Reader Responses

One dirty little secret that our health care providers perpetuate is the discrepancy between rates charged those who are insured and those uninsured. My insurance company reports to me the amount charged and the amount actually paid.

When I discuss this issue with my insurance company they tell me there is an agreed to rate for each procedure. I don't pay the difference, so who does? Is it that their rates are just outrageously high?

On one occasion my urologist identified a surgery charge of $320, knowing I had no surgery. I called his office and was told the procedure, which was performed by a nurse waving a wand over my bladder that took all of 25 seconds, was an agreed to code. The office also indicated they would be paid $25 for the procedure. While this might be unusual, 25 percent payment is very usual.

A neighbor of mine, whose son broke his arm and had no insurance, was charged in excess of $2,000. When he later called an orthopedic and asked what he would be charged if he were to bring his son in he was told $950.

If our health care providers would just clean up their act perhaps our "health care crisis" would not be so dire!

Clark Nash
Troup