Todd Hochard
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 1999
- Messages
- 2,312
Financially, that is.
Here's the thing-
I've had a Plantar's wart on the bottom of my foot for several years. Seemed to pick it up during the Sea Doo years (1997 or so). He tells me it's a skin viral infection. It didn't really bother me, didn't hurt, just unsightly, really. Over the last year or so, one turned into two, and two other small ones were forming.
The whole thing went like this-
6/11- Initial visit. We discuss options, and after explaining to me a 12-18 week program of weekly visits to his office to attempt to burn them off/dry them out with high% Hydrogen Peroxide, I ask about surgery. He says "best option." I say "let's do it." He says 8am, 6/24. He says "this will not cost you a penny out of pocket." Fantastic. 20 minutes for the whole thing.
6/24- Go to the outpatient foot surgery center downtown at 7am. Sign many papers, get short crutch training, then into pre-op, given IV. Nice center. Small, like a 50-era FL house, across from ORMC (big hospital here). Nice folks. 8am, wheeled into op, see the Anisthesiologist, and surgical nurse, and the doc. She gives me something, and I am (apparently, I have no recall) in a stupor like AAAHHNOLD in True Lies, during the truth serum sequence. About 8:30am, my wife and kids show back up, I hear "there they are" from the nurse (the return of my memory). I get in the car, complete with goofy shoe, and go home at 8:45am or so. 15 total stitches for four incisions to remove an 8mm wart, 5mm wart, and two 3mm warts.Cliff Notes- outpatient surgery, 1hr, 45min. 4 warts gone.
6/27- followup visit at the doc's office. "Looks good, you can get it wet now." See ya in two weeks. 15min, tops.
7/12- another followup. "Healing nice, but let's leave the stitches in another week, since the cuts are all right where you walk on." OK. I'm annoyed, as the stitches feel like pins everytime I walk, but OK. 15 min, again.
7/19- stitches out. The nurse/assistant put some "purple stuff," some glue, and some butterfly strips on the cuts. "Come back in three weeks." Uh, what for?, but OK.
Today- I get an EOB from my insurance company. The bill-
$14,872 from the Outpatient Clinic
$3500 from the Surgeon
All but $7000 of this was "disallowed," with my share coming to $3300 (on top of the $7000, that is).
Hmm...must be a mistake. Surely a mistake. I call the office. "Hi, I was in yesterday. I just got a $14000 bill." "Hold, please."
The Office Manager then proceeds to explain to me how this is reasonable. She completely ignores my points about the birth of my children (everything, from prenatal care for 9 months, sonogram, tests, delivery, hospital stay, pediatrician visits, EVERYTHING) were both under $10000 (the 2nd just last December), total billed. She explains how the doctor gave me his word, and that if he said my cost is zero, then it is zero. They will write off what the ins did not pay. "So, if your cost is zero, Mr. Hochard, what do you care?" I finally say, "Look, I can see you are purposely evading addressing the issue of the cost, the number I gave you, directly. Let me bottom line it for you- I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to bilk my insurance company for $7000, regardless if I'm spending one copper penny or not." She says, "let me research, I'll call you back."
5min later- the doctor calls me. We have a long discussion about billing for certain procedures, and that he doesn't set the rates, the ins co does. So, what's he to do (the ole' "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" bit). I say "look, you and I are both smart enough to know where the insurance money ultimately comes from, and I simply cannot allow that to happen. If you had been square with me about the cost upfront, I NEVER would have agreed to it, 100% covered or not." He then goes into the ole' "are you not satisfied" and "I may not understand the rates in your line of work either" bit, but I deflect and stay to point. He says, "look, if you are not satisfied, I'll return some or all of the money. I said zero cost to you, and I mean it."
I cannot fathom how this entire evolution, from start to finish, could cost much over $3000. Seriously. Anyone disagree?
Where to go? I have a STRONG feeling that doc and the clinic have an "agreement" to work the billing system for all it's worth. If I allow this to go on, I won't get any hassle from him, but feel like I'm part of the problem of skyrocketing insurance rates (never mind that I can't believe insurance just paid the frickin' thing!). If I play hardball, he might play back, and I may get stuck with a serious bill. I do have access to John Morgan (you FL people you him- Mr. "For the People"), to get advice if I have to go that way.
In my ideal world, I'd like him to get a frickin' conscience, and offer good service for a reasonable fee. I'm looking for ways to bring him around to this.
My longest post EVER. I needed to vent. I honestly haven't been this angry since the neighbor punk pointed a rifle at me 8 years ago (he got his ). Thanks for reading, if you made it this far.
