Seattle coronavirus survivor gets a $1.1 million, 181-page hospital bill

[babylonsister]

Seattle coronavirus survivor gets a $1.1 million, 181-page hospital bill
June 12, 2020 at 4:53 pm Updated June 12, 2020 at 6:55 pm
Danny Westneat
Seattle Times columnist


Remember Michael Flor, the longest-hospitalized COVID-19 patient who, when he unexpectedly did not die, was jokingly dubbed “the miracle child?”

Now they can also call him the million-dollar baby.

Flor, 70, who came so close to death in the spring that a night-shift nurse held a phone to his ear while his wife and kids said their final goodbyes, is recovering nicely these days at his home in West Seattle. But he says his heart almost failed a second time when he got the bill from his health care odyssey the other day.

“I opened it and said ‘holy [bleep]!’ “ Flor says.

The total tab for his bout with the coronavirus: $1.1 million. $1,122,501.04, to be exact. All in one bill that’s more like a book because it runs to 181 pages.

The bill is technically an explanation of charges, and because Flor has insurance including Medicare, he won’t have to pay the vast majority of it. In fact because he had COVID-19, and not a different disease, he might not have to pay anything — a quirk of this situation I’ll get to in a minute.

But for now it’s got him and his family and friends marveling at the extreme expense, and bizarre economics, of American health care.

more...

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/inspiring-story-of-seattle-mans-coronavirus-survival-comes-with-a-1-1-million-dollar-hospital-bill/

[Hugin]

1. And, I will remind you Moscow Mitch and the GrOPper Senate are desperately trying...

to dump the entire liability of this pandemic on people who can scarcely keep a roof over their heads or food on their tables. While there is $500 Billion being handed around Wall Street from the misguided first cart-before-the-horse stimulus bill.

All while trying to destroy the ACA (Obamacare), because Obama.

[MiniMe]

2. Not to mention tRump who wants to completely get rid of the ACA

Of course, this gentleman has Medicare. From what I've heard, you owe 20% of a Medicare bill unless you have another policy

[modrepub]

3. Papers Always Tout People Who Beat COVID-19 After Long Hospital Stays

This just verifies what I thought. It's very expensive. This guy is probably on Medicare (with supplemental I hope) so he may have got lucky and not be saddled with paying a huge bill. The rest of us, who knows?

And another thing, someone is paying this bill. Probably not all of it because the cost is probably inflated versus actual. Some of this bill is real money that either an insurance company, person/family/go fund me or hospital has to eat. Our economy is wrecked as it is, hospital bills like this only will add to the misery.

[dalton99a]

5. Looks like he doesn't owe them a dime:

There also are special financial rules that apply only to COVID-19. Congress set aside more than $100 billion to help hospitals and insurance companies defray the costs of the pandemic, in part to encourage people to seek testing and treatment (including those with no insurance). As a result, Flor probably won’t have to pay even his Medicare Advantage policy’s out-of-pocket charges, which could have amounted to $6,000.

The insurance industry has estimated treatment costs just for COVID-19 could top $500 billion, however, so Congress is being asked to step up with more money.

The writer David Lat got a $320,000 bill for his COVID-19 treatment, and also ended up paying nothing.

[plimsoll]

7. Made me wonder about all the people who couldn't get tests at first.

For the first few weeks you couldn't get an actual Covid19 test unless you had a note from God saying "yeah this person's got it." What happens to all those people. It also makes the Florida (and probably other jurisdictions) practice of classifying as pneumonia cases that didn't have a positive test.

[moose65]

10. Interesting, isn't it?

All of those "free market conservatives" in Congress had no problem passing this bill that would pay for Covid-19 treatments. Sounds like some of that "soshulized medicine" to me! Who's not surprised at all? I guess they decided that their usual "Don't get sick, and if you do, die quickly" philosophy wouldn't go over so well in a pandemic.

[Greybnk48]

6. Send the bill to Donald J. Trump and say

it's a Republican hoax and he's not paying it.

Fuck the Trumpers and their $1200 relief checks.

[stopbush]

8. That bill is just an example of the billing/accounting games the medical profession

is forced to play to extract the maximum reimbursement from insurers like Medicare.

I had a surgery in January that included an overnight stay for recoup. Total charges were around $15,000. My copay was $200 on Medicare, and I paid that when I checked in for the surgery, knowing there would be no further charges billed to me.

[flying_wahini]

9. This just reinforces the need for public health clinics and the ACA.

Insurance companies won’t be able to pay hospitals whatever they want like before CV-19.
Hospitals are going broke keeping up with the multitudes of people who are marginally insured.
Some rural hospitals are closing because their private medical group owners don’t want to be responsible for the mountain of medical debt, & some still can’t afford PPE’s.

The last time I checked (link below is 2019) the largest group of people filing for bankruptcy are older people without Medicare.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/11/this-is-the-real-reason-most-americans-file-for-bankruptcy.html

The good news is that we can fix this. I think Biden will sic Warren On it.

[moose65]

12. Is that even possible?

Who are these "older people without Medicare"? Isn't Medicare universal once you reach age 65?

[Traildogbob]

11. Just wait

All the bubba/bubbetts that will be flocking to trump KKKlan jamborees, no masks, mouth breathing, nut to butt contact (old navy get in line expression) that hated Obama care and after GOP eliminated mandate for some insurance will have no way to pay. So guess what, more blue cash for red assholes, takers, socialistic welfare swamp leeches. Our premiums will bail out for profit health care hospitals. MAGA, Winning!

[Tarc]

13. The whole system nees to be overhauled. My kid needs a consult with an oral surgeon

after the last dentist visit. There is an oral surgeon literally next door, they even have an connecting door.

That office does not take the kid's insurance, though, and the closet one that does is 40 miles away. It'll be completely covered, but still, the inconvenience is irritating.