DaVita Letter To Patients

[Rerun]

I received this sweet little letter in the mail today dated July 3, 2007

Dear (NAME)

Effective May 1, 2007, DaVita implemented a Patient Billing Policy in accordance with government regulations.  As a result, patients may receive a statement for balances deemed patient responsibility by their insurance carrier.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, we have also simplified the statement to make it more patient friendly.  You will notice the formatting changes beginning with the July 2007 statement.

We at DaVita recognize the financial hardships you may encounter as a result of your renal decease.  We encourage you to reach out to your Guest Services Specialist or Social Worker to address any questions or concerns you may have.  These are resources available to help and assist you.

As our valued member of our Village know that we strive to fulfill our mission to be the Provider of Choice, one patient at a time.

Regards,

DaVita Patient Billing

[Rerun]

So WTF does this mean?  Are we expected to pay what insurance and Medicare won't pick up?  That is astronomical !!!

They charge $40,000 a month and my insurance pays about $5,000 and I don't know what Medicare pays.

I'll quit dialysis before they will get a dime out of me.  There is no way a person can afford dialysis.

[livecam]

It sounds like they want to treat you the same way hospitals treat their paying patients.  If they know you have it they will try to nickel and dime you for whatever they can get.  They bleed you three times a week and they want more?

Are they going to start charging you for every bandage and piece of tape they use or maybe for a sheet of kleenex? 

Of course the uninsured and the illegals will have their dialysis expenses covered completely just as they have before.

Now that they've sent this letter why aren't they telling you just what "balances deemed patient responsibility" are? How come there are patient responsibility expenses now when there weren't before?

"We at DaVita recognize the financial hardships you may encounter as a result of your renal decease."  What a joke...take a group of captive sick people, screw them more, and thats nice?

Maybe what they want to collect from insured patients will pay for their next yearly get together in Vegas huh?

[Chicken Little]

What a waste of time and paper.  They probably had to hire people to create these bills too.  Pathetic.   

[Rerun]

I love the last line "As our valued member of our Village know that we strive to fulfill our mission to be the Provider of Choice, one patient at a time."

More like "we like to screw just one patient at a time"!     

                     

[livecam]

Could that be Hillary's village?

[Mongo]

So WTF does this mean? Are we expected to pay what insurance and Medicare won't pick up? That is astronomical !!!

They charge $40,000 a month and my insurance pays about $5,000 and I don't know what Medicare pays.

I'll quit dialysis before they will get a dime out of me. There is no way a person can afford dialysis.

In the past, if you had Medicare and a supplement/secondary or a commercial insurance and Medicare as secondary, whatever balance remained was often written off with little or no effort made to collect. Now, per new Medicare billing regulations, every provider (not only DaVita) must attempt to collect the remaining balance from the patient after the insurance/Medicare discounts are applied.

To keep stuff like this from happening, you really need to get the ear of your elected officals in Washington who write these laws...

Mongo

[Rerun]

I've scrimped and saved my whole life so I could have a house and car and just live right.  I told them when I started dialysis that I would not pay what they were charging.

I pay for medicines and other doctors and hospitals.  There is no way anyone can afford the "balance."

AND what about the people who don't have insurance? 

Well, I've always said that there are people on dialysis who shouldn't be and I guess this will weed a few out.  Including me.  But, I'll go down fighting.  I'll contact every media source that will listen and tell them what DaVita makes for a profit in a year.

[thegrammalady]

So WTF does this mean?  Are we expected to pay what insurance and Medicare won't pick up?  That is astronomical !!!

They charge $40,000 a month and my insurance pays about $5,000 and I don't know what Medicare pays.

I'll quit dialysis before they will get a dime out of me.  There is no way a person can afford dialysis.

by law they can't collect more than the 20% medicare doesn't cover (which is 20% of the medicare allowable expense, not 20% of what the doctor bills.) if you don't have a secondary insurance you are responsible for the 20%. example one of my doctors billed medicare $600. medicare allowed $283.29. they paid $226.63 leaving a balance of $56.66. if i didn't have other insurance or if for some reason the other insurance didn't cover all of it, it would be my responsibility. secondary insurance however usually picks up all of what's left over after the primary insurance pays. because 100% of 20% is much less than the 80 or 90% they would pay if they were primary carrier. da vita or any other provider cannot by law charge you the $317.71 medicare didn't allow.

[angela515]

This is exactly why my credit is ruined, at least until it falls off after 7 years, because everything that was left over that insurance didn't pay (doctor visit's, dialysis, hospital stays, ER visits..ect) got put on my credit report because there is NO way I am going to choose to put what little money I was getting towards a medical bill I had no control over, instead of going toward's rent, food and my children.

I have over 100k on my credit report with new stuff added on every month.. which pisses me off, because EVERYTHING negative on my credit is MEDICAL, so I have a credit score of 400 something and can't get approved for anything due to renal disease. It sucks. Now that I live in Iowa though, I have no medical bills... what Medicare don't pay, my supplement pays... However I couldn't get this in NV... makes no friggen sense.

It basically like they say, well, we know you people have to do dialysis to live, so we will get money out of ya cause it's not like you will stop it. BLEH.

[Rerun]

The way I read it is even though my primary (right now) is Blue Cross Blue Shield and Medicare is my secondary this "new" law gives them the right to bill me for the rest.  So, I don't know which law takes precedence.

I wouldn't mind paying $300 a month, but that is $300 a month that could go to my living expenses.  I guess dialysis is a living expense    but not a "normal" living expense. 

No, this is just not right.  I don't think it is right that they charge SOOOO much even if I don't have to pay out of pocket.

