The End of Surprise Billing for Medical Care?

[@ParaisoFlower]

I feel like there's a lot of wiggle room with "informed consent." Everytime we took pappy to the ER, the signatures came first. Given we didn't spend much time reading the fine print as his stomach acids leaked down his belly, i'm certain we agreed to pay out of network costs somewhere in there.

[@Rattiar]

I would love to hear Dr. Carroll's analysis of "informed consent" and how it plays in, here.

[@ParaisoFlower]

@@Rattiar as well as the typical court; "i didn't read the eula" tends not to hold up.

[@ThomasBomb45]

@@ParaisoFlower depends on the terms of the contract, though

[@ParaisoFlower]

@@ThomasBomb45 absolutely, but it's in the interest of the hospital to keep the patient responsible for the cost instead of relying on an arbiter to claim they can eat it. And the hospital, unlike the average user, would likely have a team of lawyers at their disposal to strengthen the words of the contract in their favor.

[@ClimbaRock5]

I took my daughter to the hospital for some tests and the fine print included something along the lines of "there may be out of network doctors here who treat you, this is us telling you lol". I signed anyway. What was I supposed to do? Shop around for a hospital while my daughter's appendix might have been going bad? I have "good" insurance and I still have no options and no power in an emergency. It's predatory, plain and simple.

[@helenobrien60]

This happens in non emergency situations too. Our pediatrician is in network, but the company that provides the pediatric vaccines that that Drs office is not. So we paid full price for vaccines that are covered by every insurance! How would we. Even know to look into that!?! So stupid. We are in the middle of challenging it.

[@Praisethesunson]

Another law to ban Things that should have never been legal in the first place.

[@joshuacook2]

I mean, is that what a ban is?

[@AfroBolshevik]

@@joshuacook2 I feel like they are saying that this never should have taken this long to ban such practises since they inherently are nonsensical

[@sisblk786]

Peep Interview with Prof. D Cahill & The Origin of AIDS,Polio Vaccine The Smoking Gun

[@HyperSpify]

It doesn't even ban it. It just partially bans it. Which means it will continue to occur.

[@valentinyosef5940]

InstaBlaster

[@hitzchicky]

Healthcare in this country is so frustrating. You can't get blood from a stone - Over 90% of this country couldn't handle a bill of those sizes even WITH foreknowledge. It's absurd that these kinds of costs even get passed on to the average individual.

[@RyanEmmett]

Watching videos like this reminds me how lucky I am to live in a country (UK) with a universal healthcare system funded from general taxation.

[@Jenny-tm3cm]

Yeah my medical bills are thousands every month. If I didn’t have help I would be on the street or dead, most likely the latter. Gotta love being born with disabilities + lifelong medical conditions the doctors don’t even understand. They understand how to send bills tho. ^^^this is the reality of private insurance

[@jimkirby9959]

It's videos like this that remind me how lucky I am to live in a country (USA) where I'm free NOT to participate in other people's religions like health insurance and the Church of England.

[@jakeb6703]

@@jimkirby9959 did you not watch the video

[@randomtinypotatocried]

@@jimkirby9959 What?

[@Imman1s]

@@jimkirby9959 Yeah. You are also lucky to exempt all religions from paying taxes and requires your president to believe in a god. And for the looks of it, you seems also very happy to be free NOT to participate in other's people's religion of having an education. Which seems the perfect plan for a genius whose body temperature (as measured by most of the world) is higher than his IQ.

[@rebekahledoux4097]

Another reason I'm glad I'm Canadian. There's no such thing as out of network unless you're out of Canada. And even then the embassy can help you as long as your medical procedures are non elective or Emergency.

[@floatingdoc1]

You canadians have your problems too, namely Trudeau

[@Overonator]

They carved out an exception for ambulances. Looks like the ambulance lobby won that one.

