October 20th, 2008
Yesterday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examined the practice of hospitals requiring patients to pay their co-pay before undergoing elective surgeries, and gave a more detailed look into the practice by describing the situation of a man who needed knee replacement surgery to address his debilitating pain, stemming from an injury he sustained while performing service in the military.
Reports the Post-Gazette:
Under a long-standing policy that West Penn Allegheny Health System is now enforcing more vigorously with elective procedures, the caller explained, Mr. Kimberland would need to make his co-payment — roughly $1,000 — before the surgery could proceed.
Find out more details about such policies, and more about Mr. Kimberland’s story, at the Post-Gazette.
HealthPoint PA readers: Do you think it’s fair for hospitals to require co-payment up front, before they will provide patients with certain surgeries? Why or why not?
March 12th, 2011 at 1:11 am
This is an outrageous ripoff! This practice is already illegal in emergency situations.
See this website: http://www.americanbar.org/content/newsletter/publications/aba_health_esource_home/Lai.html
What other profession has the right to pre – bill for services? What prevents a doctor from not returning overpayment to his patient? Why are doctors some protected class? They have a contract with the insurance company to provide care to those insured. They can collect for extra fees via the courts like everyone else. If a doctor charges in advance for a biopsy in surgery he doesn’t perform who would know and follow up with making sure the pre payment was refunded? Obviously this is just another way to stick it to the consumer with no accountability!