medFICO

[Anonymous]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008801130325

...
The medFICO score, being designed with the help of credit industry giant Fair Isaac Corp., could debut as early as this summer in some hospitals.
...

If you had issue with healthcare before ...

[Anonymous]

If you're interested in remaining on top of the medFICO issue, I suggest adding a Google news alert to your Email inbox using the term medFICO.

Or just periodically check this link.

http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient&hl=en&ned=us&q=medfico

I predict there's going to be a LOT of discussion over this one.

[WhirledPeasPlease]

Are you sure this isn't just a way for the credit scoring gods to get me to pay for yet another type of credit score?

SHEESH!

I'm waiting for a credit score that tells me about the 'deposit' quality of my dogs.  (One score per pooch, versus per yard, I'm sure!)

[MeganML84]

I just found a Red Tape Chronicles article on this and was coming to post it here but I see Noah has already taken care of that for me! Haha! Here is the link I found (you can post comments related to this issue as well):

http://redtape.msnbc.com/2008/01/the-doctor-wi-1.html#posts

I can't believe this... as disadvantaged as the public is already concerning medical care, now this? What's next? Credit scores to determine the college you can attend? Whether or not you can procreate? Where does it end??

Edited to add: Definitely read some of the comments on that website. It is important to note that if this goes through it is more important than ever that we elect the right officials into office. The problem does NOT lie in the ability of the patient to pay, the problem lies in the fact that we have inadequate healthcare coverage in America and insurance companies will do anything to get out of paying a claim and that will not change unless we make universal healthcare a top priority in America. As one person commented: these companies (HMO's/insurers, pharmaceutical co's) spend more money getting Senators and Congressmen in their hip pockets than anyone other than, possibly, the energy companies. We need to remember that big business does NOT protect us, the government is supposed to and as citizens we need to do a better job of standing up for ourselves, even if it is against the system.

Message Edited by MeganML84 on 01-18-2008 12:02 PM

Message Edited by MeganML84 on 01-18-2008 12:21 PM

[fused]

I'm not surprised a med scoring system is in the works. After all, meidcal services usually involve an extension of credit.

[MeganML84]

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fused wrote:

I'm not surprised a med scoring system is in the works. After all, meidcal services usually involve an extension of credit.

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I'm not suprised either, but I do think it's yet (another) punch in the gut for middle-class (and lower-class) America.

Maybe it is just me but I REALLY think this thread needs to go in ALL the forums. I just don't think alot of people frequent this thread and EVERYONE needs to know that "medFICO" is a possibility in the not-so-distant future.

[fused]

Someone alreay did in the general credit issues forum. I have been working in healthcare a long time and IMHO, this scoring system is need for elective procedures, not emergencies. By law hospitals and doctors must take care of anyone who has an emergency without questions, simply put, they cannot be denied treatment. I work for a surgeon and I can't tell you how much has gone uncollected from the elective side of his practice...it's enormous and it's irritating for me to spend days on end trying to get patients to pay.

[haulingthescoreup]

Whereas I keep standing around, Visa in one hand and checkbook in the other, waiting, waiting for the providers and the insurance companies to go through their little co-pay and write-off dance, hoping that one day someone will just tell me how much I freakin' owe.

I once made the mistake of paying the balance on the first statement. It took 10 months before everyone got credited back what they had overpaid, and it was all zeroed out.

Just an insanely over-complex system!

[fused]

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haulingthescoreup wrote:
Whereas I keep standing around, Visa in one hand and checkbook in the other, waiting, waiting for the providers and the insurance companies to go through their little co-pay and write-off dance, hoping that one day someone will just tell me how much I freakin' owe.

I once made the mistake of paying the balance on the first statement. It took 10 months before everyone got credited back what they had overpaid, and it was all zeroed out.

Just an insanely over-complex system!

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You just stated one of the many reasons why healthcare needs to revert back to fee-for-service

and eliminate the greedy insurance companies from the entire situation. Those who can't afford this will still have access to public hospitals and clinics.

[haulingthescoreup]

fused, does your practice have many patients with indemnity insurance? (The patient pays up front and then is reimbursed.)

If I ever thought that I could trust an insurance company to fairly reimburse, I would be willing to give this a try, but I'm a long ways away from relying on them to play fair.

In the end, a lot of fault belongs to the insurance companies, with their huge, bland, impervious facades that no one can get through. Like every other business, their job is maximizing income (premiums) and minimizing outgo (reimbursement.) The problem is that every service is so ill-defined that no one can tell when (if ever) they're playing fair.