by J. Cafesin
Member since:
February 7, 2007

Fraud Real Illness in Today's Healthcare

February 05, 2013 03:53 PM UTC
views: 0 | 1 person recommends this | comments: 5


Mid-January, I called the Director of Emergency Dept. for the San Ramon Regional Medical Center in regards to outstanding bills sent to collection I purposefully have not paid. The bills were generated in early April, 2012, when my son was admitted to the hospital's emergency room, referred by his primary care physician, for [poorly diagnosed] possible appendicitis. I paid the hospital only 15% to date [of an over $1,000 bill beyond insurance coverage], included in a letter to the Director in June, 2012, and nothing to their vendors—from doctor bills, to radiation, to ultrasound, because both my husband and I feel many of the procedures pushed on our son were unnecessary.

I explained this again on the phone to the Director when I called a few weeks ago in regards to this still open issue, to stop the harassing phone calls at all hours from collection agencies. The hospital had yet to contact me, even once, in response to my original letter in 2012. They cashed the check though...


Comments: 5

Debbie W. Feb 5, 2013, 4:06pm UTC
Have you recorded any of these conversations? I would think all the "threats" the Director issued might be of use.
Yoshi k. Feb 5, 2013, 4:42pm UTC
Medical diagnoses is more often than not a process of elimination and the elimination process involves testing to find answers. If you or the doctors were psychics they wouldn't need to run endless tests and yes, most tests will be shown to have been unnecessary AFTER THE FACT, not before. It's the present cost of doing business. Not paying the bills can affect any future medical treatment you or your family might require. Ya, it stincks but the alternative can be deadly down the road. Just a thought:)).
Susan G. Feb 5, 2013, 9:15pm UTC
Many places will over test simply because so many patients over sue. Patients are especially likely to sue if a test wasn't performed which would have helped to correctly diagnose whatever is going on. The time to refuse a test is before it is performed. You did have that right at that time.
J. Cafesin Feb 6, 2013, 1:11pm UTC
Yoshi and Susan, your points are well taken. I've considered them in depth as well. They are, in fact, the other side of this argument. And while we can debate whether the care was excessive or not, the fact that he threatened me with jail and taking my kid away if I didn't agree to EVERY test they wanted to preform is what I take issue with!
Rachel D. Feb 6, 2013, 6:56pm UTC
The hospital usually contracts bill-collectors for their invoicing, so it's no surprise they didn't contact you. Good luck!

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