Current Events > New mom stuck with 900K hospital bill for her premature baby

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/how-one-employer-stuck-a-new-mom-with-a-dollar898984-bill-for-her-premature-baby/ar-AAJOklG
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So, it looks like it would have been covered if she enrolled the baby like she was supposed to.
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America, land of the free.
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pogo_rabid posted...

So, it looks like it would have been covered if she enrolled the baby like she was supposed to.

so you don't feel sorry for her or you don't think they should have ended up making an exception for her and paid her bill?
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CedarPointcp posted...

pogo_rabid posted...

So, it looks like it would have been covered if she enrolled the baby like she was supposed to.

so you don't feel sorry for her or you don't think they should have ended up making an exception for her and paid her bill?

No, shes a grown ass woman. Take some fucking responsibility
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I don't think the biggest problem with US healthcare is that it's too expensive for regular people. MOST people seem to do fine with their insurance policies.

I think the problem is that it's so complicated that small mistakes like this can lead to huge bills, and also the fact that you don't know what's going to be covered until *after* you do everything. Surprise bills are a bigger problem than what people are actually paying out of pocket.

Of course, this wouldn't be such a problem if prices weren't so high, but prices are high precisely because people don't pay for it out of pocket. 90% of healthcare costs are paid for by insurance in the US, and only 10% out of pocket
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CenaIsTheGOAT posted...

CedarPointcp posted...

pogo_rabid posted...

So, it looks like it would have been covered if she enrolled the baby like she was supposed to.

so you don't feel sorry for her or you don't think they should have ended up making an exception for her and paid her bill?

No, shes a grown ass woman. Take some fucking responsibility

i mean, mistakes are made. how is she supposed to pay a bill that large?
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How dare they

Third world country
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CedarPointcp posted...

CenaIsTheGOAT posted...

CedarPointcp posted...

pogo_rabid posted...

So, it looks like it would have been covered if she enrolled the baby like she was supposed to.

so you don't feel sorry for her or you don't think they should have ended up making an exception for her and paid her bill?

No, shes a grown ass woman. Take some fucking responsibility

i mean, mistakes are made. how is she supposed to pay a bill that large?

Lmfao, Ill forget to pay my mortgage and see what the bank says.

Every action has a consequence, shouldve kept her legs closed or made sure her kid was enrolled the baby like any responsible adult should
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CenaIsTheGOAT posted...

Every action has a consequence, shouldve kept her legs closed or made sure her kid was enrolled the baby like any responsible adult should

She thought her kid was enrolled, and only found out after the deadline passed. The information that she was supposed to sign up online was listed in documents she read six years before having her kid according to the article.

This is not a mistake that should cost a person a million dollars.
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That why poor people should not make babies
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aki_sora posted...

That why poor people should not make babies

Fuck off
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QueenCarly posted...

aki_sora posted...

That why poor people should not make babies

Fuck off

^Found the poor person
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She could have literally traveled to basically any other country, lived in a nice apartment for her entire pregnancy, given birth, stayed for the duration of that country's maternity leave duration, come back, and still not have been on the hook for a third that cost.
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aki_sora posted...

That why poor people should not make babies

Your taxes will go up the greyer the U.S. gets.
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guys just give these dipshits a tag and move on.
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pauIie posted...

guys just give these dipshits a tag and move on.

Okay, I'll tag you... jk
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What a bunch of fucking thieves. It should be covered regardless of some arbitrary deadline.
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Webmaster4531 posted...

pauIie posted...

guys just give these dipshits a tag and move on.

Okay, I'll tag you... jk

i have a tag on someone but it's for dishonorable actions.
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pogo_rabid posted...

So, it looks like it would have been covered if she enrolled the baby like she was supposed to.

Fuck off. Insurance and the hospital fucked up.

Three days after her birth, Bard called Anthem Blue Cross, which administers her health plan, to start coverage. Anthem and UC Irvines billing department assured her that Sadie was covered, Bard said.

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IMAGINE living in a first world country where healthcare is a commercial concern.

Lol if they said her kid was covered they should eat the cost of the mistake.

This is awful. Fuck the American healthcare system for this shit
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So the only mistake she made was believing what she was told by her insurance company?
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AlisLandale posted...

Lol if they said her kid was covered they should eat the cost of the mistake.

This is awful. Fuck the American healthcare system for this shit

Sadly they wont. When my daughter was born the online billing system for, also a DignityHealth hospital, glitched out and showed our remaining ~$2200 balance as zeroed out. We called them about this several times and were told the same thing: they showed no balance on their end either. We figured we just got a lucky break for once in our lives.

...until we got a collections notice in the mail a year later for that $2200 owed. The collections company and the hospital both basically told us to F off and pay it.
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Ving_Rhames posted...

So the only mistake she made was believing what she was told by her insurance company?

Sums it up pretty much

Would have been free in Australia.

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Hello, I'm from 'Delinquent Accounts'. I'm calling to distract you while we repossess your baby.
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konokonohamaru posted...

I don't think the biggest problem with US healthcare is that it's too expensive for regular people. MOST people seem to do fine with their insurance policies.

Giving birth and keeping your baby alive should not cost a million fuckin' dollars period.
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bumpios
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wow the bitter af incels in this topic that want a pregnant woman to suffer

fucking disgusting
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pegusus123456 posted...

konokonohamaru posted...

I don't think the biggest problem with US healthcare is that it's too expensive for regular people. MOST people seem to do fine with their insurance policies.

Giving birth and keeping your baby alive should not cost a million fuckin' dollars period.

