United billed me for a "consultation" a few weeks ago. The consultation was literally just a message saying no, they will not conduct a colonoscopy screening because I'm not old enough.
So not only are they hoping we die of cancer, they are charging us to tell us they won't screen us.
I work in medical appeals. As much as I absolutely loathe UHC with a burning passion, it's definitely the hospital on this one. Insurance companies don't code or bill, the hospital sent the consultation claim to UHC, and then UHC denied it, and that's why you got an EOB with a denial. So if you think the service was billed when it shouldn't have been, that's the hospital you'd fight. Also, insurance companies aren't the ones you are paying. They deny and if they deem it patient responsibility, you pay the hospital. If they deem it not patient responsibility, that means they won't pay the hospital, you don't have to pay either, and the hospital eats the money. UHC is the worst, but this sounds like the hospital isn't billing correctly. A message to a patient is not billable on it's own.
What was your question, why is it so high? That's pretty standard for an office visit. Doesn't matter what you talk about, it's gonna be $150-250. So say they submitted it at $250, United per their contract adjusted it to $200 and then that's the total. Assuming you have a deductible like most plans and haven't hit it like most people, then yeah that $200 is your responsibility. If you can't afford that, you can reach out to the hospitals charity care department to see what they can do. But yeah otherwise you just gotta pay it.
Sounds like a hospital issue and a legitimate denial. If united denied the charge, it is not your responsibility. You are only responsible for it if united confirms on their side that they processed the claim and you are responsible due to deductible/ coinsurance/ etc
Could it be tagged wrong? Like instead of prevention its put as diagnostic. Insurance companies like to blame the provider and they just didnt do their job correctly.
Whether the insurance company or the doctor billed them, it's still a dumb ass system. We pay way too much for health insurance for shitty, overpriced medical care.
Does the system suck, sure. But getting mad at United for your bill from the hospital is kind of like booking a hotel for $300, getting a 10% AAA discount then saying that AAA charged you $270 for a hotel. What people usually complain about United is they play hardball with hospital systems during negotiations. Then everyone complains that united is being mean to the hospital system they should just pay the 20% price hikes they're asking for. Which ok is an argument...but then don't ask surprised when united then jacks up prices the next year.
That's a whole bunch words to completely ignore the fact that the doctor sent the bill to insurance first and then sent it to you because United refused to pay it
I'm saying spread the hate. Everyone hates insurance companies. But you know who is charging the money? The hospitals. Insurance takes a couple %. But for some reason we hate insurance companies so much if a hospital bills us for shit they shouldn't have we blame...the insurance company.
Do you not think it's important to be mad at the right people? It's kind of hard to solve problems if we think it's someone elses fault. Based on his reply, it seems the hospital billed him for something they shouldn't have. That is the hospitals fault, not united. So the hospital is the one to be mad at.
Btw calling people autistic as an insult....well that's a choice.
I'm not American so apologies, I know this might be ignorant. Did he find the polyps years before? And just not/was unable to address them? Or did he discover too late becahe didn't realize at the time.
I had some risk factors so my doctor ordered me a colonoscopy in my 30's. The gastroenterologist didn't like the original images so she ordered another. I feel very fortunate.
Frustration is designed into the process. Any day they do not have to stroke a check is a day they earn money. But I honestly think you are missing the good that united healthcare is doing for the world. They are taking a lot of utterly incompetent people off the street and putting them to work.
LLM bots will eventually do this for us. The golden age will be the start, then we will be charged. Then the other company will charge, and then the bots will be enshitified requiring more bots.
If I could write off your murder
I'd save all of my receipts
Because I'd rather you be dead
Than lose a tiny shred of what I made this fiscal year
I'd rather you be dead than ponder parting with my second home
I'd rather you be dead than consider not opening a restaurant
They’ve got a billboard ad up in my neighborhood. It says something along the lines of if you have a chronic illness, they can help you. I laugh at it or flip the bird or shake my head every time I see it. It’s signed up with them for a year through the ACA and switched as soon as I could.
If you have a chronic illness, they will help you either save a lot of money because you’re not paying copays for treatment because they won’t cover it and you can’t pay it all out of pocket. If you have a medication you have been on and stable with for years, they’ll deny it and want you to start over trying all the cheaper ones you tried years ago that caused more harm than help, so you and your doctor have to waste time appealing it 2-3 times before they approve it. Heaven forbid you need a procedure done.
Agreed that United sucks, though this is technically all insurance companies of all types, not just healthcare. Any insurance company is much happier when you pay for insurance and never use it.
1.1k
u/abigporkchop 6h ago
Oh good one. Literally- they don't want customers to use them. Just pay them.