[@TarekMidani]

Ambulance lobby was too strong 🚑 they are battle hardened and know how to fight

[@NerdsmithTV]

It's always bonkers to me that ambulances are privately owned/operated. When I dial 911, it's either for police, fire department, or an ambulance. Why is one of these farmed out to a private company, but the other two are not? They should be a public entity providing service, just the same as fire and police, and handled through tax revenue instead of the current system either hitting individuals with huge surprise bills, or seeking government funding for a private enterprise. Makes no sense.

[@creshiell]

I should've rung the bell, i haven't seen a video on my feed from this channel in months!

[@TJStellmach]

Gosh, if only there were some way to ensure that you were always in-network. A sort of universal health insurance, if you will.

[@TokenBlackman7]

BuT hOw YuH gOnNa PaY fOr It!?!?

[@roygb]

Who'd have thunk

[@Mistersky46]

bUt ThAt'S sOciAliSm!?!?!

[@Praisethesunson]

But think of the private equity firms!!

[@gokucrazy22]

From a pharmacy perspective, it would make life so much easier because half our job is figuring out stupid insurance issues. Also fuck PBM's

[@robinhahnsopran]

Surprise bills disproportionately affect us disabled folks. Sure, it's not perfect, but like you said: I'm taking the win for now.

[@kagitsune]

You're everywhere, Robin! 😊❤️

[@randomtinypotatocried]

Speaking of ambulance services, I wish this channel would do an episode on them since a lot of EMS services are collapsing in on itself. Even before the pandemic, it wasn't uncommon of hearing areas not even having an EMS service in the area. The US really should get rid of the reliance of volunteer EMS services

[@Marco_Onyxheart]

It's already ridiculous to have out of network healthcare providers. Hospitals do the same things. It's not like we're shopping for products. But to have out of network doctors working at in-network hospitals is even more ridiculous.

[@CG_Hali]

0:52 seconds in and you've blown the brains out of two Canadians lol Please grow up, America. Thanks for all you do, HCT!

[@momijithelesbianleftie6578]

Im so glad to hear this. It doesnt fix the full problem. But I know this will fix so much of the ''pls dont call an ambulance'' situations I do not live in America, but its good to know less people will commit suicide over financial stress from this

[@sinistersweet5236]

The "pls don't call an ambulance" situation ain't going anywhere sadly. Gotta love exemptions.

[@Crimsoth]

I still won't call an ambulance. I will still drive myself to the hospital. And if I wreck and die and kill someone else well then FY.

[@megantaylor2871]

I told my friend in college about a great urgent care clinic that would see you for a fifteen minute visit for $20. Great deal. She went there and didn’t know it was out of network for her. They charged her $600. For what?????

[@vaipuluj]

Idk what's up with the KZbin algorithm, but I don't think I've seen one of your videos come across my feed since "kids contact sports"! Ringing that bell again to get you back in there

[@ThatEgghead]

My concern is: what is the bar for "informed consent"? Of course it thankfully covers the scenario when you're unconscious, but, e.g. can they just hide it in a 100 page document that you sign for admission?

[@Praisethesunson]

You'll see our billing policy is clearly spelled out in our consent for treatment form on page 87 section 14 line 4. "Eat shit or die."

[@benjaminbewhite]

Even in-network bills can be surprisingly different than what your insurance admin/rep tells you to expect.

[@TakeWalker]

The exemption for ground ambulances is a big misstep. The study to look into the situation later is promising, but could always be derailed, coopted, or just amount to nothing. Still a ways to go.

[@CHUCKLZLORD]

All doctors/nurses/hospitals all go under one singular network. Then, all insurance companies compete for customers, not for some price point they can hoard for themselves. On second thought, just bring it all into one insurance network as well, since that'll drive premiums down. And then, since that insurer would have way too much market control, bring them under governmental control, that way the citizenry can have a say in how they're insured. Wait... did I just bring it back to single-payer?

[@AnnDossen]

Thank you, great info!

[@beau9956]

$100,000 bill? I'm surprised he didn't have a heart attack when he saw that bill!

