I had heard that healthcare costs can vary depending on what region of the country you are in but this point was driven home lately at Chez Sluggy.
Daughter had a procedure performed locally through the pain clinic at the hospital here in late August. This is the same procedure she had done in Louisiana when she lived there earlier in the year.
The "procedure" is a couple of injections into the back.
I am having a difficult time understanding the charges and amount that were billed for the most recent procedure given that they are so much higher than the charges when she had this done in Shreveport on two different occasions.
For example, the doctor's fees in LA came to $1,422.00. After discounts and what our health plan paid(plus deductible we have met for the year), our co-insurance cost came to $20.23.
The doctor's fees in August in PA came to $3,878.00. After discounts and what our health plan paid(plus deductible we have met for the year), our co-insurance cost came to $193.90.
??
But the LARGER problem is the discrepancy in the EOBs received from the facility/corp. in PA compared to what the facility/corp. in LA charged.
The LA bill came to $3,037.46 for supplies(ivs/drugs/etc.)and use of the operating and recovery rooms. Our responsibility was $124.98.
The PA bill came to $16,420.56 for supplies/ivs/drugs/etc.)and use of the operating and recovery rooms. Our responsibility was $893.28.
WTF?!?
How can there be a $13 THOUSAND DOLLAR difference in basically the same supplies and way in which the facility's rooms were used for the same procedure?!?
The biggest discrepancy seems to be what Geisinger in PA charged for use of the facilities(operating and recovery room)use versus what the Spine Institute in LA charged for the same items.
LA charges were $2,721.08.
PA charges were $16,224.00.
Again I say WTF?!
How can they get away with charging $13,502.92 MORE for the same exact type of rooms used in the same exact way?!?!
So by using Geisinger here we pay $1,087.18 out of pocket while we were paying $145.21 out of pocket in LA.
This is just not right.
And of course Geisinger has a monopoly on healthcare services in this region of PA and I am going to have a hard time finding a doctor/facility to do these for her that isn't connected to them and at a "normal" cost.
Just so disgusted by this.
Sluggy
Daughter had a procedure performed locally through the pain clinic at the hospital here in late August. This is the same procedure she had done in Louisiana when she lived there earlier in the year.
The "procedure" is a couple of injections into the back.
I am having a difficult time understanding the charges and amount that were billed for the most recent procedure given that they are so much higher than the charges when she had this done in Shreveport on two different occasions.
For example, the doctor's fees in LA came to $1,422.00. After discounts and what our health plan paid(plus deductible we have met for the year), our co-insurance cost came to $20.23.
The doctor's fees in August in PA came to $3,878.00. After discounts and what our health plan paid(plus deductible we have met for the year), our co-insurance cost came to $193.90.
??
But the LARGER problem is the discrepancy in the EOBs received from the facility/corp. in PA compared to what the facility/corp. in LA charged.
The LA bill came to $3,037.46 for supplies(ivs/drugs/etc.)and use of the operating and recovery rooms. Our responsibility was $124.98.
The PA bill came to $16,420.56 for supplies/ivs/drugs/etc.)and use of the operating and recovery rooms. Our responsibility was $893.28.
WTF?!?
How can there be a $13 THOUSAND DOLLAR difference in basically the same supplies and way in which the facility's rooms were used for the same procedure?!?
The biggest discrepancy seems to be what Geisinger in PA charged for use of the facilities(operating and recovery room)use versus what the Spine Institute in LA charged for the same items.
LA charges were $2,721.08.
PA charges were $16,224.00.
Again I say WTF?!
How can they get away with charging $13,502.92 MORE for the same exact type of rooms used in the same exact way?!?!
So by using Geisinger here we pay $1,087.18 out of pocket while we were paying $145.21 out of pocket in LA.
This is just not right.
And of course Geisinger has a monopoly on healthcare services in this region of PA and I am going to have a hard time finding a doctor/facility to do these for her that isn't connected to them and at a "normal" cost.
Just so disgusted by this.
Sluggy