Yeah I agree
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spudger posted...

wow the bitter af incels in this topic that want a pregnant woman to suffer

How much have you donated to cover the costs?

Questionmarktarius posted...

spudger posted...

wow the bitter af incels in this topic that want a pregnant woman to suffer

How much have you donated to cover the costs?

What a disingenuous thing to say
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Reading this annoys me as the complexity of the system works against even those with the intention to comply with the requirements.

Makes me appreciate how much more affordable healthcare (even private) in Australia is after going through private for our baby half a year ago, and even with us electing to go private for everything, our out of pockets was only about $8k.

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remember guys, if you criticize this, you're a commie socialist AOC green new dealer!

Even though

gloBal enemy posted...

in Australia is after going through private for our baby half a year ago, and even with us electing to go private for everything, our out of pockets was only about $8k.

why the fuck would it cost 900k here?!

YokoGeri posted...

why the fuck would it cost 900k here?!

Because, the expectation is for a third-party to pay it, and also for that third-party to insist on paying only part of it.

If you sell something for a dollar, but only get paid 65 cents for some reason, it's going to be priced at $1.54 next time.

Questionmarktarius posted...

YokoGeri posted...

why the fuck would it cost 900k here?!

Because, the expectation is for a third-party to pay it, and also for that third-party to insist on paying only part of it.

If you sell something for a dollar, but only get paid 65 cents for some reason, it's going to be priced at $1.54 next time.

Yeah, this
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Dignitys letter said it cannot make an exception to plan provisions.

But the federal regulator of Dignitys plan said such plans can, in fact, make exceptions. An official with the federal Labor Department, which regulates self-funded health benefits, told ProPublica that plans can make concessions as long as they apply them equally to participants. Plus, federal law allows plans to treat people with adverse health factors more favorably, the official said.

A week later, ProPublica, which had been flagged to Bards case while reporting about health insurance excesses, contacted a Dignity media representative.

The next day, Bard got a call from the senior vice president of operations for Dignity Southern California, who apologized and said shed heard about the situation from the organizations media team and would help. Two days later, Dignity added Sadie to the plan, retroactive to her birth date. It would cover the bills.

Dignity officials told ProPublica that theyd learned about Bard through her Facebook post. Bard said she doubts Dignity would have reversed course without the questions from ProPublica.

Sounds like they flat-out lied to her about not being able to add the baby to the plan, after they had already lied about the baby being on the plan
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Questionmarktarius posted...

YokoGeri posted...

why the fuck would it cost 900k here?!

Because, the expectation is for a third-party to pay it, and also for that third-party to insist on paying only part of it.

If you sell something for a dollar, but only get paid 65 cents for some reason, it's going to be priced at $1.54 next time.

yes, it's whole sale corruption.

medical place: "Medicine is $50"
insurance: "I can help you pay $5, Joe!"
Joe: Ok *buys insurance*

insurance: "hey, medical place, wouldn't it be AWESOME if we could set the price of that medicine? We both want more profits
medical place: "go on..."
insurance: "we set the price. So you set the medicine price to $500,000. Then I oh-so-graciously cover up to $200,000. That's a lot for something that costs $50, I am such a good guy! *wink wink*. So Joe has to pay $300,000 :) "

^ this is how it plays out. And don't you dare criticize it or else you will be told you're a commie

YokoGeri posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

YokoGeri posted...

why the fuck would it cost 900k here?!

Because, the expectation is for a third-party to pay it, and also for that third-party to insist on paying only part of it.

If you sell something for a dollar, but only get paid 65 cents for some reason, it's going to be priced at $1.54 next time.

yes, it's whole sale corruption.

medical place: "Medicine is $50"
insurance: "I can help you pay $5, Joe!"
Joe: Ok *buys insurance*

insurance: "hey, medical place, wouldn't it be AWESOME if we could set the price of that medicine? We both want more profits
medical place: "go on..."
insurance: "we set the price. So you set the medicine price to $500,000. Then I oh-so-graciously cover up to $200,000. That's a lot for something that costs $50, I am such a good guy! *wink wink*. So Joe has to pay $300,000 :) "

^ this is how it plays out. And don't you dare criticize it or else you will be told you're a commie

Yeah f*** them
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YokoGeri posted...

remember guys, if you criticize this, you're a commie socialist AOC green new dealer!

Even though

gloBal enemy posted...

in Australia is after going through private for our baby half a year ago, and even with us electing to go private for everything, our out of pockets was only about $8k.

why the fuck would it cost 900k here?!

we never liked AOC. medicare for all is a flawed plan, they try to shove that down the public's throat i'm sure they'll not even make it to being elected.
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This is fine
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Damn, capitalism.

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konokonohamaru posted...

I don't think the biggest problem with US healthcare is that it's too expensive for regular people

wow
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Who's stuck with the bill tho the mom or the baby?

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UnfairRepresent posted...

konokonohamaru posted...

I don't think the biggest problem with US healthcare is that it's too expensive for regular people

wow

People recognize that the total cost is too expensive but most people are only paying a small fraction of the total cost. If you're with Kaiser for example you pay like $30/month and basically not much else.

The problem is when somehow you're left uncovered for whatever reason--due to job loss, clerical mistake, or whatever--and you get hit with the full cost.

We need to bring down the total cost but we also need to make bills more predictable for people
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pogo_rabid posted...

So, it looks like it would have been covered if she enrolled the baby like she was supposed to.

Whats the difference if she enrolls the baby a few months

Enrolling before the birth doesnt make it cost less

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