[@JohnBare747]

I was in the hospital for a procedure and had a complication that required me to stay one more day and the area I was in was not manned on the weekend so I was transferred to another building in the same hospital just across the street that resulted in a extremely expensive ambulance ride of five minutes that I had to pay, a total rip-off.

[@BombedNevada]

This became a huge hot topic in Idaho a year or two in Idaho with the legal fees involved as well.

[@cornellwaters9089]

💜 Thank You!

[@grahamrankin4725]

Which states ban surprise billing for ground ambulances? If it is a "small number", a list in the description would useful

[@benroberts2222]

Unless this changes, NEVER call me an ambulance, just throw me in a taxi/Uber to the hospital. At the very least it leaves some money in my estate for charity rather than having it line the pockets of these cruel bastards

[@Jenny-tm3cm]

Yep just being driven to the emergency room, having the doctor look at me with no fancy equipment and say “you have a concussion”, got a bill for $600 Only time I’ve ever been. Idk what I would do if I had a life and death situation. Choose between life or a life of debt I guess

[@Praisethesunson]

@@Jenny-tm3cm Life or be indebt to private equity funds IS the business model.

[@colombiantom]

Can we just ask the insurance to pay the hospital for all the services and then the hospital just takes care of paying Drs, Ambulances etc? That way if you go to your in network hospital, you know everything is covered?

[@randomtinypotatocried]

Insurance is in the business of not paying

[@colombiantom]

@@randomtinypotatocried I guess, I should have said, can we make.

[@LikelyToBeEatenByAGrue]

Good start! Now we just need to get rid of the word "surprise" from that sentence.

[@dustyadams5927]

So what about those that received surprise billing before 2022? I received emergency care at an in network hospital and received over $5000 of out of network charges. This is wrong on so many levels I had no idea this was happening until it happened to me! It's so unethical why was it ever allowed $$$?

[@mattwodziak1750]

I’d really like to hear the counter argument.

[@Amantducafe]

Health is a business in the USA.

[@nvention20]

its complicated on Purpose .

[@dimbulb23]

Everything is complicated if you get into its details and everything has details. Welcome to Planet Earth.

[@nvention20]

@@dimbulb23 the terminologies , exceptions ,rules .. etc. are something one need to take a class on to understand .Few have to time to since we get our healthcare provided by Employers . Health Insurance Co Know this and lobby for it to stay hard to understand .

[@neilldn74]

The informed consent will still be a problem. They get you to sign something when you register with the fine print saying you are liable and then they have their informed consent.

[@jeffwalther]

I get it. I can't pay an additional $500? a year in taxes to pay for medicare-for-all but I can pay $3000 for stitches in my finger?

[@markplain2555]

Your middle finger.

[@floatingdoc1]

dude, it isn't going to cost you 500 dollars a year. What world are you living in?? SOCIALIZED MEDICINE IS A COLOSSAL FAILURE. THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE THE PROBLEM WITH THE US HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (AND THE LAWYERS TOO)

[@mirkofernd]

@@floatingdoc1 if it effectively costs every taxpayer 500 bucks more every year to finance a universal healthcare the entire system needs an overhaul. I live in 3rd world country, here at least they try to provide universal health insurance since 2017 in public facilities *without* raising any taxes whatsoever. the socialist idea here is to try improving living conditions in general because they noticed that healthy, living people are still potentially more productive than dying people. And what happened: Now many more people are contributing to taxes because their employers no longer have to account for their previously obligated private insurance. Taking insurance negotiations off of potential employment allows for a positive feedback loop in health coverage and tax revenue.

[@ahmadizzuddin]

Just a suggestion, to get this info out to a wider audience you guys might want to consider using youtube posts. Simple posts with polls or a link to a full video work best from what I know what other content creators are doing.

