Signs II

I posted a short while ago...under the title of Signs...and found I had a little more to say. The calls have been made and the answers have been found. To update you a little in the event you haven't read the post entitled "Signs", I was shopping around for the cost of some tests ordered by the gastro specialist yesterday for the husband.

The doctor's staff scheduled the tests to be done  in the same building as this physician had his office. I'm pretty sure that the way this works is, this doctor has his office's right there in that hospital and refers all his testing to the hospital that houses him; he maybe getting a discount on his rent of his office. The hospital enjoys the referrals to their imaging department and it's a win/win for both the doctor and the hospital.

I let them make that appointment yesterday and the husband is scheduled for the ultra sound of the abdomen followed up by a Hida Scan with ejection/fraction IF no gall stones show up in the first test.

Today I did some shopping and here is what I found:

Imaging Center #1:  120.00 for Ultra Sound
                               346.00 for Hida Scan with e/f

Hospital Imaging
where we have an
appt.:                     950.00  for Ultra Sound IF
                                          you have Insurance
                              425.00  for self pay for Ultra Sound

                             1250.00 for Hida Scan w/e/f
                               625.00 for self pay/Hida Scan

Needless to say, I called the hospital and cancelled the appointment that was scheduled for the 15th.

Now, my observation tells me that the insurance companies are getting screwed and that the screwing is getting passed along to the insured. The uninsured haven't a chance in hell of affording any health care.

If the hospitals can give a 50 per cent discount for the patient that has no insurance, why can't the insurance companies get the same deal thereby cutting the costs of premiums. I don't get it. I vote we all have medicare; doctors be trained by the state and receive a salary or hourly wage and the hospitals be under state or federal control and prices be set. Getting medical care is NOT an elective. Usually it's mandatory to sustaining life.

The husband has an appointment on Monday for his testing. I had to call again to make sure the prices quoted me was WITH the radiologist READING the tests and it was. Amazing what a few phone calls saved me huh?

You can email me at FTell001@hotmail.com should you want to know the name of the place where the testing is to be done in the event that you don't have insurance coverage for tests.