Todd
Here's the thing-
I've had a Plantar's wart on the bottom of my foot for several years. Seemed to pick it up during the Sea Doo years (1997 or so). He tells me it's a skin viral infection. It didn't really bother me, didn't hurt, just unsightly, really. Over the last year or so, one turned into two, and two other small ones were forming.
The whole thing went like this-
6/11- Initial visit. We discuss options, and after explaining to me a 12-18 week program of weekly visits to his office to attempt to burn them off/dry them out with high% Hydrogen Peroxide, I ask about surgery. He says "best option." I say "let's do it." He says 8am, 6/24. He says "this will not cost you a penny out of pocket." Fantastic. 20 minutes for the whole thing.
6/24- Go to the outpatient foot surgery center downtown at 7am. Sign many papers, get short crutch training, then into pre-op, given IV. Nice center. Small, like a 50-era FL house, across from ORMC (big hospital here). Nice folks. 8am, wheeled into op, see the Anisthesiologist, and surgical nurse, and the doc. She gives me something, and I am (apparently, I have no recall) in a stupor like AAAHHNOLD in True Lies, during the truth serum sequence. About 8:30am, my wife and kids show back up, I hear "there they are" from the nurse (the return of my memory). I get in the car, complete with goofy shoe, and go home at 8:45am or so. 15 total stitches for four incisions to remove an 8mm wart, 5mm wart, and two 3mm warts.Cliff Notes- outpatient surgery, 1hr, 45min. 4 warts gone.
6/27- followup visit at the doc's office. "Looks good, you can get it wet now." See ya in two weeks. 15min, tops.
7/12- another followup. "Healing nice, but let's leave the stitches in another week, since the cuts are all right where you walk on." OK. I'm annoyed, as the stitches feel like pins everytime I walk, but OK. 15 min, again.
7/19- stitches out. The nurse/assistant put some "purple stuff," some glue, and some butterfly strips on the cuts. "Come back in three weeks." Uh, what for?, but OK.
Today- I get an EOB from my insurance company. The bill-
$14,872 from the Outpatient Clinic
$3500 from the Surgeon
All but $7000 of this was "disallowed," with my share coming to $3300 (on top of the $7000, that is).
Hmm...must be a mistake. Surely a mistake. I call the office. "Hi, I was in yesterday. I just got a $14000 bill." "Hold, please."
The Office Manager then proceeds to explain to me how this is reasonable. She completely ignores my points about the birth of my children (everything, from prenatal care for 9 months, sonogram, tests, delivery, hospital stay, pediatrician visits, EVERYTHING) were both under $10000 (the 2nd just last December), total billed. She explains how the doctor gave me his word, and that if he said my cost is zero, then it is zero. They will write off what the ins did not pay. "So, if your cost is zero, Mr. Hochard, what do you care?" I finally say, "Look, I can see you are purposely evading addressing the issue of the cost, the number I gave you, directly. Let me bottom line it for you- I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to bilk my insurance company for $7000, regardless if I'm spending one copper penny or not." She says, "let me research, I'll call you back."
5min later- the doctor calls me. We have a long discussion about billing for certain procedures, and that he doesn't set the rates, the ins co does. So, what's he to do (the ole' "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" bit). I say "look, you and I are both smart enough to know where the insurance money ultimately comes from, and I simply cannot allow that to happen. If you had been square with me about the cost upfront, I NEVER would have agreed to it, 100% covered or not." He then goes into the ole' "are you not satisfied" and "I may not understand the rates in your line of work either" bit, but I deflect and stay to point. He says, "look, if you are not satisfied, I'll return some or all of the money. I said zero cost to you, and I mean it."
I cannot fathom how this entire evolution, from start to finish, could cost much over $3000. Seriously. Anyone disagree?
Where to go? I have a STRONG feeling that doc and the clinic have an "agreement" to work the billing system for all it's worth. If I allow this to go on, I won't get any hassle from him, but feel like I'm part of the problem of skyrocketing insurance rates (never mind that I can't believe insurance just paid the frickin' thing!). If I play hardball, he might play back, and I may get stuck with a serious bill. I do have access to John Morgan (you FL people you him- Mr. "For the People"), to get advice if I have to go that way.
In my ideal world, I'd like him to get a frickin' conscience, and offer good service for a reasonable fee. I'm looking for ways to bring him around to this.
My longest post EVER. I needed to vent. I honestly haven't been this angry since the neighbor punk pointed a rifle at me 8 years ago (he got his ). Thanks for reading, if you made it this far.
Todd