ZAX1527
68480
833
29
Glad I have insurance.
Aug 12, 2017 2:48 AM
ZAX1527
68480
833
29
Glad I have insurance.
TCGView
A million dollars. A MILLION DOLLARS?!? Dafuq, man!
snipdiddy
I work in insurance. Regardless of what insurance or how much you pay for it you'll at least get a disc. Shock value post.
thatsandichic
This is why I thank God I'm Canadian! 2 c-sections, breast reduction, hysterectomy, gall bladder out - all covered by gov't.
ObviouslyNotDitto
Relevant: https://youtu.be/CeDOQpfaUc8
FatLemongrab
I am so fucking unbelievably grateful that I live in Australia.
AngryGuyInABathroom
I was born 11 weeks early at 2 pounds. I was lucky to survive and also that my parents saved money and we had an insurance plan that covered
slicksumbich
How many days did your baby stay in NICU?
RafayAhmed
Just remember. You're beating the commies by paying 1 million $.
GoldenSour2
God bless America
Dontsuepeoplepanda
How was your baby in the NICU?
McPattyh
A million dollar baby, haaa! ... Get it? Like the movie with God and the angry cowboy.
Gianttesticlemonster
talldingo
This is sad, in New Zealand, you have your baby, get everything you need and the most it will cost is $5 to fill all your prescriptions
MerToo
in New Zealand, had 2 babies both 2 months premature, total 15 weeks of NICU, and yeah, no charge. And babies' scripts are free, mine are $5
2GunsDually
I live in a free country where medical bills don't exist
HamsterOnAGoat
Medical bills exist in every country
barbwyre59
But it's a magical place with glitter and unicorns.
PierreEscargeaux
Looks like the claim denied but could be many reasons why. maybe no authorization was obtained? 1
PierreEscargeaux
2 If the hosp is in network with Cigna I'd definitely call to see why it was denied.
ZAX1527
Hospital is in network. As far as I know the hospital and the insurance are still figuring things out.
Marjoramarama
Unbelievable. Ireland, paid 50e for first doc visit, not a penny more. Can't understand how healthcare is a business. No-one should profit..
Marjoramarama
..from when a baby is born sick / too early.
barbwyre59
I don't agree with premise but the high pay for drs and surgeons is supposed to entice the best. US did have the best ins 70s-80s
TheLunaDiviner
You have a denied claim as provider write off. Do not pay a dime until the dust settles. Very easy to give out money to providers, (1)
TheLunaDiviner
(2) very hard to collect it as reimbursement. I work in claims for a leading insurance company and speak from experience.
RoxanneLaWin
As a British disabled person, I ❤️my NHS. I'd be dead many times over without it. Love to you and your family @OP. Hope baby's doing well
2ndGalaxyontheRight
Looks like you've met your out of pocket for this year.
ZAX1527
I met it before they were even born. My wife was bed ridden in the hospital for 3 weeks.
YourWiseButAlcoholicDanceCoach
https://media.giphy.com/media/aZ3LDBs1ExsE8/giphy.gif That bill gave me a heart attack. I'll just deal with it at home using this hammer
ZAX1527
I know what you mean. I know it will all work out but having my name attached to a bill for that much is terrifying
YourWiseButAlcoholicDanceCoach
I hope it does work out for you. That's friggin highway robbery.
RPeggio
So why do you owe $0? When Cigna paid $0?
gizmoseal
Some one pls explain
MerToo
they probly gon come repossess that baby
ImguritisIsNotCureable
OP said the hospital and insurance company are still figuring out who owes what. This is not a final bill.
Whetu
Sheesh, I'm glad our healthcare in New Zealand is free!
barbwyre59
I'd have to pay 33% tax rate in NZ
0Steve0
And we have Pharmac to bulk buy meds to keep the price down. We don't know how lucky we are.
whatsisname
It's not free, it's just that the cost is distributed between everyone.
Whetu
And I'm happy to pay that tax.
