Working under the belief that what passes itself off as “Medicine” in this day/age has successfully divested itself of Compassion and, dare I say, Humanity, on its hellbound spiral downwards into becoming lawyers who put each patient on trial, forcing them to prove any symptoms that don’t actually involve bloody bones sticking out of flesh, and even then are loathe to actually deign touch the patient, much less render care that might relieve suffering....vague memories of mustached guys with red armbands emblazoned with a seemingly out-of-place Hindu cross...
Late October, a specialist schedules me for a procedure in 21/2 weeks. The week before the procedure, said doctor (I think he’s a doctor) is unavailable to answer some very significant questions for me. Then, 36 hours prior to the procedure, I get a phone call from the Financial Department of the hospital in question. “Based on the diagnosis code, M-Care considers this an experimental treatment that sub-humans life-forms such as yourself are not worthy of. You have to be a Congressman or higher to qualify. You are ‘private pay’ and the bill will be $55k. Debit or Credit?”
OK, I embellished a little, but only a tiny bit..
Good thing I was wearing a fresh pair of Depends Tactical Briefs, Kryptek Highlander pattern. After recovering bladder control due to combined laughter/crying, I told the nice lady to cancel the procedure, I’m not worth $55K. She mumbled something that might have been “no joke”, or “blowing smoke” and hung up.
A week of a dozen-plus phone calls boils down to this: hospital never filed a Pre-Authorization for the procedure. Medicare never “denied” anything”. Further, there was no record of either a Peer-to-Peer conversation between my doc and M-care, nor any Advanced Treatment Authorization filed...presumably because (follow this back around) the hospital did not file any pre-authorization request that might result in a denial, leading (in the ancient world I came from) to an appeal on the patient’s behalf.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think the hospital was hoping to shake me down for cash or get me to cancel the procedure, M-care reimbursements for which don’t even cover costs.
Can’t even be sure my M-Care “B” carrier is being square. Last message on my voice mail was from them, telling me that the hospital said they would file a Pre-Auth if I had an appointment for the procedure.
Again, thankfully, fresh Brief/Absorbant/Geriatric, Kryptek....
I only bring this up here because it sounds vaguely likely stories I’ve heard about how these matters are handled in the military, and I thought someone might be able to tell me who I should bribe with a case of Scotch....
Not that I’d go back to this clown or the circus he plays in if my life depended on it, even though it does. Hoping to find another clown/circus elsewhere, but frankly tired of the entire exercise.
Wondering what I was doing when I slipped thru the time-space tear into this....whatever this place is. I realized the Topic implied a question, but at this point, the best I can muster is: has anyone ever gone to Singapore for health care?
Late October, a specialist schedules me for a procedure in 21/2 weeks. The week before the procedure, said doctor (I think he’s a doctor) is unavailable to answer some very significant questions for me. Then, 36 hours prior to the procedure, I get a phone call from the Financial Department of the hospital in question. “Based on the diagnosis code, M-Care considers this an experimental treatment that sub-humans life-forms such as yourself are not worthy of. You have to be a Congressman or higher to qualify. You are ‘private pay’ and the bill will be $55k. Debit or Credit?”
OK, I embellished a little, but only a tiny bit..
Good thing I was wearing a fresh pair of Depends Tactical Briefs, Kryptek Highlander pattern. After recovering bladder control due to combined laughter/crying, I told the nice lady to cancel the procedure, I’m not worth $55K. She mumbled something that might have been “no joke”, or “blowing smoke” and hung up.
A week of a dozen-plus phone calls boils down to this: hospital never filed a Pre-Authorization for the procedure. Medicare never “denied” anything”. Further, there was no record of either a Peer-to-Peer conversation between my doc and M-care, nor any Advanced Treatment Authorization filed...presumably because (follow this back around) the hospital did not file any pre-authorization request that might result in a denial, leading (in the ancient world I came from) to an appeal on the patient’s behalf.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think the hospital was hoping to shake me down for cash or get me to cancel the procedure, M-care reimbursements for which don’t even cover costs.
Can’t even be sure my M-Care “B” carrier is being square. Last message on my voice mail was from them, telling me that the hospital said they would file a Pre-Auth if I had an appointment for the procedure.
Again, thankfully, fresh Brief/Absorbant/Geriatric, Kryptek....
I only bring this up here because it sounds vaguely likely stories I’ve heard about how these matters are handled in the military, and I thought someone might be able to tell me who I should bribe with a case of Scotch....
Not that I’d go back to this clown or the circus he plays in if my life depended on it, even though it does. Hoping to find another clown/circus elsewhere, but frankly tired of the entire exercise.
Wondering what I was doing when I slipped thru the time-space tear into this....whatever this place is. I realized the Topic implied a question, but at this point, the best I can muster is: has anyone ever gone to Singapore for health care?
