Isn't that how BMW dealers work as well? The warranty companies have contracted prices that they will pay the dealers for repairs that are lower than what the dealers would change a person out of warranty for the same repairs that walked in off the street?

That's what I have seen too. The insurance company reduces the bill, pays partally of reduced bill and leftover is patients responsibility based on your coverage.

LabGuy,
Thanks for the info...another labyrinth of Where does the dough go and why, imo.

As a holder/payer of our own insurance, (North Carolina BC/BS Major Med only), to the tune of ~$8,000 per year
off the top, (or bottom), and dreading having to "use" it some time, (with our $5G deductible), I hope I don't get
sick or need coverage any time soon...holding on for MediCare in 3 1/2 more years, but hearing the tales from my
older Geezer buds, makes that look like a wonderment, too.

I am not railing, and I realize "health care in US" has been beaten to a pulp here; and, I've read a lot on the topic...
maybe it, like "gov't", is one of those things we cannot fix or, make "better".
BR,mD

Yep...Pretty much how the world works except in the case of health-care the HMO's tell the providers to sign on for pennies on the dollar or you won't be able to see a significant percentage of the population which would place the doctor "out of network". The landscape of "fee for service" is being eroded to the point Doctors are forced to see more patients just to pay for medical school.

Managed care is just that...If a specific doctor is "over utilizing" expensive services as determined by the insurance company he could be removed from the network.

Unfortunately that is not really medical insurance. More like catastrophic insurance. The high deductible keeps most from seeking medical attention for minor issues which sometimes become major issues. The best medicine is to eat right and stay healthy which when I look around is only about 20% of the population. No wonder strokes and heart attacks kill more people every year than all the cancers combined. (that is a fact by the way).

LabGuy,
I agree and that's what we have/can afford. "Real coverage", even
7 years ago when we moved to NC and my COBRA expired, was very
expensive then...now, it's really costly; thus, we rolled the dice and
chose Major Medical only. Fixed income requires real attention to
expenses, esp. due to the past 6 months of porfolio erosion.
BR,mD

If you think US healthcare is expensive now, just wait until Pres Obama makes it free.

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Time to move to Canada.

Yeah, but you spend all your money on long underwear up there! Still end up broke!

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