Madhouse5213
the million dollar baby. And also the result of insurance going up
InternationalPhoneticAlphabet
interestingly, it doesn't even cost as much in Europe. fly over, pay for procedure yourself, have 1 year-vacation with the money you save.
ZAX1527
Yup she is a million dollar baby for sure.
lawideas
The prices listed on medical bills are pure fiction. The insurance company comes back with what they'll pay - that's the actual price. (1)
lawideas
(2) People who don't understand that post medical bills and bitch about the cost of healthcare.
DontGiveAFudge
Woah - it's still a little fucked up that America has fake prices. Why not have real prices so you could pay for healthcare with savings?
lawideas
You get the real prices if you don't have healthcare. The fake ones are an opening salvo in negotiations with insurance companies. (1)
lawideas
(3) Having a for-profit industry (health insurance) as a government-mandated middleman is an even worse idea.
lawideas
(2) Having a government-sanctioned monopoly handling medical costs (The AMA) is a bad idea.
WhoSaidYouCouldEatTheLastCookie
I can't even remember a time when I had to pay for medicine and you people are forking out millions for shit like having babies.
whatsisname
They didn't just have a baby, they had a premature baby or some other condition that likely would have resulted in a corpse 30 years ago.
barbwyre59
That's wonderful , but the drs are paid thru ..taxes?
WhoSaidYouCouldEatTheLastCookie
Yes, as it should be
barbwyre59
The US has 11 million undocumented aliens. Obamacare has a page dedicated to saying they will not be refused coverage.they increase costs
barbwyre59
Your system seems to work better than the states current fiasco.our income tax is such that almost half the country pays no income tax tho
WhoSaidYouCouldEatTheLastCookie
What's even better is unless you are a business owner or sole trader, you don't have to do your own taxes. The company who employs you does.
Krayotik
Well at least it's not a million, right? RIGHT?!
ZAX1527
Actually we got another bill that was for 70 grand for surgery so she is about 1.7 mil right now.
TheWetLustyArgonianMaidRIP
1.07mil*
ObviouslyNotDitto
But wouldnt that be 1.07 mil then?
Krayotik
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
ForgivingCat
1.07 you mean?
Boxers4life
My son spent 8 months in the Nicu. Our bill was around $1.3 million. Hope your little one is doing ok. Nicu life can be tough on everyone.
ZAX1527
She is don't well. We have been in the NICU for 7 months now and hope to be out by the end of the year.
Boxers4life
Im so sorry. Feel free to pm me if you ever want to talk. This is a vary hard road to travel. Make sure to take time for yourself.
ZAX1527
It's been tough but my daughter is tough too. We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now so things are going well
ZAX1527
*doing
Boxers4life
How early was she? Mine was born at 24 weeks. I remember when he started doing well & for the first time I felt like I could breathe again.
ZAX1527
She was 3 months early. She started to do well after they put her trach in. She was also iugr so she was always very small
Boxers4life
Mine never had a trach but there were talks about it. He came home on O2 but is now weaning off. He's still on a feeding tube but is making
Boxers4life
Mine had a brain bleed at 2 days old & we nearly lost him. He coded several times over the next few weeks. It was the darkest time of my of
Boxers4life
My life
Evenmorehorrifying
You think this is bad? I can't imagine how it would be for people if they repeal the ACA.
barbwyre59
ACA needs fixing.Its a fine idea but it isn't affordable.Those who had coverage now pay triple.services have been reduced and cost went up
snipekill1997
https://www.forbes.com/sites/robbmandelbaum/2017/02/24/no-obamacare-hasnt-jacked-up-your-companys-insurance-rates/#58d37d863a01
HamsterOnAGoat
Yeah, premium growth was low for small firms because many stopped giving insurance at all.
HamsterOnAGoat
But tell me how an article proves wrong that I am paying 3x as much for significantly worse coverage after ACA
snipekill1997
You said "those who had coverage now pay triple" not "Now I pay triple". The former implies that it was the average change which isn't true.
