this is just a subset of the general problem of surprise medical billing, which extends to things like getting an out-of-network anesthesiologist even though your surgeon was in-network and he chose the anesthesiologist.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3803779&forum_id=2#34733163)

I fractured my leg a few years ago and my orthopedic surgeon prescribed me a knee brace that he said i didn't really need. when i asked the guy in his office how much it would cost (in case my insurance refused to cover it), he refused to give me a #.

it ended up being like $80, but the insane part is i could imagine it being anywhere from like $50 to $5000 because there's no fucking relationship between the cost of the product/service and the price charged.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3803779&forum_id=2#34733248)

http://www.omlaw.com/azapp-blog/postings/2007/thursday-august-16-2007/

Under Arizona law, the chargemaster (which is full of made up fees that don't have to be approved by anyone) is deemed incorporated into the conditions of admission, even when no specific reference is made to them. Besides, virtually no patient would be able to interpret the gibberish even if it were explicit.

(By the way, as is usual in Arizona, when an appellate judge goes to the trouble of writing a dissent, as here, the dissent is typically right.)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3803779&forum_id=2#34735604)

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/fire-department-bills-basic-services-horrify-residents-insurance/story?id=9736696

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3803779&forum_id=2#34733189)

"I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET THE FEE UPFRONT. ALSO HAVE YOU READ ATLAS SHRUGGED?"

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3803779&forum_id=2#34733343)

"I don't care what the fire marshal says at all," Blackford said. "The insurance companies owe this."

He confirmed that the Fairchilds' insurance company was refusing to pay the $28,000 bill and that ESBC would be pursuing the charges in court.

"Every time you have one of these fires, it's an environmental disaster," Blackford said. "Should we make the person who is responsible for the problem pay or should we raise your taxes and my taxes?"

He, instead, blamed insurance companies that collect premiums from their customers, then refuse to pay when called upon.

"I think that's criminal. It's embezzlement," Blackford said. "They're taking the premiums and not paying the claims."

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3803779&forum_id=2#34733231)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3803779&forum_id=2#34733241)

When he comes around, his biggest concern, I shit you not, is making sure that no one had waived his right to refuse ambulance transport while he was unconscious.

Not trying to be some buckwild lib here, but I thought that was kind of a sad observation on our healthcare system.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3803779&forum_id=2#34733253)

waht does this even mean

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3803779&forum_id=2#34735635)

The cases are usually prosecuted by shitlawyers who can't be bothered to properly work up the case, so you end up winning on shit like business records problems and inability to document assignments.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3803779&forum_id=2#34735667)