(no subject)

[camwyn]

On the case of Hoboken University Medical Center Wants Six Thousand Dollars For Bandaging Up My Hand:

Phoned Cigna. Told Cigna what was going on. Gave Cigna the number for the people at HUMC. Cigna called them. Cigna then contacted me back and said that HUMC was putting the account on hold for 15 days while the claim was resubmitted and that the next statement I got should show exactly the amount I'm actually responsible for, which is the $150 co-payment.

Health insurance company: Reasonable
Medical providers: Still crazy
Me: In serious need of Tylenol

Comments

[sdelmonte]

Given that Batya and I switched to Cigna this year, this is good to know.

[camwyn]

Just make sure that if you go to a doctor, both the doctor and the practice that issues the bill are in-network for Cigna. I wasn't aware that it was possible for a specific doctor to be okay but for the tax ID of the practice he was operating out of to be rejected, and I wound up paying $500 for a basic examination because of which of them issued the bill.

[in_the_blue]

That's got to be a relief. I think when my husband broke 5 ribs last year, the ER bill was about $6500. Next time I'll advise him to just cut his hand, he'll get more bang for his buck.

[camwyn]

Seriously. It's not like they even did stitches or a blood transfusion, and when they sent me the itemized receipt they charged around $100 for one of the vaccinations and $200 for the other. Those costs I understand. The five-plus grand just marked 'EMERGENCY ROOM'? No. There were no X-rays, there were no stitches, there were no scans, there were no blood tests. They removed the bandages I'd put on myself, they irrigated the site, they applied an antiseptic, I think they applied Neosporin but I could be wrong, they applied a dressing that was meant to cling to the site and stop the bleeding, and they wrapped it up in gauze and bandages. And they gave me the tetanus shot and the other shot, which I think was antibiotics, and gave me a prescription to get filled. And that, apparently, is worth six thousand dollars at Hoboken University Medical Center.

God help the people who show up on their doorstep in labor.

[kyrielle]

I think my out-of-pocket costs for both kids have each been north of $4k, but then neither was an *uncomplicated* delivery. Ian came closer, but I'm pretty sure that both times riding the line of whether I'd need a transfusion is a good sign we didn't hit "uncomplicated". :P

[camwyn]

My sister told me that $6k was about two-thirds the cost of a normal vaginal delivery at the hospital where she had my nephew. Nowhere near HUMC, you understand, so maybe it's a regional thing- but honestly it really just... I don't understand where they justify that kind of price for so little service. I don't object to the cost of the injections, I know how much vaccines cost. I want to know why they think the rest of it was worth the price of a used car.

[kyrielle]

If I had to guess, and it is a guess, it's because they don't have use of that waiting bay / area / room while you're in it, and they have to sterilize the room and everything in it again when you go.

Still outrageous, but - that sort of thing is probably not cheap.