I've got money saved but they are not going to get it.  I guess that sounds stingy, but so is what the administrators make and then they want more.  BASTARDS!!!   

[Ken Shelmerdine]

It's absolutely scandalous that sick people should be put under this kind of pressure. It must wear you down having to constantly budget for your treatment and my heart goes out to you for having to put up with this shit. All the beaurocracy of having to sort out which provider will  or will not fund your treatment must be mind blowing. 

 I'm not posting this to gloat but thank God for the British NHS. We pay a nominal amount of national insurance which is deducted from your salary and for that you are entitled to all hospital treatment and visits to the docter weather it's for a a minor injury or open heart surgery. All kidney dialysis is completely free except any medication for which there is a standard charge of about £7 per item or you can buy a 12 month prepayment certificate which costs about £130  as I do if you have a lot of items per month (it works out a lot cheaper) but after you reach the age of 60 even these items are free. There are however certain new cancer drugs which  the NHS will not fund but there are campains underway to put pressure on the NHS to do so.

I've often wondered why  a country like the United States doesn't have a similar kind of system to Britain. Has there ever been any kind  national campain to lobby the government into providing a free health service? As long as your health providers exist as private companies to line shareholders pockets I can't see things improving.         

[Chicken Little]

BC/BS plans have a maximum out of pocket per year.  I've never seen one that didn't.  They usually run from $1000 to $6000, depending on family/individual coverage and the policy.  Once you've paid that amount in co-pays or percentages, Blue Cross will be responsible for the balances.  The only way you'd be hit for more money is if you were to go over the policy limit.  Most policies limits are in the $1 million range. 

I would imagine people that have Medicare only, will be held responsible for their balances.  A very bad move by this administration.   

[angela515]

BC/BS plans have a maximum out of pocket per year.  I've never seen one that didn't. 

I probably have one... don't know b/c even if I do, I don't pay it, mine is paid for by the state due to my income.

[Bill Peckham]

In the past, if you had Medicare and a supplement/secondary or a commercial insurance and Medicare as secondary, whatever balance remained was often written off with little or no effort made to collect. Now, per new Medicare billing regulations, every provider (not only DaVita) must attempt to collect the remaining balance from the patient after the insurance/Medicare discounts are applied.

What new Medicare billing regulations? Do you have a citation? I think this would take Congressional action to initiate.

Davita seems to be intent on destroying the way ESRD is currently funded in the US. What are they hoping to put into place to replace the current system? What is Davita's vision for US ESRD funding?

[Rerun]

My Social Worker assures me that this won't affect me because my insurance pays 80% and Medicare pays 20% but My Social Worker is an idiot, so I asked her for a DaVita phone number.  That person has not returned my phone call yet. 

[angela515]

My Social Worker assures me that this won't affect me because my insurance pays 80% and Medicare pays 20% but My Social Worker is an idiot, so I asked her for a DaVita phone number.  That person has not returned my phone call yet. 

She's right.

[jbeany]

Davita seems to be intent on destroying the way ESRD is currently funded in the US. What are they hoping to put into place to replace the current system? What is Davita's vision for US ESRD funding?

Can I state the Captain Obvious answer here? - What ever makes them the most profit!

[Wattle]

I've got money saved but they are not going to get it.  I guess that sounds stingy, but so is what the administrators make and then they want more.  BASTARDS!!!   

Rerun you are far from stingy! Don't give them a penny and tell them to stick it.

Are you meant to be homeless?? But your dialysis is paid for? 

I can not understand a medical system that allows you to even think of stopping dialysis due to a financial issue. ESRD comes with its own set of personal financial hurdles. Paying for dialysis is just too much. Someone in power needs to be on dialysis for any changes to be made.

[Ohio Buckeye]

I got my letter today.  Sure scares me.
I'm on private ins. right now, with no medicare.
Also got a prescription membership card and a letter thanking me for choosing Davita as
my choice place to get prescriptions and how easy it is.
I am on a long list of pres. and some of them are $40 but a generic I can get for $4 or a little more at
Giant Eagle and I'm not interested in getting pres. from Davita. 

[Rerun]

DaVita had a representative there a few months ago.  They asked me to sign a permission slip so they could check out my drug prescription plan with my insurnace.  I wouldn't sign it.  It is none of their damn business what my perscription plan is as long as I get my drugs and take them!

(back to the letter I received)
The director of my clinic called me and wants me to bring in the letter so she can make a copy.  I think I'll make the copy so it doesn't just dissappear.

[Rerun]

A representative from DaVita's Insurance Department called me today.  The letter went out to all patients that had private insurance.  In my situation I will not get a bill because my insurance covers 80% and Medicare 20%.

I'm not sure who would have to pay if you have private insurance? 

Bottom line is no one can possible afford dailysis at the current price.

[scooter26]

To anyone here who has a private insurance and has not applied for Medicare Part B, please do so as it will keep you from owing $ to Davita.

This is why, when you have a private insurance primary that will have some sort of patient responsibility such as a co-pay, deductible, coinsurance and do not have Medicare you will be billed for that balance.   If you have Medicare secondary to this insurance you will not be billed as the balance will be written off by Davita.  There is kind of a long explanation but the gist of it is that Medicare won't cover those balances and they must be written of as Davita (or other dialysis centers)  cannot legally bill the patient for them.   Remember this is only true is Medicare is in effect.

It is advantageous for anyone in this position to get the Medicare Part B coverage.

[Rerun]

That should be the first thing your Social Worker gets done for you.  So, check it out if you want to make sure.

[Ohio Buckeye]

Today I got a statement from my insurance, and there was over $5,000 expenses
unpaid from last month.  Sure hope I don't get billed for that!