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Kaiser Permanente - confused

Kaiser Permanente - confused

Old Nov 27th 2012, 8:01 pm
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Default Kaiser Permanente - confused

I went to see the doc today about getting a vasectomy - I have to see him and then be referred for stuff like this. The local surgery only does very minor procedures, so we have to go down the hill for anything else to their hospital. First I have to take a 2 hour class - fair enough. But when asked about the costs, nobody seemed to know.
1. Person booking appointment: You'll have to speak to member services
2. Member services: You'll have to speak to our cost estimating team
3. Cost team: Well, it'll be $30 co-pay if it's performed in a doctor's office, or $1750 if performed in an outpatient clinic. Me: How do I choose which setting? Team: I don't know.

Anybody had the snip on Kaiser before and know the routine? BTW I'm not asking costs; more about the office/outpatient thing.

(Incidentally, phoning them twice before I had estimates of $500 and $0 respectively. I knew it was bad but not this bad!)

Last edited by GeoffM; Nov 27th 2012 at 8:02 pm. Reason: Clarification
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Old Nov 27th 2012, 8:19 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Originally Posted by GeoffM
I went to see the doc today about getting a vasectomy - I have to see him and then be referred for stuff like this. The local surgery only does very minor procedures, so we have to go down the hill for anything else to their hospital. First I have to take a 2 hour class - fair enough. But when asked about the costs, nobody seemed to know.
1. Person booking appointment: You'll have to speak to member services
2. Member services: You'll have to speak to our cost estimating team
3. Cost team: Well, it'll be $30 co-pay if it's performed in a doctor's office, or $1750 if performed in an outpatient clinic. Me: How do I choose which setting? Team: I don't know.

Anybody had the snip on Kaiser before and know the routine? BTW I'm not asking costs; more about the office/outpatient thing.

(Incidentally, phoning them twice before I had estimates of $500 and $0 respectively. I knew it was bad but not this bad!)
Wouldn't it be cheaper and less painful just to keep it in your pants? :-)
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Old Nov 27th 2012, 8:23 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Originally Posted by markwm
Wouldn't it be cheaper and less painful just to keep it in your pants? :-)
I know a woman who conceived TWICE with her tubes tied (not me ). Draw your own conclusions.
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Old Nov 27th 2012, 8:23 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Originally Posted by markwm
Wouldn't it be cheaper and less painful just to keep it in your pants? :-)
Oh yes. But no fun - not the pain part!
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Old Nov 27th 2012, 8:26 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Originally Posted by Speedwell
I know a woman who conceived TWICE with her tubes tied (not me ). Draw your own conclusions.
The doctor did say there was a non-incision technique for women now where their tubes are basically plugged, via the frontispiece. Sounds like something a husband could enjoy trying to do, DIY style . Visions of earbud headphones come to mind for some reason.
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Old Nov 27th 2012, 8:26 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Yeah, good luck trying to get a price quote on it...as much fun as a kick in the nads

Anyway, in all seriousness, I'd be interested in experiences too, after having to do the todger dodger dance about a lump with the doctors last week :/
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Old Nov 27th 2012, 8:30 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Originally Posted by Bob
Yeah, good luck trying to get a price quote on it...as much fun as a kick in the nads
Wouldn't be so bad if it was a reasonable range like $500-750, maybe even with a waiver for complications. But not $30 to $1750. I just don't know what I need to do to find out when neither member services or the cost dept know.
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Old Nov 27th 2012, 8:45 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Update:
Fontana medical center, where the procedure would be performed: We don't know whether it would be outpatients or in your doctor's office. Phone member services.
Member services: We can't give you that information. Phone or email your doctor.

