ER Experience, again...
Aug 24th 2013 | 4:26 am
#31
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,678
From: San Francisco Bay Area
Re: ER Experience, again...
I have been to the ER twice with hubby and twice with my daughter. Each time they were seen promptly...the only snag was that the 'attending' on the last visit wasn't in network. Annoying because he didn't treat my husband...we were asked to wait before leaving as he wanted to say hello. Ca ching ! 
The last time my daughter went to the ER we were told she had sprained her ankle. 2 days later we were visiting a podiatrist...he asked if he could take a look at her ankle. He took x-rays and sure enough she had broken her ankle...which he treated.
3 weeks ago I spent the day in the ER of a hospital in Toronto...then I was moved to a trauma unit for 5 days. IMO it was comparable to a UK hospital. Aetna were very good...asked if I was happy with the hospital/service...did I wish to be moved to another hospital...did I wish to be repatriated? We had to settle the hospital bill for the room and ER before we left...in the region of $30K+...the doctors' bills are to follow. I have no idea how much of this we will have to pay out of pocket. From what I remember...because I was in a morphine induced haze...the doctors and nurses in the ER were very good. Can't really say the same for the doctors when I left the ER. A quick early morning visit which lasted about a minute...walking backwards towards the door as I was asking questions. Unlike my surgeon down here...who was constantly phoning and emailing my husband for updates while I was in Canada.
I cannot compare it to a US hospital because I have not been admitted here...unfortunately that will soon change...
The last time my daughter went to the ER we were told she had sprained her ankle. 2 days later we were visiting a podiatrist...he asked if he could take a look at her ankle. He took x-rays and sure enough she had broken her ankle...which he treated.3 weeks ago I spent the day in the ER of a hospital in Toronto...then I was moved to a trauma unit for 5 days. IMO it was comparable to a UK hospital. Aetna were very good...asked if I was happy with the hospital/service...did I wish to be moved to another hospital...did I wish to be repatriated? We had to settle the hospital bill for the room and ER before we left...in the region of $30K+...the doctors' bills are to follow. I have no idea how much of this we will have to pay out of pocket. From what I remember...because I was in a morphine induced haze...the doctors and nurses in the ER were very good. Can't really say the same for the doctors when I left the ER. A quick early morning visit which lasted about a minute...walking backwards towards the door as I was asking questions. Unlike my surgeon down here...who was constantly phoning and emailing my husband for updates while I was in Canada.
I cannot compare it to a US hospital because I have not been admitted here...unfortunately that will soon change...
From my experiences, AETNA is one of the good ones is a cesspool.
Last edited by Michael; Aug 24th 2013 at 4:29 am.
Aug 24th 2013 | 5:06 am
#32
Thread Starter
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 92,279
From: MA, USA
Aug 24th 2013 | 5:09 am
#33
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 89,088
Re: ER Experience, again...
...I have found the doctors here to be very good and attentive.I had AETNA through my employers plus COBRA for the last 20 years before I retired and I found them to be really good. Their benefits were easy to understand and only twice did I suspect there was a billing error and a quick call immediately straightened it out. When I was on COBRA, I checked their web site and it indicated that all doctors at Stanford hospital were in network but I got one bill for a doctor as out of network but when I called AETNA, it was corrected to be in network (apparently the doctor hadn't registered with AETNA but since he worked at Stanford hospital, they changed it to be in network).
From my experiences, AETNA is one of the good ones is a cesspool.
From my experiences, AETNA is one of the good ones is a cesspool.
Last edited by Jerseygirl; Aug 24th 2013 at 5:12 am. Reason: add another quote/post
Aug 24th 2013 | 5:18 am
#34
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,517
Re: ER Experience, again...
I have been to the ER twice with hubby and twice with my daughter. Each time they were seen promptly...the only snag was that the 'attending' on the last visit wasn't in network. Annoying because he didn't treat my husband...we were asked to wait before leaving as he wanted to say hello. Ca ching ! The last time my daughter went to the ER we were told she had sprained her ankle. 2 days later we were visiting a podiatrist...he asked if he could take a look at her ankle. He took x-rays and sure enough she had broken her ankle...which he treated.
