After Surgery, Surprise $117,000 Medical Bill From Doctor He Didn’t Know

[LiberalElite]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/21/us/drive-by-doctoring-surprise-medical-bills.html

-snip-
Before his three-hour neck surgery for herniated disks in December, Peter Drier, 37, signed a pile of consent forms. A bank technology manager who had researched his insurance coverage, Mr. Drier was prepared when the bills started arriving: $56,000 from Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, $4,300 from the anesthesiologist and even $133,000 from his orthopedist, who he knew would accept a fraction of that fee.

He was blindsided, though, by a bill of about $117,000 from an “assistant surgeon,” a Queens-based neurosurgeon whom Mr. Drier did not recall meeting.

“I thought I understood the risks,” Mr. Drier, who lives in New York City, said later. “But this was just so wrong — I had no choice and no negotiating power.”
-snip-

[NYC_SKP]

1. Yeah, when you're lying on your back in ER with a brain aneurism, for example, it's hard to say no.

I'm still fighting some charges, but most were covered. And yes, the bills are steep.

Partial list of claims and charges for one medical incident and a subsequent infection and readmission, most covered up to my max out of pocket but still fighting.

$370,068.00
$150,323.30
$27,029.86 ---- Denied LifeFlight transportation from ER to qualified surgical facility. Fighting this denial.
$19,461.40
$16,120.00
$8,866.00
$8,223.00
$8,160.00
$7,220.00
$6,316.80
$6,316.80
$6,316.80
$6,316.80
$6,316.80
$6,316.80
$3,420.00
$2,732.91
$2,500.00
$2,299.00
$1,280.00
$1,250.00
$1,096.00

ACA for an individual at about $800/month less than prior plan.

[quadrature]

2. seems like a state issue

I don't want to be involved in
paying for New York doctors.
people in NY can do that

[area51]

3. The only thing that can put a stop to this

is single-payer. GingrichCare won't cut it.

[Blue_Tires]

5. +1

[Doctor_J]

4. American exceptionalism.

Welcome to heritage/Gingrich/Obamacare, our lot for the foreseeable future. And by the way, this is "the best we can do", and will immortalize Obama.