Here's another example of the ridiculous pricing:

2 friends in Texas were tested for the coronavirus. One bill was $199. The other? $6,408.

It’s an example of the unpredictable way health prices can vary for patients who receive identical care.

As a precaution before a camping trip, Jimmy Harvey and Pam LeBlanc were tested for coronavirus at the same place in Austin. Their financial experiences, though, were very different. As a precaution before a camping trip, Jimmy Harvey and Pam LeBlanc were tested for coronavirus at the same place in Austin. Their financial experiences, though, were very different.
–Mary Inhea Kang / The New York Times

Before a camping and kayaking trip along the Texas coast, Pam LeBlanc and Jimmy Harvey decided to get coronavirus tests. They wanted a bit more peace of mind before spending 13 days in close quarters along with three friends.

The two got drive-thru tests at Austin Emergency Center in Austin. The center advertises a “minimally invasive” testing experience in a state now battling one of the country’s worst coronavirus outbreaks. Texas recorded 5,799 new cases Sunday and recently reversed some if its reopening policies.

They both recalled how uncomfortable it was to have the long nasal swab pushed up their noses. LeBlanc’s eyes started to tear up; Harvey felt as if the swab “was in my brain.”
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Their tests came back with the same result — negative, allowing the trip to go ahead — but the accompanying bills were quite different.

The emergency room charged Harvey $199 in cash. LeBlanc, who paid with insurance, was charged $6,408.

“I assumed, like an idiot, it would be cheaper to use my insurance than pay cash right there,” LeBlanc said. “This is 32 times the cost of what my friend paid for the exact same thing.”

LeBlanc’s health insurer negotiated the total bill down to $1,128. The plan said she was responsible for $928 of that.

During the pandemic, there has been wide variation between what providers bill for the same basic diagnostic test, with some charging $27, others $2,315. It turns out there is also significant variation in how much a test can cost two patients at the same location.

Harvey and LeBlanc were among four New York Times readers who shared bills they received from the same chain of emergency rooms in Austin. Their experiences offer a rare window into the unpredictable way health prices vary for patients who receive seemingly identical care.

Three paid with insurance and one with cash. Even after negotiations between insurers and the emergency room, the total that patients and their insurers ended up paying varied by 2,700%.
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Such discrepancies arise from a fundamental fact about the U.S. health care system: The government does not regulate health care prices.

Some academic research confirms that prices can vary within the same hospital. One 2015 paper found substantial within-hospital price differences for basic procedures, such as MRI scans, depending on the health insurer.

The researchers say these differences aren’t about quality. In all likelihood, the expensive MRIs and the cheap MRIs are done on the same machine. Instead, they reflect different insurers’ market clout. A large insurer with many members can demand lower prices, while small insurers have less negotiating leverage.

Because health prices in the United States are so opaque, some researchers have turned to their own medical bills to understand this type of price variation. Two health researchers who gave birth at the same hospital with the same insurance compared notes afterward. They found that one received a surprise $1,600 bill while the other one didn’t.

The difference? One woman happened to give birth while an out-of-network anesthesiologist was staffing the maternity ward; the other received her epidural from an in-network provider.

“The additional out-of-pocket charge on top of the other labor and delivery expenses was left entirely up to chance,” co-authors Erin Taylor and Layla Parast wrote in a blog post summarizing the experience. Parast, who received the surprise bill, ultimately got it reversed but not until her baby was nearly 1 year old.

The Trump administration has taken steps to limit patients’ out-of-pocket costs for coronavirus testing and treatment, using relief funds to reimburse providers for uninsured patients’ bills. Insurers are required to cover patients’ coronavirus tests with no cost-sharing or copayments. Alex Azar, the health and human services secretary, reiterated that commitment in a Sunday interview on CNN, saying, “If you are uninsured, it will be covered by us.”

https://www.boston.com/news/co.../covid-testing-bills

Took my boy to the doc for some ear drops due to an ear infection. Doc mentions they are Covid testing on site, and asked if I wanted a test run. I declined.

In my boy's chart was written "diagnosed possible upper respiratory infection, parent declined Covid test."

^^^

quote:

Originally posted by punch out:
Took my boy to the doc for some ear drops due to an ear infection. Doc mentions they are Covid testing on site, and asked if I wanted a test run. I declined.

In my boy's chart was written "diagnosed possible upper respiratory infection, parent declined Covid test."

People are sometimes offended by the language used in charting. There is nothing inaccurate or judgmental about that note in my opinion. It's simply a much more efficient way to document the facts than: "I offered dad the opportunity to have XX tested for Covid-19 and he preferred not to do so"

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:

People are sometimes offended by the language used in charting. There is nothing inaccurate or judgmental about that note in my opinion. It's simply a much more efficient way to document the facts than: "I offered dad the opportunity to have XX tested for Covid-19 and he preferred not to do so"

Then why write "upper respiratory infection" when that was not a concern of the doctor or me. My boy got the routine checks, and that was never mentioned as a possible issue.

quote:

Originally posted by punch out:
Then why write "upper respiratory infection" when that was not a concern of the doctor or me. My boy got the routine checks, and that was never mentioned as a possible issue.

That's where the ear infection came from.

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:
Lina Hidalgo? Pffft...I wouldn't go to her for consensual coitus.

So judge mental.

quote:

In my boy's chart was written "diagnosed possible upper respiratory infection, parent declined Covid test."

In addition to MNSIG point, this also reduces the chances of him getting sued for not testing someone with possible symptoms.

Correct. CYA is unfortunately necessary each time a physician treats a patient. There are people (including lots and lots of lawyers) out there just waiting for any chance at all to sue a "rich doctor".

Well dipshit in charge (CA goober), just stated how the protesters are not the problem, it's family gatherings...

