Submitted by Anima_EB t3_125udmw in springfieldMO
Maxwyfe t1_je5yrjk wrote
They want you to make a deposit on your bill before your surgery? Is this a thing now? I've never heard of this.
Tess_Mac t1_je606m4 wrote
It's a thing, Mercy does this too. They want you to pay for what they estimate your insurance won't cover.
OP should contact Cox's Patient Assistance Program and check with their insurance company about what will be covered.
Fuselol t1_je9kzqu wrote
My wife just had surgery last month at mercy and we didn’t pay anything upfront. Is this very new or for only select surgeries?
Tess_Mac t1_jea1fh8 wrote
A number of times I've had Mercy ask for money before a procedure, in the beginning I would pay, then I'd find that Medicare had paid in full but I never got a refund. Once I started telling them I wouldn't pay until I had a bill and notice from my insurance it's been ok and I've not been refused for any procedures.
Anima_EB OP t1_je5zizd wrote
Yeah I guess it is. I haven't either to be honest. I'm in good standing with Cox too. I just got a call informing me if I don't pay by the 7th my surgery will have to be rescheduled or canceled. Pretty dumb.
BleedWell3 t1_je643n0 wrote
That sounds crazy that they want you to prepay or cancel! They will try bullying you into some form of payment (some employees are worse than others.) The only way I can see this happening is if it’s an elective procedure, ie. plastic surgery of any kind that will probably not be covered by insurance. Even with that, they allow payment plans. Keep us updated after you talk with patient financial services. I hope it all works out for you.
Anima_EB OP t1_je67sk7 wrote
Thank you. It is crazy isn't it? It's not a major surgery but it is a needed surgery. My insurance already approved it. I never thought I would have this much trouble.
Maxwyfe t1_je5zpk3 wrote
What? Rescheduled or cancelled? Can they do that?
BeerChemistWhiskey t1_je60bln wrote
They do this for scheduled baby deliverys as well. Went through having to pay 3k+ up front, even though it was all reimbursed by insurance after the fact. Kind of a backwards system.
Probably they want to cover incidentals or unforeseen events that aren't covered. Instead of hounding you for the cash they think they deserve they already have it to withhold from you.
Anima_EB OP t1_je63zmr wrote
Thanks, I hate it. What an insanely predatory system. I'm glad you got reimbursed and sorry you had to go through that.
Anima_EB OP t1_je6020e wrote
I didn't think so but it was a call from the office of the surgeon directly. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this is a bit wild.
Maxwyfe t1_je62256 wrote
Is your surgeon going to offer some assurance as to the outcome of the surgery? I'm guessing not.
I super hate our health care system.
Anima_EB OP t1_je63i2o wrote
Of course not. I super do too. I worked in Healthcare for years and never heard of this.
Tess_Mac t1_je60djl wrote
Do you have insurance?
Ready_Improvement_21 t1_je6ll68 wrote
It seems like this is more common now. I had my son 7 years ago and never had to prepay for anything. Always just waited for the bill after it was settled through insurance.
Had an ultrasound a few weeks back and they required full payment of the estimated amount due when I checked in.
Maxwyfe t1_je6mp0e wrote
I'm curious. Who estimated the amount due and did they refund any amount you overpaid for this "estimate."
The whole thing just sounds so scammy. Like "Here's what we think you are going to owe us after your insurance (that you pay for) pays us the amount we agreed this procedure will cost. Now you pay this arbitrarily determined difference or we'll wait a few months to remove that funky looking mole."
Seymour---Butz t1_je7uirr wrote
As I commented above, they made us pay that estimated amount on my husband’s procedure. It was double the correct amount, and it took months to get the refund.
Ready_Improvement_21 t1_je6rj3b wrote
It was figured by Mercy. I haven't received any documents from my insurance yet, but what Mercy sent me was their estimate of what would be due after insurance.
Maxwyfe t1_je6ruox wrote
I just can't imagine another business model, besides the mafia, where you just have to pay arbitrary amounts of money to some third party in order not to die.
robzilla71173 t1_je6w8lz wrote
lol, truth. I had a couple of surgeries through Mercy last year and it all started with an ER visit. We were at a rural ER in Aurora and I kid you not, the door was locked to keep me from leaving until I paid them $1040, and an armed guard was sitting by the checkout lady. I felt like I was being muscled for cash. I handed them my credit card through the window, she ran it, then signaled to buzz the door open. I honestly felt like it was a mob run thing.
Maxwyfe t1_je6wefq wrote
What the shit?! They can’t do that!
FiregoatX2 t1_je7bmlp wrote
You have to have a down payment to buy a car. What’s the big deal about paying a down payment for your surgery?
Maxwyfe t1_je7gqlr wrote
But I know the price of the car, what it looks like, how it works and the dealer doesn’t sue me the minute I drive it off the lot. I can choose my car dealer. My car insurance company doesn’t dictate the type and model of car I need. I’ve also never had to purchase a car or be permanently disabled. I’ve never been given a car and then told I have to pay for it in ten days or risk losing my house. No car dealer has ever told me I was buying a Kia and then given me a Porsche and expected me to pay the difference. Our medical billing system is arbitrary and predatory. Buying a car is not.
FiregoatX2 t1_je7pery wrote
You can shop around for healthcare too. As far as a life threatening surgery, hospitals do those all day long and most of those don’t pay. Somebody has to pay the bill or the hospital will close and then you’ll have no healthcare.
Seymour---Butz t1_je7uxth wrote
Are you kidding? You can’t really be comparing healthcare to a car. Nobody dies because they couldn’t buy a new car.
FiregoatX2 t1_je7x4lq wrote
I already explained life threatening conditions and how hospitals treat them in the first response. The OP stated a minor outpatient procedure.
Edit: Grammar
Anima_EB OP t1_je82280 wrote
Pretty boomer take mate. Not even remotely the same thing, you really don't have a ton of options with how insurance is currently. Regardless of the procedure it's in no way shape or form like owning a car. We could easily turn to socialist medicine which objectively works if we would shed our other corrupt as fuck systems. I even have pretty good insurance through my employer. This absolutely feels like muscling money out of people who need help.
FiregoatX2 t1_je86cmn wrote
Well just having insurance will reduce your bill, because the hospital negotiates with the payer. It’s the people that don’t have insurance and don’t have an insurance company negotiating on their behalf that you should be concerned about.
Anima_EB OP t1_je89ib2 wrote
Yeah I thought so too, but they've informed me that this is what they assume I'll owe after the insurance. I even have a good standing with them and am a regular patient. They have no real reason to pressure me like this.
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