I went to visit my doctor awhile ago and was expecting the usual copay. I got the usual copay, but also another bill for over $500 from the local hospital. Surprise.
I live in an area with very few services. If I want to see a specialist, I need to drive 1 1/2 to 3 hours each way. Knowing this, many doctors elect to have clinics at the local hospitals so they can reach a larger client base. Apparently, now I get charged for seeing my doctor and also as an outpatient at the hospital, even though my doctor brings his own technicians with him. If I drive to my doctor's clinic, the insurance covers the bill, except for the copay. If I go to the clinic he runs at the local hospital, I pay his copay, plus outpatient fees at the hospital. If my insurance company had told me about the change beforehand, I would have made the drive, but to surprise me like that? The only words that come to mind are, "Fuck Humana".
Since Humana is the insurance company you have if you work for the state of Kentucky in any capacity, I can only wonder who in Frankfort received a kickback from that one. For a state that keeps whining about the need to develop the rural areas, to allow double billing of medical services for people who don't elect to drive to one of the state's population centers just seems stupid. Now, what used to be a doctor's visit I would fit into a lunch hour, will now be a paid sick day. Way to boost productivity and worker contentment Bluegrass State.
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