(Doctor already said he didn't know)

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Old Nov 27th 2012, 8:48 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Originally Posted by GeoffM
Wouldn't be so bad if it was a reasonable range like $500-750, maybe even with a waiver for complications. But not $30 to $1750. I just don't know what I need to do to find out when neither member services or the cost dept know.
Sorry, you clearly don't yet understand the US healthcare system - I suspect that even with Kaiser you will end up getting bills from at least from at least 5 or 6 different people - nobody can predict in advance how much the whole thing will end up costing ...
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Old Nov 27th 2012, 8:54 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Originally Posted by md95065
Sorry, you clearly don't yet understand the US healthcare system - I suspect that even with Kaiser you will end up getting bills from at least from at least 5 or 6 different people - nobody can predict in advance how much the whole thing will end up costing ...
No, it's not a case of not understanding the healthcare system, it's down to one simple question: where the procedure will be performed. How can they not answer that?

Emailed the doctor; we'll see where that gets us.
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Old Nov 27th 2012, 8:56 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Removed my post as not being relevant based on GeoffM's last post.
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Old Nov 27th 2012, 9:03 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
Since you are talking about Kaiser I presume you can only go to Kaiser doctors and hospitals.
Correct.

Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
Don't quite understand what you are being quoted. Obviously the 30 bucks is only the co-pay and not the full cost of the procedure. The rest will be billed to your insurance company

What is the 1750 charge for? Is that the cost of the procedure if you pay for it yourself? a co-pay? or what? I would have thought that Kaiser would charge more for the procedure if you went to an outpatient clinic since there would be the facility charge, the staff charges, presumably a bed charge if you are in there for a few hours.
She said the 1750 comes out of my deductible, which is $1500 and barely dented. So presumably with that I'd pay ~1500 rather than $1750.

I know some plans cover this sort of family planning thing entirely, presumably because it's cheaper than the wife (or anybody else!) having a baby.

Your mention of the clinic makes sense.

Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
Are you just trying to find out how much it is going to cost YOU because you are deciding whether to go to the office or to the outpatient?
Yep - though they didn't know how I choose one over the other.

Their online estimating tool says this:
----> $Typical then $complex
Your plan allows $547 $603
Your plan pays $547 $603
Your estimated cost $0 $0

Another procedure I just had done shows $94/$64/$30 for allows/pays/cost respectively, and I paid $30. And why is it $547 and not $1750?! In fact that example wouldn't even have a co-pay, compared to the procedure just done which clearly stated $30.

Last edited by GeoffM; Nov 27th 2012 at 9:04 pm. Reason: Formatting
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Old Nov 27th 2012, 9:05 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
Removed my post as not being relevant based on GeoffM's last post.
Sorry, mid-quoting you! You were helpful.
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Old Nov 27th 2012, 9:06 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Originally Posted by GeoffM
How can they not answer that?
Pay the bill and STFU. We have the best health care in the world!

Mrs. FB had an operation scheduled a month in advance quite recently. Piles of paperwork arrived a week beforehand but nothing about what the bill would be. They called around eight in the evening before the scheduled operation on the following day. They needed $1300 there and then (estimated co-pay) otherwise the operation couldn't go ahead.

The rest of the procedure went well. But we gave them minimum marks on everything on the feedback sheet simply because the whole system is totally stupid, and if you're part of it you're a twat too. I mean we can afford it, but we know plenty who couldn't just rustle up that sort of money late in the evening
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Old Nov 27th 2012, 9:10 pm
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Default Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused

Originally Posted by fatbrit
Pay the bill and STFU. We have the best health care in the world!

Mrs. FB had an operation scheduled a month in advance quite recently. Piles of paperwork arrived a week beforehand but nothing about what the bill would be. They called around eight in the evening before the scheduled operation on the following day. They needed $1300 there and then (estimated co-pay) otherwise the operation couldn't go ahead.

The rest of the procedure went well. But we gave them minimum marks on everything on the feedback sheet simply because the whole system is totally stupid, and if you're part of it you're a twat too. I mean we can afford it, but we know plenty who couldn't just rustle up that sort of money late in the evening
That's pretty much what it boils down to: ability to pay. If it is going to cost $1500+ then I can't afford that right now and will delay it. If not then I'll do it ASAP. I can understand flexible costs to a degree, ignoring complications which could explode the bill, that's okay, it is what it is. It's just a simple question, FFS! They do so many they have two conference rooms booked every week for the "education" part of it!
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