Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining us again our bunny doctor Bill Hennessy, an expert
on healthcare transparency and what's going on with the sticker
shock these days? And you may be living right through
this now facing skyhigh medical bills?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Are you?
Speaker 1 (00:10):
And yeah, your hospital may be overcharging you. Shock her
there right, Bill, welcome back in Thanks for being here.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hey, happy to be here.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
So what's going on here with the sticker shock?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
I mean, you know, I've heard so many times there's
a price for your services if you've got insurance, and
if you don't have insurance, well then it's a little
cheaper and we can negotiate. So why is it all
over the map like this?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
It's meant to confuse and frustrate to get you to
open up your wallet. So other than hiding the price
of care before the time of care and then hiding
the price of care after the time of care, the
hospitals aren't doing anything illegally.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Well in the world of transparency.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
If you were sitting at the head of the table
of how it's going to be run moving forward with
a patient hospital relationship when it comes to the bills,
why would you change that? Currently is an operation right now?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Oh boy, you got a half hour. No, Okay, here's
what I would do. I would go ahead and I
would force them to put all of their care items
and their billing codes with each name spelled out like
a restaurant menu, by body part in a specialty orthopedic,
(01:24):
gastro entrologies of just like a menu, so you could
see the price, and you would see the retail price,
the blue Shield United and Cash price for every item
they have. It.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
It's that easy.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
It can be on every hospital's website by tomorrow. They're
not doing it, they should do it. And when you
get a bill, I would change the law and rule.
We would send an itemized bill automatically. Right now. Zero
hospitals the United States give you an itemized bill, meaning
they hide the billing codes and they use unaccepted medical
(01:59):
briefs so that you can't understand. I, as an MD,
can't understand it. So I would require an itemized bill
be provided to every consumer without having to request it.
That's a fantastic starting point right there.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yeah, and I've heard a lot of people talk about
charge Master. Are you familiar with that on how they
do their billing?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yes, The charge master is a Excel spreadsheet that has
their retail price for all care, so they have that,
and many of them don't publish the full one.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Transparency is the issue here then, I mean, are there
cases that they're pushing against this and trying to get
this changed. I mean transparency. People need to know exactly
how it works behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
There's already two federal laws and one federal ruling that
requires price transparency for medical care. The issue is as
hospitals are being brazen about not providing it, and if
you look at their lobbyists of over one hundred million
a year and BlueShield United Signette and is of about
a half billion a year. They control the Democrats, they
(03:09):
control the Republicans, which is why no matter who wins elections,
we lose when it comes to paying for health care
it gets more costly. We got to do is enforce
the laws they're on the books.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Well, question right now, I mean, I'm sure there's some
people listening right now going dang it, I'm right in
the middle of this myself. What can individuals do moving
forward today? If they're about to jump into a surgery,
for instance, next week, what should they start with and
what kind of questions should they ask well, in.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
A hospital, under federal law, they have to put in
writing what your price should be. So if you're going
to get a gallbladder surgery next week, or a carporal
tunnel surgery, or even an MRI or mamigram, you call
the hospital the billing department. You say, I'm getting the following.
You always ask for the cash price first, because most
(03:59):
of us don't meet our deductible So if the cash
price is a lot less, that's your option. You don't
have to use insurance. There's no law requirements. And then
you say, oh, I have a blue shield. I want
the blue shield price. You get the first name, the
last name of who you're speaking to, get it in
writing by email, and now you have evidence the E
and email stands for evidence. And so often I will
(04:23):
tell you. Then when you go get the care, the
price tag is higher, meaning they lied to you over
the phone. And you stick to your guns to the
email to say that price of eight hundred dollars is
what I pay that three thousand dollars bill you just
sent me. I'm not going to so you have to call.
It's a pain in the butt. But when thousands of
dollars are on the line. It's the right thing to do. Now,
(04:45):
let's say that you went to the er, got admitted
to the hostel, you got a big bill. Your itemized
bill is a piece of your property. You own it
under hip hop federal privacy law. So you request an
itemized bill to say that itemized bill with a full
name of every care item is my right, it's my record.
(05:06):
Give it to me and at no cost before I
pay one dollar. And it is amazing how many people
can find airrs or things that didn't occur on those bills.
And meanwhile you're just allaying what you pay for a
few months until you get that itemized bill.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Basically you kick the doors open and say, look, I
want to know everything that's going on with my billing
and the process here, and I need to know now
to before we jump into this good idea bill.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Excellent.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
If I have two more, potentially three more points, you
tell me i'd like to teach your listeners.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Well, I got to tell you I'm up against her.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Go ahead, real quick, all right, one thirty cents on
the dollar. That's what you offer. You get a bill
for ten grand, offer three grand, because that's what Blue
Shield pays one hundred million. Qualify for free or discounted
care at nonprofit hospitals. Speak to the financial counselor if
you're making thirty to eighty grand a year, because most
of you are going to get free or discounted. Here
financial counselor of the hospital. There's a couple more tips
(06:04):
on saving big money.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
You got a website people can go to look a
little bit more into this.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I'm trading teams right now, going to be out on
my own. Doctor Bill Hennessy on LinkedIn is the best
place to reach me, and you will be hearing me
a lot more shortly. Thank you, Bill Hennessy LinkedIn.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
We'll have you back. Thank you, buddy, I sure do
appreciate you.