HamsterOnAGoat
out of the hundreds of small businesses I've interacted with since ACA was put into effect, every single one either had to drop coverage
HamsterOnAGoat
or pick a worse as well as more expensive plan to not be put out of business because of ACA
merxman
It varies wildly by state and county. I'm paying less now on my own, with better coverage, than I was on a company plan previously.
barbwyre59
I'm glad it helps you. I haven't heard many that it did help. My kids are afraid to use it. High out of pocket before it kicks in
merxman
It helps that I'm in California and we have like 1m+ in the state marketplace and multiple insurers. But that SHOULD be true everywhere :(
husaber
So if CIGNA didn't pay anything then who did?
Saytin666
Welcome to American healthcare where the charges are made up and the payments don't matter.
HughJazzDotCom
Welcome to Imgur where the posts are made up and the points don't matter.
Alenth
My guess is the charges were waived for some reason or another, which may or may not have nothing to do with insurance.
husaber
I've never heard of a hospital not taking insurance money. I need some definite answers on this.
ZAX1527
As far as we know right now the hospital and insurance are still figuring things out. Also we are covered under Medicaid so that will help
Thornaxe
How do you have Medicaid AND commercial insurance? Or dud your state privatize Medicaid and you have a Cigna plan via that?
PerilousPiggiePie
It can get a little complicated since technically the baby can't be insured until after it is born (it's a qualifying life event) 1/2
Punk1209
Medicaid will almoat always back date to their dob as start date for coverage.
PerilousPiggiePie
So the initial bill is rendered as uninsured, and once the parents add the child to their coverage then insurance can be added to the acct.
ZAX1527
The hospital and the insurance are still figuring things out as far as I know. We haven't received an official bill yet.
disemboweled
Then STFU and freak out when you have an actual bill, ffs.
DontGiveAFudge
This post wasn't about freaking out about poverty but showing the cost of healthcare. Chill out.
captainhappen
Actually it says you owe 0.00 right
joeinfro
wow that s definitely true, shhhhh dont let them know they made a mistake
Boxers4life
You should be ok. Cigna will pick up most of it & Medicaid will pick up the rest. It will take several months though.
mittnightkitty
This isn't a statement. This is just a bill showing charges expected by the hospital.
Nightcaste
You've got those two words reversed.
Ioffersex
Which ones, by and the?
Nightcaste
Bill and statement.
SamaelTheVenomOfGod
Holy fuck, man. I would die from heart failure from that million dollar part before I ever got down to the "What I owe" part o.O
Momwork247
Ikr
tr3buchet
I'd just laugh and tell them they can keep it
captainhappen
Don't have a heart attack just yet, my insurance covered almost everything
waspssuckforever
To be fair though, even if insurance covers 95%, he still owes 50k. I personally would still be worried lol.
ZAX1527
I'm not really worried just want my baby girl home. Also we are covered under Medicaid to so they should pick up what doesn't get covered
fistermatic5000
They won't let you take your baby home until the bill is paid????
valen00
Presumably they mean they can take her home when the Dr's say it's ok to do so
LaAguaChocha
It should NOT cost almost a million dollars to have a baby wtf
AngryViking32
https://youtu.be/CeDOQpfaUc8
nonamejanie
It doesn't. It costs that if it gets up in neonatal intensive care unit aka nicu. If the baba is sick or has problems. But Cigna didn't pay
inspiringandfunnyusernamecoolheh
cool over here you have to organize it, but it is covered by insurance, you even get bonuses for having one.
HeWhoPours
Have two brothers that had boys live and pass in NICU. I play the lotto occasionally with the dream I can pay off their bills.
idontneednostinkingpuffin
Pretty sure you can leave out the "almost" when it's that close.
sbristol
American hospitals only charge that much because they make deals with insurance companies and end up getting abt. Half of what they ask for.
