Under The Surface — A Weird Post About Being Responsible

Here is an example to think about: with the “for profit” healthcare system in the United States, the way it works is that you agree that you are liable for all costs, before a provider will see you. When there is a medical issue and you are seeking help that is not exactly the moment to play hardball with the patient. Most people will agree with pretty much anything at that moment.

And then they are stuck with being responsible for… all costs.

This might even sound OK in general. Everyone should be responsible for their own share of costs. Except the way it works is that your child will get the hospital treatment. You get a very minimal, if any paperwork in terms of who saw your child. What was administered exactly when and who made what kind of notes about your child’s condition.

Then the hospital will send you an invoice.

Then another invoice comes in from a name you’ve never heard of, but the service date is from your child’s hospital stay.

Then another invoice comes in from another name you’ve never heard of, service date is from that timeframe.

Then another invoice comes from that first name you’ve never heard of.

Then one more invoice comes in from a third name you’ve never heard of.

And so on.

Where are all these names linked together?

In some mysterious system, nobody can give us access to. You know: privacy concerns. HIPAA. Or whatever other excuse they have. Sounds like a scam to me, but more on that in a follow up post sometime in the future…

So in other words: seemingly random people invoice you for services that nobody can produce a paperwork for you and show a comprehensive list of what was discussed, diagnosed and administered in terms of drugs.

Because if you read some older posts here, they actually sent our child home so drugged up, she was too sick to get out of bed, had serious side effects from whatever unknown amount of questionable drugs they gave her, which was impossible not to see. I saw it. And I don’t charge more than hundred dollars for a 15 minutes check on her…

Yet they said she was ready to come home and go back to school.

Sounds like a scam to me, where everyone is doing just enough that nobody can be held responsible.

Correction!

Except the patient. The patient can be and will be held responsible for all the costs…