to denigrate Medicare. This does nothing more than appeal to people who already agree with him. It diverts attention from--and adds nothing to--the argument he's trying to make.<br /><br />And this statement is particularly telling of his sense of entitlement.<br /><br /><i>I have worked with Medicare for 30 years, feeling I was doing my part. If ever there was such an obligation, it was paid back years ago.</i>Hank Greerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15243840232233423724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980421295592818922.post-10922744533139814422009-09-06T09:37:56.654-07:002009-09-06T09:37:56.654-07:00Is it wrong to hope that when one owns a business ...Is it wrong to hope that when one owns a business that the services he/she provides should generate enough income to cover costs and provide a bit of a profit?Spokane Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14322733412232169837noreply@blogger.com