Striking a nerve
The fight between Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the state's largest health insurer, and Moses Cone Health System has offered interesting insight and struck a nerve. Lot's of you are calling it gluttony.
"I am furious after reading it and I just want to know how we, the BCBSNC Subscribers and Guilford County residents, can make these multimillion dollar companies stop using their customers as pawns in a high stakes, life or death issue????
First, both of these organizations are forgetting who is exactly paying ALL their bills." A.M.
"Moses Cone is trying to hold Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Hostage! It is common knowledge that hospitals nationwide struggle daily to fund their operations due to the huge influx of patients that are treated that do not subscribe to health care insurance. Why, in a
democratic nation like the U.S . should a free enterprise like a hospital "give away" it's services to the uninsured and then bill those who are insured more to cover the cost? If I were to go into McDonald's without any money to buy a meal they would not serve me anyway and then
bill the next customer twice!" B.W.
Comments (2)
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As I wrote to Amy yesterday after this story appeared in the afternoon. Baptist Hospital attempted to do the same thing a couple years ago, and Blue Cross won. If Cone thinks they are getting an unfair payment now, let them cancel Blue Cross and then watch a lot of their patients march off to Baptist, High Point Regional, and Alamance Regional. I truly believe that would be a greater loss than what Blue Cross has offered. so I say this is much to do about nothing.
I am a runner and walker,who eats very little fat, and 2 months ago through routine stress testing my doctor found a blockage.
I was cathed in the Heart Cath Lab at Cone and was billed $8,000.00 for 35 minutes use. One week later I had quadruple by-pass surgery and for 7 hours use (rent) of the operating room, I was charged $22,000.00, and that was just a small fraction of my outrageous bill. I understand that my Blue Cross paid Cone a smaller amount than that, but what the hell does Cone want? Blood? (no pun intended)
I don't think people realize what kind of money these news articles are talking about. It's ridiculous.
My total bill, for hospital stay only, excluding surgeon and anesthesia, for 5 days, was $51,000.00. And I was considered a well patient!! Having said that, if you do not have insurance Cone expects the entire amount. That is why people end up bankrupt over medical bills. Something is seriously wrong with this picture!
Now I am in cardio rehab. The charge by Cone is $5,500 for 36 visits at 1 hour each. That is $153 per session to walk on a treadmill, and ride a recumbent bike. Give me a break!!
Posted on July 31, 2007 3:55 PM
One possible solution is universal, government-run health care. I thought it was striking in watching "Sicko" the other week, to see folks in Canada, England and France all expressing the attitude that universal health care is a moral obligation, particularly in a society that has the wealth to provide it. How long will it be until the good folks of the United States decide that the same goes for this richest nation on the planet?
Posted on July 31, 2007 8:53 PM