[@johnw4016]

Last year, a friend began suffering seizures and was taken to hospital by ambulance on two occasions after bystanders called 911. He had insurance through Obama Care. One ambulance, provided by Lawrence Fire Department, was "out of network" and billed $2400 for a 15 min ride. The other, provided by Eshkenazi, also billed about the same amount as their headline rate, but settled for about $400, as their "in network" rate. Many believe unpaid medical bills are forgiven; that is often not true. They are sent to "collections" and debt collectors pursue the debtor through the courts using their social security number to garnish wages for years to come, adding on interest charges and costs to the bill. It cannot be right or just that calls to 911, beyond the patient's control, can result in such varied and inflated bills. It resembles an extortion racket more than a public emergency service.

[@liberoAquila]

It's already facing legal challenges by private equity doctor groups

[@therrydicule]

Private ambulances? That's should be rare as hell. As in maybe racetrack, stunts on movie set, and crap like that...

[@shawnkerr]

This is good. It seems to always be a problem coming to conclusions where the almighty dollar is concerned. It is a very sad time we live in when profit is more important than poverty.

[@scotthendricks5665]

Watching these videos are great. Only in the USA could you come up with this. It's like watching a train crash from the safety of a nearby hill.

[@Psycherz]

My ambulance was out of network...

[@Psycherz]

Doh, he covered it just after posting

[@hispanohablanteliam3796]

HMO vs PPO?

[@carmthisis8265]

So the patient isn’t liable unless there’s informed consent. Here’s hoping the patient or whomever is acting on the patient’s behalf, doesn’t sign “regular” hospital paperwork that’s indicates informed consent. Here’s hoping visits to the physicians office that result in work being sent to an unknown lab are included. Here’s hoping it is actually written to say “facilities” and not just “hospitals” so that way birthing centers, freestanding radiology centers, surgery centers, and whatever other kind of facility is included in this. Here’s hoping it includes when the hospital sends a patient home with a medical supply and the bill is from a separate supplier that patients don’t know about. Here’s hoping patients don’t have to worry about who is doing anesthesia or if there is going to be another individual assisting on a surgery. Here’s hoping patients fully protected during your hospital stay. It seems some of this will be under protection. I don’t think the definition of surprise bill given in this video will be accurate. It’ll be interesting what the legislation states the definition of a surprise bill will be. It’s got to be more specific than the definition that was given here. For example if I go for an office visit for my ankle pain and I looked for a doctor and scheduled the appointment and went and then I am later surprised to find out the doctor was not part of my plan, while I am surprised by this, I doubt this will fit the definition of a surprise bill. I don’t think it’ll be as simple as going out of network without knowing it and getting a high bill. Period. End of story. I’m eager to see the specifics and 2022 can’t come fast enough cause we need this YESTERDAY. Many decades ago. Finally, a start.

[@jimkirby9959]

I bugs the hell out of me that those who speak of "Medicare" this and that don't distinguish between Medicare Part A and B, not to mention C and D. They are not the same. Like everyone else, I have Part A, but I refuse to participate in Parts B, C and D. The result is that I can't tell if surprise billing for ground ambulance is covered in my case.

[@dashdash_peacecampaign]

Can we have an Can we get an update on this?

[@nanszoo3092]

so now we just need to wait until 2022 to get care .... of course, that gives the legal teams a year to figure out the loopholes. I just got charged $126 for covid tests that are supposed to be free. Not sure how that happened as I haven't seen the bill. I thought I paying for a different visit when I signed in for my Annual last week.

[@TheBighatter]

Never trust a channel that blocks comments on ANY of its videos.

[@dianesheldon2591]

Or just have everything in network like say bu state with reciprocal billing agreements between states. Hmm where could you copy that from, let’s see Canada! I have health care in BC and have now worries if I get hurt anywhere in Canada. (Except Quebec but even that just takes some time to get sorted out).

[@Crimsoth]

The person who comes in for "informed consent" and trying to grab my debit card...I'm just going to ignore them.

[@monicaperez2843]

Refuse to pay surprise bills. Always told them my insurance when calling from home and again at the reception desk. Also asked them to call my insurance company before I arrive to be sure they would be paid.

