Santa Clarita resident Robinberg has not pulled a punch when it comes to her recent healthcare bill.
“It’s financial rape,” she says. “That’s what I said to them. I said, ‘You’re raping me financially. This is absolutely unacceptable’ And it was just deaf. ”
Count Baerg among many Americans. He expresses his dissatisfaction with the US healthcare system. This is a level of frustration that has reportedly played a role in the recent murder of the CEO of United Healthcare in New York.
“I certainly don’t feel like a patient,” Berg says. “I feel like a profit center.”
And she’s not alone. Empty medical expenses are the main cause of personal bankruptcy in this country.
In Baerg’s case, she had been refilled with a blood pressure medicine prescription, but her doctor had been relocated from the Providence Medical Institute in Santa Clarita to her local UCLA medical facility.
Santa Clarita resident Robinberg speaks to KTLA’s David Lazarus about the recent healthcare bill. (KTLA) Robin Baerg’s charge after a video chat with a former doctor at UCLA Health approved a prescription supplement for blood pressure medication. (KTLA) UCLA Medical Facility. (KTLA)
She arranged to video chat with her insurance company and UCLA to do a replacement video chat with her former doctor. The call lasted about 20 minutes.
Please note that this was a video chat, not an office visit. No testing, tests or treatment of any type was included.
The UCLA bill arrived a few weeks later: $1,085. Baerg’s insurance company Aetna covered the cost of about $300 and left her on the hook for nearly $800.
“I laughed because I thought it was a joke,” Berg says. “I thought that was a mistake.”
That wasn’t the case. And no matter how much Baerg tried to appeal the charges, UCLA refused to be upset.
A UCLA Health spokesman declined to discuss the Baerg case. He said the bill was based on fees set in conjunction with the insurance company.
“We know that health insurance, claims and costs can be complicated,” the spokesman said.
“Health facilities and health insurance companies operate within legally permitted areas. This is legally permitted,” said advocates for patients negotiating low bills on behalf of people. One Lisa Berry Blackstock says. She has no connection to Baerg.
“When a person gets sick, they’re not 100%,” says Blackstock. “It’s not a level playing field, it’s unethical and immoral, but unfortunately it’s legal for healthcare providers and insurance companies to behave like this.”
If you are in this situation, ask your healthcare provider or insurance company if you have a patient advocate for your staff. Or, look for an independent advocate through the National Association for Healthcare Advocacy or the Patient Advocacy Foundation.
Baerg has not yet paid her bill. But she says she probably won’t have an option if she avoids claims going to a debt collector and could destroy her credit score.
“It’s a racket,” she says. “It’s a perfect racket. And I think we’re really tired of all these extra charges.”
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