On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 17:39:18 -0400, "Nancy Young"
The big difference is what the hospitals/doctors accept from insurance companies and what is billed. An example is last year I broke my arm and had emergency room treatment, orthopedic visits and operating room charges when I had the external fixator installed. The total bill was just over $13,000. Tricare (military insurance) approved $2,800 for payment. They paid $2,000 and we paid $800. These are rough numbers.
If you do not have insurance then you will be billed for the total amount. If you have insurance but the doctor/hospital does not accept buttignment then you are responsible for the total amount less what the insurance paid. In other words, if the doctor/hospital had not accepted Tricare buttignment, we would have been responsible for the remaining $11,000.
Hospitals/doctors have agreements with insurance companies that they will accept the amount that the insurance approves as total payment for the treatment. I know these facts for Medicare, Tricare and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. I know that insurance is very expensive. My son and his wife have 2 person coverage and it cost about $6,000 per year. And they are both about 40 and in good health.
Anyone who does not have insurance has my deepest sympathy. I think we have reached the point (at least in the US) that you can't afford insurance and cannot afford not to have it. -- Susan N.
looking for pan/bar cookie recipe 2661quietreef Don't know if this is what you had but here is a recipe by that name. ECSTASY BARS 1 cup flour 1 cup rolled oats ¸ tsp. baking soda pinch salt ¸ cup butter...
"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral, 48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy." Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974