Joining us again our bunny doctor Bill Hennessy, an expert
on healthcare transparency and what's going on with the sticker
shock these days? And you may be living right through
this now facing skyhigh medical bills?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Are you?
Speaker 1 (00:10):
And yeah, your hospital may be overcharging you. Shock her
there right, Bill, welcome back in Thanks for being here.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hey, happy to be here.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
So what's going on here with the sticker shock?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
I mean, you know, I've heard so many times there's
a price for your services if you've got insurance, and
if you don't have insurance, well then it's a little
cheaper and we can negotiate. So why is it all
over the map like this?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
It's meant to confuse and frustrate to get you to
open up your wallet. So other than hiding the price
of care before the time of care and then hiding
the price of care after the time of care, the
hospitals aren't doing anything illegally.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Well in the world of transparency.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
If you were sitting at the head of the table
of how it's going to be run moving forward with
a patient hospital relationship when it comes to the bills,
why would you change that? Currently is an operation right now?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Oh boy, you got a half hour. No, Okay, here's
what I would do. I would go ahead and I
would force them to put all of their care items
and their billing codes with each name spelled out like
a restaurant menu, by body part in a specialty orthopedic,
(01:24):
gastro entrologies of just like a menu, so you could
see the price, and you would see the retail price,
the blue Shield United and Cash price for every item
they have. It.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
It's that easy.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
It can be on every hospital's website by tomorrow. They're
not doing it, they should do it. And when you
get a bill, I would change the law and rule.
We would send an itemized bill automatically. Right now. Zero
hospitals the United States give you an itemized bill, meaning
they hide the billing codes and they use unaccepted medical
(01:59):
briefs so that you can't understand. I, as an MD,
can't understand it. So I would require an itemized bill
be provided to every consumer without having to request it.
That's a fantastic starting point right there.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yeah, and I've heard a lot of people talk about
charge Master. Are you familiar with that on how they
do their billing?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yes, The charge master is a Excel spreadsheet that has
their retail price for all care, so they have that,
and many of them don't publish the full one.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Transparency is the issue here then, I mean, are there
cases that they're pushing against this and trying to get
this changed. I mean transparency. People need to know exactly
how it works behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
There's already two federal laws and one federal ruling that
requires price transparency for medical care. The issue is as
hospitals are being brazen about not providing it, and if
you look at their lobbyists of over one hundred million
a year and BlueShield United Signette and is of about
a half billion a year. They control the Democrats, they
(03:09):
control the Republicans, which is why no matter who wins elections,
we lose when it comes to paying for health care
it gets more costly. We got to do is enforce
the laws they're on the books.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Well, question right now, I mean, I'm sure there's some
people listening right now going dang it, I'm right in
the middle of this myself. What can individuals do moving
forward today? If they're about to jump into a surgery,
for instance, next week, what should they start with and
what kind of questions should they ask well, in.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
A hospital, under federal law, they have to put in
writing what your price should be. So if you're going
to get a gallbladder surgery next week, or a carporal
tunnel surgery, or even an MRI or mamigram, you call
the hospital the billing department. You say, I'm getting the following.
You always ask for the cash price first, because most
(03:59):
of us don't meet our deductible So if the cash
price is a lot less, that's your option. You don't
have to use insurance. There's no law requirements. And then
you say, oh, I have a blue shield. I want
the blue shield price. You get the first name, the
last name of who you're speaking to, get it in
writing by email, and now you have evidence the E
and email stands for evidence. And so often I will
(04:23):
tell you. Then when you go get the care, the
price tag is higher, meaning they lied to you over
the phone. And you stick to your guns to the
email to say that price of eight hundred dollars is
what I pay that three thousand dollars bill you just
sent me. I'm not going to so you have to call.
It's a pain in the butt. But when thousands of
dollars are on the line. It's the right thing to do. Now,
(04:45):
let's say that you went to the er, got admitted
to the hostel, you got a big bill. Your itemized
bill is a piece of your property. You own it
under hip hop federal privacy law. So you request an
itemized bill to say that itemized bill with a full
name of every care item is my right, it's my record.
(05:06):
Give it to me and at no cost before I
pay one dollar. And it is amazing how many people
can find airrs or things that didn't occur on those bills.
And meanwhile you're just allaying what you pay for a
few months until you get that itemized bill.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Basically you kick the doors open and say, look, I
want to know everything that's going on with my billing
and the process here, and I need to know now
to before we jump into this good idea bill.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Excellent.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
If I have two more, potentially three more points, you
tell me i'd like to teach your listeners.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Well, I got to tell you I'm up against her.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Go ahead, real quick, all right, one thirty cents on
the dollar. That's what you offer. You get a bill
for ten grand, offer three grand, because that's what Blue
Shield pays one hundred million. Qualify for free or discounted
care at nonprofit hospitals. Speak to the financial counselor if
you're making thirty to eighty grand a year, because most
of you are going to get free or discounted. Here
financial counselor of the hospital. There's a couple more tips
(06:04):
on saving big money.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
You got a website people can go to look a
little bit more into this.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I'm trading teams right now, going to be out on
my own. Doctor Bill Hennessy on LinkedIn is the best
place to reach me, and you will be hearing me
a lot more shortly. Thank you, Bill Hennessy LinkedIn.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
We'll have you back. Thank you, buddy, I sure do
appreciate you.
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