This very extensive article examines various hospitals in Massachusetts and the cost of the same procedures at different hospitals, and then continues further to discuss how this happens; contracts with the insurers and the ability to use “branding” to command a higher rate, all the big centers do it...
Posted to
The Medical Quack .... by Barbara Duck
on 11-16-2008
Filed under: Medically Related, Insurance, Other Items of Interest, My Commentaries, Physicians, Hospitals, bankruptcy, Balance Billing, Transparancy, Debt consolidation, Vendors, Hosptials
As the old saying goes, things roll downhill and Siemens was the straw that broke the camel's back here. Recently Siemens has been in the news with their own issues with restructuring and lay offs. There are other creditors including Clinical Laboratories of Hawaii, Ewa Beach, $3.9 million;...
Posted to
The Medical Quack .... by Barbara Duck
on 08-30-2008
Filed under: Medically Related, Insurance, Other Items of Interest, My Commentaries, healthcare, Physicians, FDA, Hospitals, Nursing, bankruptcy, Economics, Desperate Hosptials, Venture Capitalists, Transparancy, Layoffs, Debt consolidation, Overseas Investments, Vendors
In California we are well aware of this with the recent news with Prime Health Care being challenged on this practice as they have no contracts with the insurers and charge their published rates for out of network care, and the patient is stuck in the middle, but from the other side of the coin, some...
Posted to
The Medical Quack .... by Barbara Duck
on 08-29-2008
Filed under: Medically Related, Insurance, My Commentaries, Hospital, health insurance, Physicians, Quest Labs, bankruptcy, Balance Billing, Health Insurance Coverage, Not for Profit Hospitals, Prime Healthcare
When you look around, it appears the large Not for Profit folks seems to being doing all the facility expansions, as well as hiring new clinicians, but now some of the practices are being looked at with a bit of scrutiny as the Wall Street Journal discusses. Some facilities charge up to 10 times...
Posted to
The Medical Quack .... by Barbara Duck
on 08-29-2008
Filed under: Medically Related, Insurance, My Commentaries, Hospitals, Community Hospitals, bankruptcy, Desperate Hosptials, Venture Capitalists, Not for Profit Hospitals
So much for feeling good about decisions...but is this where we seem to be headed at times with everything being focused on the dollar and not the quality of healthcare? Hospitals are struggling to come out of bankruptcy and some are starting the trek, so I hope this does not continue to be the...
Posted to
The Medical Quack .... by Barbara Duck
on 08-25-2008
Filed under: Medically Related, Insurance, Other Items of Interest, My Commentaries, healthcare, bankruptcy, Hospital Bills, Hosital
Interestingly enough, while I was watching this video, my cell phone rings from Anthem Blue Cross with an automated questioning system about taking care of my health, somewhat of a parody as I was reviewing the video for the blog. I went through the system and first off I do have to make one comment...
Posted to
The Medical Quack .... by Barbara Duck
on 08-19-2008
Filed under: Medically Related, Insurance, My Commentaries, healthcare, privacy, health insurance, Marketing, Blue Cross, bankruptcy
How important is the solvency of hospitals in the US? Just last week I commented on a recent situation here in southern California, a sting operation whereby hospitals were caught breaking the law in the search for additional funds from Medicare and Medicaid with using the homeless as reported...
Posted to
The Medical Quack .... by Barbara Duck
on 08-10-2008
Filed under: Medically Related, Insurance, Other Items of Interest, My Commentaries, Hospital, bankruptcy, New Jersey, Health Treatments, State Budgets, Medical Services