billing

When I had gallbladder surgery 2 years ago, I was a full-time physician working for an academic medical institution in a large metropolitan area. I had great health insurance. I went to the Emergency Department for severe abdominal pain and was in the operating room early the next morning. Thankfully, all went well, and I

Less than 4 weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia’s new policy to deny Emergency Room visits later determined not to have been an emergency. At the end of last month, it was reported that Anthem, the parent company of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has implemented

There are two extremes among my family and friends–those who go to the Emergency Room for paper cuts and those who would wait until their pinky finger was literally hanging by a “thread” before seeking medical care. I say this in jest, to some extent, but we all know people who fit into one or

There have been numerous changes to the way health care is delivered in the United States. Regulatory agencies, electronic medical records and insurance companies have altered the way physicians practice medicine. One of the unfortunate consequences has been the erosion of the doctor-patient relationship. Many patients don’t trust their doctors anymore. With less time for

A couple of years ago I saw a rheumatologist for a problem that developed in my fingers. After obtaining my history and performing a thorough physical examination, the specialist ordered 32 blood tests in an attempt to determine the cause of my problem. A month later I received a bill from the lab for $985.

I had surgery in May 2016. Within 60 days I received and paid bills for the services provided by the four physicians involved in my care– the Emergency Room physician, the radiologist, the anesthesiologist, and the surgeon. 8 months after the surgery, I received my first bill from the hospital. The charges totaled $8400. According