I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: Medicare/Insurance => Topic started by: ebh045 on March 04, 2013, 12:09:38 PM
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Started dialysis 3 times a week with Fresenius on Jan 28, 2013. out on disability from work for 5 weeks to adjust. have employer insurance but shocked
with the weekly charges -$20K a week billed my insurance pllus the lab work $600 per week done by the lab "owned" by freseniius. No payments have been made to fresenius since there is a negotiated rate.
I guess this the cost shifting that the insurance companies experience for 30 months before the Medicare rates kick in.
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Yep. I'm still on my employer insurance as primary. Even doing home hemo, the bills are astronomical. Of course, the rates are negotiated like you said and a bunch is cut off the top. But then the fact that appalls me is that they still want you as the insured to pay an outrageous co-pay. I've often wanted to tell them to take their co-pay and stuff it because they are already getting a huge amount compared to what they get for Medicare patients. But since I don't have the energy to fight, I just pay it off little by little.
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I look at the EOB's from my insurance, which is now secondary to my husbands Medicare. I am so thankful that my insurance pays 100% of what Medicare doesn't, up tot he Medicare approved amount. I can't believe the monthly cost of hemo!
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I'm racking up copays of $25 each time Frank dialyzes. $75 a week. No way we can pay it so I'm just kinda ignoring it. I don't know what else to do. They havent said anything yet.
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I can't believe the monthly cost of hemo!
This isn't the monthly "cost" for hemo, this is the monthly bill for hemo.
Big, big, big difference.
This, like all medical bills, is entirely fictional and bears no relationship to anything in the real world.
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No I get that the "cost" is inflated as far as the medical billing goes, but even if it wasn't, the copayment or uncovered amount would still be ridiculous. And unaffordable!
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If you are working Your insurance is primary and the only one for the first 30 days. Medicare should then be secondary but you have to have your social worker help get you signed up. Then.... for 30 months your private insurance is primary and Medicare is secondary and you should not pay a dime. So, don't. After 30 months the insurances flip flop and if you still have private insurance it will become secondary and Medicare primary.