3 weeks ago I spent the day in the ER of a hospital in Toronto...then I was moved to a trauma unit for 5 days. IMO it was comparable to a UK hospital. Aetna were very good...asked if I was happy with the hospital/service...did I wish to be moved to another hospital...did I wish to be repatriated? We had to settle the hospital bill for the room and ER before we left...in the region of $30K+...the doctors' bills are to follow. I have no idea how much of this we will have to pay out of pocket. From what I remember...because I was in a morphine induced haze...the doctors and nurses in the ER were very good. Can't really say the same for the doctors when I left the ER. A quick early morning visit which lasted about a minute...walking backwards towards the door as I was asking questions. Unlike my surgeon down here...who was constantly phoning and emailing my husband for updates while I was in Canada.
I cannot compare it to a US hospital because I have not been admitted here...unfortunately that will soon change...
The last time my daughter went to the ER we were told she had sprained her ankle. 2 days later we were visiting a podiatrist...he asked if he could take a look at her ankle. He took x-rays and sure enough she had broken her ankle...which he treated.3 weeks ago I spent the day in the ER of a hospital in Toronto...then I was moved to a trauma unit for 5 days. IMO it was comparable to a UK hospital. Aetna were very good...asked if I was happy with the hospital/service...did I wish to be moved to another hospital...did I wish to be repatriated? We had to settle the hospital bill for the room and ER before we left...in the region of $30K+...the doctors' bills are to follow. I have no idea how much of this we will have to pay out of pocket. From what I remember...because I was in a morphine induced haze...the doctors and nurses in the ER were very good. Can't really say the same for the doctors when I left the ER. A quick early morning visit which lasted about a minute...walking backwards towards the door as I was asking questions. Unlike my surgeon down here...who was constantly phoning and emailing my husband for updates while I was in Canada.
I cannot compare it to a US hospital because I have not been admitted here...unfortunately that will soon change...
Aug 24th 2013 | 5:25 am
#35
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 89,088
Re: ER Experience, again...
Aug 24th 2013 | 5:28 am
#36
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,517
Re: ER Experience, again...
What happens if you don't have that amount of money available? This is because you are not residents I suppose.
Aug 24th 2013 | 5:34 am
#38
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 89,088
Re: ER Experience, again...
If we were residents there would have been no charge. My daughter has a OHIP card...looks like a credit card...when she goes to the doctor etc they swipe her card...it brings up all her medical history as well as confirming she is entitled to free care. The Canadian health system...or at least Ontario...is based in the NHS.
Aug 24th 2013 | 6:12 am
#42
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,678
From: San Francisco Bay Area
Re: ER Experience, again...
Blue Cross/Blue Shield is a mixed bag. Initially it was a non profit organization but in the 1980s, laws were changed that made it difficult for management to pay themselves big bonuses. In the 1970s, Blue Cross/Blue Shield was a national company but in the 1980s, it started selling itself off to other companies so now just about every state has an independently operated and owned Blue Cross/Blue Shield company. Some are still non profit but most are for profit organizations with a franchiser to preform advertising and marketing for all Blue Shield/Blue Cross companies.
Aug 24th 2013 | 6:28 am
#43
Account Closed
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 0
Re: ER Experience, again...
Even my HR lady is baffled by their billing, and she is supposed to be the one sorting it for me!
Yesterday I had to appeal an ER bill. I have an ER co-pay of $100 which was waived as I was admitted. Then I was billed the full ER amount of $1, 600 as the ER doctor was not in network. HR appealed it for me and I was told to pay $42 and Aetna would pay the rest. Aetna did not pay the rest, there was $270 not paid and I am being hounded for it.
It would have been cheaper to leave the ER, pay the co-pay and let my GP admit me the next morning
So yesterday I decided to appeal it myself.
I used an ER that was in network but apparantly none of the ER doctors working there are in network. So I guess in future that is something you have to ask when you are in so much pain and you cannot stand up without throwing up......
None of it makes sense. Then when I got my mail yesterday I received a bill fom the anesthesiologist for the endoscopy I had in May... $900
He was not in network either and my already made deductible doesn't count. Don't even get me started on the bill for my 5 day stay. The itemized bill is so wrong, it has been sent back to have many "mistakes" rectified
Aug 24th 2013 | 7:21 am
#45
.
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 8,933
From: Where bad things rarely happen in movies
Re: ER Experience, again...
The rare exceptions are the Americans I've met that have lived overseas for a period. Most of them have had their eyes opened to how much scope for improvement there is here. Obviously the ones that have been compound living inNigeria or wherever, and weren't exposed to the local medical system are the exception to this, but we have neighbours/friends that have used NHS combined with PPP or BUPA, or have been in Germany, Singapore, Australia and Belgium, and they all preferred the overseas systems to what they experience here. And these are all middle/senior executives, so it's not like they personally are without insurance, or with bad insurance.