[@Stefan-hf6xb]

My next concern would be they would just pass those now lost profits down in the form of higher premiums for everyone. They'll get their money one way or another 🙄

[@thesudaneseprince9675]

How could 18% actually be in favour in surprise billing, smh 🤕, it's one of those things in life that is clearly wrong

[@Praisethesunson]

Their job, wealth, or ignorance depend on it.

[@SaucerJess]

💚💚💚

[@SgtMantis]

Thisnis a result of the corporate government oligarchy handshaking with the insurance industry to be conveniently inadequate in most cases. Just don't pay it. The system breaks if you don't play.

[@ThomasBomb45]

But the system makes it hard if you don't. Your credit score will go to shit

[@Roll587]

Surprise billing is horrible!

[@Praisethesunson]

But think of the profits

[@neilldn74]

Any other industry and this would be considered predatory

[@andrews6013]

It's news like this that makes my day. Also fuck air ambulances, they need to get with the program of not being vampires.

[@dashdash_peacecampaign]

Also, this doesn't take effect until next year 2022

[@jeremyepstein6923]

Can u make a video comparing the us Medicare system to other nations national healthcare system

[@Noschool100]

Thank God for private Healthcare system, Texas man got to pay for the privilege of paying 100k

[@bobsellars2395]

Gasp, try socialised free-for-all healthcare. First, it provides better quality, efficiency and access to care. Secondly, it's half the cost of the inefficient and expensive system in the USA. This information from the Commmonwealth Fund, an American private foundation. On a personal note, I had a cardiac arrest 4 years ago requiring helicopter evacuation and eventually an implanted cardioverter defibrillator. Cost of this, inpatient hospital care and 4 years of specialist review has been NZ$0.00 (this converts to US$0.00). Amount of time spent worrying about insurance, surprise fees and future coverage has been nil. Quality of care, according to the Commonwealth Fund has been better than what I would get in the USA. Cardiologist salaries are about the same in USA as in New Zealand with income tax being slightly less in USA

[@tabaks]

Three private equity CEOs also saw this video.

[@norahflower2357]

another lil bandage on the gaping wound that is the US economy

[@dashdash_peacecampaign]

I call it Ninja doctors

[@declup]

We use out-of-network providers and similar tools to enhance your healthcare shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and issue surprise invoices, including interest-based surprise invoices. Approved third parties also use these out-of-network providers in connection with our issuance of surprise invoices. If you do not want to accept all out-of-network providers or would like to learn more about how we use out-of-network providers, click "Customize out-of-network providers". CLICK --> Accept Out-of-Network Providers ✓ CLICK --> Customize Out-of-Network Providers ✍

[@Crimsoth]

FO

[@peter4210]

Americans making their way out of the 3rd wold one small law at a time

[@sreekarkandala388]

Can we credit the Biden Administration for this good news? Not trying to be political, just a noob with a question.

[@TokenBlackman7]

Unless the Biden Admin. implements Medicare4All (which, Biden said he wouldn't), they haven't done enough.

[@bmxdork]

Not to be political, but The No Surprises Act was included in The Consolidated Appropriations Act signed on Dec 28th (2:26) by President Trump. Give thanks to the correct admin...

[@benroberts2222]

The covid relief legislation mentioned passed at the end of the Trump presidency, in December I think

[@DuderMcDudenstein]

@@bmxdork we can’t talk about that. You’re telling me the Trump administration did things that don’t fall into “ENTIRELY AND COMPLETELY EVIL” and that’s not really something I wanna think about

[@WIImotionmasher]

Trump administration managed to push out a clearly and undebatably evil practice. With zero excuses to do otherwise. This is important to note. While the Trump admin has proven greedy and controlling, they are not inhuman. Theyre just awful people lol. If we don't give it credit when it does things right, they will claim all of our criticisms are unreliable. I suspect the ambulance exemption was to make some Republicans feel better about their wallets though...

[@Oaky]

Bootleg hank green

[@Oaky]

Just kiddinggg. 💘

[@KHMakerD]

First

[@KHMakerD]

Seriously though, ambulance rides should be free.