Kaiser Permanente - confused
#1
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
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!)
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
#2
Re: 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!)
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!)
#5
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused
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.
#6
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 :/
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 :/
#7
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused
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.
#8
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
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)
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)
#9
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Posts: 4,913
Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused
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 ...
#10
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused
Emailed the doctor; we'll see where that gets us.
#11
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2010
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 9,618
Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused
Removed my post as not being relevant based on GeoffM's last post.
#12
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused
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.
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.
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.
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
#14
Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused
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
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
#15
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: Kaiser Permanente - confused
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
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