Single Payer Health Systems

The case of the $629 Band-Aid — and what it reveals about American health care

Last January, Malcolm Bird took his 1-year-old daughter, Colette, to the local emergency room. His wife had accidentally cut the young girl’s pinky finger while clipping her fingernails, and it had begun to bleed. They were nervous, first-time parents who wanted a doctor’s opinion.

Colette turned out to be completely fine. A doctor ran her finger under the tap, stuck a Band-Aid on her pinky, and sent the family home.

A week later, something else showed up at home: a $629 hospital bill for the Band-Aid and its placement on Colette’s finger.

His insurance had negotiated the price down to $440.30, the amount Bird — who was still in his deductible — was expected to pay.

https://bettersolutionsforhealthcare.org/news-vox-the-case-of-the-629-band-aid/

Analysis: In Medical Billing, Fraudulent Charges Weirdly Pass As Legal

Much of what we accept as legal in medical billing would be regarded as fraud in any other sector.

I have been circling around this conclusion for the past five years, as I’ve listened to patients’ stories while covering health care as a journalist and author. Now, after a summer of firsthand experience — my husband was in a bike crash in July — it’s time to call out this fact head-on. Many of the Democratic candidates are talking about practical fixes for our high-priced health care system, and some legislated or regulated solutions to the maddening world of medical billing would be welcome.

My husband, Andrej, flew over his bicycle’s handlebars when he hit a pothole at high speed on a Sunday ride in Washington. He was unconscious and lying on the pavement when I caught up with him minutes later. The result: six broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken finger, a broken collarbone and a broken shoulder blade.

The treatment he got via paramedics and in the emergency room and intensive care unit were great. The troubles began, as I knew they would, when the bills started arriving.

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/analysis-in-medical-billing-fraudulent-charges-weirdly-pass-as-legal/