"You know, when a child gets on Uncle Joe's lap (yes, he really said that!!) then moves over to Aunt Jane. That's how this is spread."

Also, all bars are closed and "[if you think you can just sit a restaurant that serves alcohol without eating] food must be served before alcohol is brought to the table."

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
"You know, when a child gets on Uncle Joe's lap (yes, he really said that!!) then moves over to Aunt Jane. That's how this is spread."

And...once again...Newsome fails. There has been tons of research at this point indicating children rarely spread the virus. That's the basis for many medical professionals opinions that kids need to be back in school, because they aren't a threat. The fact no one in the media challenges this retard over this bogus statement is just disgusting and tells you all you need to know about the media.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Correct. CYA is unfortunately necessary each time a physician treats a patient. There are people (including lots and lots of lawyers) out there just waiting for any chance at all to sue a "rich doctor".

I don't want to derail the thread as this is its own topic, but I've said for years that if you want to bring down healthcare costs you need tort reform. Control the lawsuits and payouts/settlements, insurance costs drop, and all the costs that make those huge insurance payments drop as well.

I hate it when people cheer a big medical settlement... "You're paying for that bonehead!"

June 25, 2020

I THINK THIS IS GOOD NEWS: As COVID-19 Infections Rise, Patients Are Getting Younger: The trend, which may reflect growing defiance of social distancing in some age groups, implies a lower death rate. Doesn’t this mean we’re building herd immunity among the people least likely to suffer complications, while protecting those who are the most vulnerable?

Plus:

If rising infections in states such as Texas, California, Arizona, and Florida (which yesterday saw a record increase in new confirmed cases) represent a new normal rather than a one-time jump tied to social gatherings on Memorial Day weekend, it will be hard to put the genie back in the bottle, regardless of any legal restrictions politicians decide to reimpose. Given the impracticality of mass enforcement, social distancing has always required voluntary compliance, and the willingness to comply seems to be waning, partly because of sheer impatience but also because the experience with ham-handed, economically devastating, and frequently arbitrary lockdowns has left many people bitter and disinclined to follow official recommendations.

Yes, the public health community squandered the trust that is its biggest asset.

Also, have you noticed that the rise in case numbers comes 1-2 incubation periods after those massive protests that public health people encouraged? And among the age groups that were most likely to protest? If you did, it was probably on your own, and not with the help of the media coverage.

https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/382618/

Meanwhile, Paul Krugman is cheering on the mass deaths of older Americans who oppose his radical progressive politics:

Has this been already noted? OSHA's own website states that cloth and paper masks do nothing to protect you.

COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

This page includes frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Cloth Face Coverings
What are the key differences between cloth face coverings, surgical masks, and respirators?

Cloth face coverings:

May be commercially produced or improvised (i.e., homemade) garments, scarves, bandanas, or items made from t-shirts or other fabrics.
Are worn in public over the nose and mouth to contain the wearer's potentially infectious respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks and to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), to others.
Are not considered personal protective equipment (PPE).
Will not protect the wearer against airborne transmissible infectious agents due to loose fit and lack of seal or inadequate filtration.
Are not appropriate substitutes for PPE such as respirators (e.g., N95 respirators) or medical face masks (e.g., surgical masks) in workplaces where respirators or face masks are recommended or required to protect the wearer.
May be used by almost any worker, although those who have trouble breathing or are otherwise unable to put on or remove a mask without assistance should not wear one.
May be disposable or reusable after proper washing.

Surgical masks:

Are typically cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as medical devices (though not all devices that look like surgical masks are actually medical-grade, cleared devices).
Are used to protect workers against splashes and sprays (i.e., droplets) containing potentially infectious materials. In this capacity, surgical masks are considered PPE. Under OSHA's PPE standard (29 CFR 1910.132), employers must provide any necessary PPE at no-cost to workers.1
May also be worn to contain the wearer's respiratory droplets (e.g., healthcare workers, such as surgeons, wear them to avoid contaminating surgical sites, and dentists and dental hygienists wear them to protect patients).
Should be placed on sick individuals to prevent the transmission of respiratory infections that spread by large droplets.
Will not protect the wearer against airborne transmissible infectious agents due to loose fit and lack of seal or inadequate filtration.
May be used by almost anyone.
Should be properly disposed of after use.



Link

I wish someone could put a muzzle on this quack Fauci. He has yet to get anything right and now he's out spouting off that new cases could reach 100,000 per day.

quote:

Originally posted by tleo205:
I wish someone could put a muzzle on this quack Fauci. He has yet to get anything right and now he's out spouting off that new cases could reach 100,000 per day.

Let's stick to one storyline. If our argument is going to be that 10+ times the positive tests is the actual positive number, we're already at >25MM. At 100K/day that would take 250 days. Even with this starting earlier than March we're already way beyond that in actual cases per day.

So, he's already right.

^^^ Maybe, but if he's talking about positive tests being new cases I doubt that we will get that high. Since June 25 the new cases have been in the 40K range. I just don't see it going that much higher. Could be wrong.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
^^^ Maybe, but if he's talking about positive tests being new cases I doubt that we will get that high. Since June 25 the new cases have been in the 40K range. I just don't see it going that much higher. Could be wrong.

40k new cases per day? Wow, it has been a long time since I have looked at any of the “Death clock” pages.

I looked a few pages back and did not see this. If I missed it my apologies.
An article from a NJ news station (NJ 101.5) I used to listen to.
This could explain a lot about some of the spikes some states are seeing due to the massive increase in testing.

Can you test positive for coronavirus exposure with a cold? (Opinion)
Bill Spadea
June 30, 2020

https://nj1015.com/can-you-tes...ZMX9dveQCepHgB6SBqqc

wuhan crud may eventually be like the ever present cocaine on currency...