ForgivingCat
Unless it's a really fancy baby.
romicra88
Well, when they know the government will ensure they get it, what's stopping them?
thiswillonlyhurtabit
Neonatal ICU care costs a lot since it is about 3 to 6 months of ICU level care
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thiswillonlyhurtabit
Just to pay the nurses for their time would be over 150,000 dollars
furiouslumberjack
Not sure why you're being downvoted. A NICU nurse in CA easily grosses 140k in a year. Take an infant in NICU for 6 months, bam
MrCalamiteh
He was saying that's what it costs to the end patient/family. Just because your reading comprehension is shit, doesn't mean they're Idiots.
ElbowDeepInACat
Dude that’s not the price of having a baby. That’s the price of having it prematurely and wanting to keep it alive. The million comes from/1
ElbowDeepInACat
The cost of keeping the machines running every day for a really long fucking time and still making a decent profit to keep the whole /2
ElbowDeepInACat
Hospital and system running and also paying their employees to allow more premie babies to survive. It’s either $1 mil, or you lose the kid.
VitusApollo
No, the $1 mil comes from insurances demanding discounts, so instead of legitately giving them, hospitals inflate their base prices instead.
VitusApollo
That's how insurances stay in business, they pay the cost of what things should normally, while uninsured get stuck with the inflated prices
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Ninjainslippers
True, also this baby would definitely have died 50 years ago, so I'd say it's a luxury to have the baby live at all.
TheShiniestOfMen
In Ireland, had a baby- Problems during pregnancy so 10 day hospital stay: free, delivery and 4 days in hospital: free, 3 weeks in ICU: free
[deleted]
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TheShiniestOfMen
Nope, I'm a student (last exam next Thursday actually) and was paid to do that.
[deleted]
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TheShiniestOfMen
ha ha ha, yea, a few months in and ill pay a few coins short of a million through taxes will I? Thanks for the heads up kid.
raider111111
It doesn't. I am on my second child and it doesn't cost all that much. Go to a birthing center, not the hospital.
dhaskjdhawyajhdbsdbgwakjhbdnmcckclkklkl
Welcome to America!
NachoPete
Yes. In America the baby lives.
foxhoundunit89
What a fucking retarded argument. Seriously, how stupid are you? Scale of Trump to Einstein.
K1ltu
But gets to grow up in poverty becuse the parents are now broke and get a lower level of overall care because murica
CringeMetal
Can you even call that living..?
Deadmetal42
Wow, my brother must be a zombie then.
IRespondWithSpongebobGifsUsually
Ohhh shucks does that mean i am dead since i'm from Norway?
NachoPete
Yes. Sorry about that. Did you not get the letter? Your afterlife handbook should arrive soon as well.
K1ltu
That depends are you in a Norwegian death metal band
[deleted]
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LiteralFish
I would be willing to give my life to save my loved one. Does that mean I SHOULD have to die for him to live? No one should HAVE to pay that
KawaiiInari
That's just fucked up to say. People pay every day to save the ones they love, but medical costs shouldn't put you down so hard. 1/
KawaiiInari
You have your loved ones saved to turn around and work 2 or 3 jobs to pay off the bill, and miss out on time with them. It's wrong. 2/
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HansVerhaegen
This. Very much this. Murican hospitals overcharge massively for everything.
Ninjainslippers
You don't even know what the procedure is based on this post.
Thornaxe
There is no procedure listed, your statement is stupid. This was likely for months of intensive care.
dardar2002
Neonatal I C U costs a fortune.
Natatha
This is true. However, his comment still stands true. It shouldn't cost near a million for anything.
hippybobby
What about a hotdog inn NYC?
GermanIrishEngineering
My mom is a NICU nurse, and I can tell you where that money isn't going.
YouSeemLikeAVeryCleverPerson
Only in your country
HerschelKrane
"In America "
thelivingjackass
In Australia it costs 12000-50000 to have a baby with no Medicare. If you have Medicare it's almost free!! WTF
gitchu1000
This is why you shouldn't have children, period. It's a tragedy when there are problems with child birth, but that's the gamble you made.
Krankenwagen606
What kind of stance is that? Are you serious?
6reut
Wut?
WhiteGuy021
ZAX1527
She was 3 months early and weighed 15 oz. She was at this hospital for about 5 months then we moved to the hospital that we are at now.
