A Law That should be made

[Anonymous]

Between 6- 8 years ago, I had go to the hospital for various reasons, I did not have insurance

When you go to the hospital, every department that you used sends you a bill. Sometimes you get 3 bills for a visit.

My point is there should only be  1, roll it up or something.

For 3 visits, I had 9 accounts in Collection

average about 3 a visit

I read this one lady on yahoo answers had about 6 accounts for 1 visit. That is too much.

That is why I had a low credit score.

2003: I was driving my company vechile and it flipped, so I had go to the ER. My company should of paid it and I thought they did, until I check my credit report 6 years later, and found out they put

result 2 collection Agencies

2004: Hospital again, the hospital was suppose to take care of it,

result: 4 CA

2005: hospital, forgot to mail the papers in, for they can take care of it. my bad

result 3 CA

Of course they are about to fall off because of the 7 year limit, but still

Congress needs to fix this

[cdtotten]

I do agree that medical visits can result in too many different bills. When my wife had our first child, I believe we received 5-7 different bills from different doctors. Confusing to say the least, and takes good record-keeping and follow-through to know what you have paid and haven't paid, and if insurance has adjusted it yet.

That being said, it is still the responsibility of the patient to make sure his bills are paid to a $0 balance. Doctors will send invoices each month until you are 120+ days past due before they send it to collections. I understand that you felt it was other people's responsibility to pay, but it is also a shared responsibility that you ensure the payments were made. If not, then you have to get on the phone with the financially responsible individual and get it cleared up.

It is never a good idea to assume that someone will take care of something when it comes to your credit - as you can tell, it will cost you for 7-7.5 years. Be careful going forward.

Back to your main point: This is not feasible. Some doctor's work for the hospital, some are in private practice, their isn't a "central billing office" who is going to coordinate payment to all involved and distribute the funds received.

[llecs]

Last year, DW and I had no health insurance and had a baby delivered on top of that. Now we could foresee the expenses and saved accordingly, and even though we prepared, there were some surprise expenses out of the whole thing. In total, we spent $18k (nice IRS refund, which is coming tomorrow ) on medical expenses last year, but there are always those in the process who get a cut. There's the hospital, the OB/GYN, the pediatrician, the hearing screener person, blood testers, the anethesiologist (sp?), the labor and delivery folks not associated w/ the hospital, and DW's primary (non-OB) doctor. $2k here or there adds up. It would be great if they coordinated and sent a consolidated bill, but they won't share info and they are seperate entities anyway, even though the bills came from the same address (the hospital).

[MidnightVoice]

DW recently had an operation and I have already paid 7 bills (most of them $25 co-pays) and I have not recieved the main bill for the operation and hospital stay yet!

[Anonymous]

At that time I could not afford any bills, because of a bad shoulder. I did not have insurance, etc. Now it is different story, I have insurance.

With medical sky high, and  no insurance, people can not really afford to pay out of their own pocket.  Average visit to the hospital was between 2000 to 10000. I think at one time I owed 13000 dollars at least what showed up my credit report

It should be one bill, consildated it or something.

I do not work for a hospital or anything, but I think everybody gets paid by the hospital.

At least the people that I have met say I work for the hospital, usually

I am about to graduate from accounting, and I see hospitals looking for accountants

Plus it makes it lot simpler for everybody involved

You only get one bill or collection instead of up to 7 or more

[tbolt2]

It'll never happen....

The hospital is only the facility where services are rendered. It is very rare for a hospital to bill for all services rendered. Some of the services/treatment received in a hospital is performed by providers who do not work for the hospital - doctors, radiologists, pathologists, anesthesiologists, just to name a few. Many of these providers treat patients or provide services for patients in multiple hospitals.

If I were a doctor that provided my services at various hospitals, I would not want a hospital sending the bills, collecting the money,  then paying me. I would send my own bills and get paid directly. No, I do not work for a hospital. I work for an insurance company and manage an area that handles medical claims.....I've seen a few medical bills over the last 20+ years 

[RobertEG]

Sounds like a health care reform issue,

Hillary is no longer in the Senate,

[Anonymous]

health care reform ? hillary? lol

I feel this is something a hospitol can do all on its own and I bet if they had competition and advertised this, people would pick that hospitol over the other one.

The whole thing just stinks. It really deters people from even wanting to go to the hospitol.