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whatsisname
They don't have a 90% profit margin. Their margin is actually pretty small percentage wise.
GodzillaHarddiskson
I would invite you here, but it's a bit late i suppose. We get paid to have our babies...
ohmusama
I'm glad you daughter sounds like she is going to be okay. As a fellow parent who has had a newborn in the hospital I can understand. The 1/
ohmusama
Time dilation at the hospital is terrible. I'm glad you are out of the ICU. Get a support group, it helps to talk to like experienced people
periwinklepanda
Wow. How is she doing now? Other than obviously out of the hosptial. :)
12131415161718
You should have thought about the cost before having a baby
sexposition
My son was born 8 weeks early and in the NICU for 11 days. The bill was over 30,000. It's insane lol. I hope your child has a healthy life
poptartfartsfortheheartsmart
So if you could not pay they would just let her die ?!
TheDeckhand
No if I'm not mistaken they would just go into crippling debt
phucknado
So more like holding their future ransom for saving their baby.
CorrelatingGIF
That's an average of $6660 per day.
ohmusama
That's cheaper. My daughter had heart surgery at 3 days old. 23 days of hospital cost $210K, that was just the room component of the bill.
DuckyofDeath123
Which, for those not counting, is still about 50% more than what my friend paid for his TWINS per day in Neonatal ICU. In Europe.
aykyle
3300 a day is still a lot.
fedoraeuphoria
For what it's worth, they over inflate the billing and then insurance negotiates a lower amount and sometimes you pay part of the difference
avi8tor
MURICA HELL YEAH ! FUCK FREE HEALTHCARE CAUSE SOCIALISM AND COMMUNISTS !
ibnwazirzibla
GODDAMN ISLAMOSOCIALISTS TRYING TO STEAL OUR FREEDOM
FawkesSake
"SOCIALISM IS BAD BECAUSE IT REWARDS FAILURE, PROMOTES LAZINESS AND STOPS PEOPLE FROM DYING WITHOUT DIGNITY... wait is that last part true?"
PleaseDisperseNothingToSeeHere
Just pointing out that nothing is actually free. Believe whatever you want tho.
LiteralFish
Of course not. Singlepayer would mean it costs less overall and per person. Single payer: they can only charge what their one client willpay
Wedriftdeeper
Zasumbadji
Did he say that? No, you made a straw man argument. Look up govt HC spending and quality of care by country and see USA gets robbed.
GreaseMonkeyOfLove
There's a huge difference between "free" and "not being price gouged to death".
Sticklebrickk
Drop the nukes or destroy them. We've been stirring over this shit for 50 goddamn years. Let's move onwards and upwards.
avi8tor
Atleast you have 12 aircraft carriers and worlds biggest military but fuck healthcare :D - M
Wedriftdeeper
I'm sad you haven't received like 500 downvotes
Camelspotting
Downvoting you was pretty free.
Ruven
Who pays for your internet?
flacoloco
starbucks
raider111111
You can't post anti-communist logical truths on Imgur. These are all college kids who are 100K in debt and don't pay taxes.
SullivansMuff
Since when are college students exempted from paying taxes? And is it too late to get a refund in all the taxes I paid?
raider111111
If only. The taxes I pay per week is more than some people's pay check.
Klan00
No insurance companies trying to make a profit off you. And no, I dont have 100k debt :)
Klan00
I dont really think free healthcare is communism, it is cheaper for the country in the long run. Kind of logical, healthy workforce, no debt
Klan00
I feel like americans are brainwashed into thinking like this? Of course it is not free, but if all pull together, it is much cheaper.
HamsterOnAGoat
Agreed. Also, if all pill together in a private market it's much cheaper than through government
HerschelKrane
Hows that working out for you?
Nightcaste
If the French healthcare system were adapted to the United States, it would cost 30% LESS than what is being spent on Medicare alone,
Nightcaste
and every American citizen would have free (to them) health care for life. Every. Single. Citizen.
HerschelKrane
After Taxes.