We are required to screen all our eligible patients for flu/pneumo vaccine. One nurse had a patient call her back after discharge. He wanted her to know that the flu shot she gave him had a price tag of $400! The pt must sign a "I accept" or "I decline" form. This covers informed consent and allows the hospital to say, "Well, you consented to the vaccine..." I imagine if we saw the itemized billing of most of the services we supply, we would all be shocked.
I guess it would be hard to get the patients to have these things done if the price tag was listed by them like a resturant menu:
Not that I agree with the huge markups, but I just wanted to point out that part of the charge is for overhead: ordering, billing, pharmacist salary, pyxis, nurse salary, something extra to cover the doses that don't get paid for (uninsured, indigent funds), malpractice insurance, techs to deliver and stock meds and bandaids, etc.
Markups can be drastically overdone, but the is some reasoning behind it, besides just greed.
You going to the store is easier and cheaper to get bandaids, did you factor in your gasoline, time, taxes etc.? It's the "overhead" of daily living.
When it is all coming out of your pocket, try negotiating with the billing department. Sometimes they will bring costs down to a more reasonable level than what they charge insurance companies. My insurance paperwork shows the amount discounted for using a preferred provider, the billing department will sometimes allow those amounts for you. One of my primary docs will discount things for me (actually gives me equipment at cost) if I am having to pay for it instead of insurance.
The cost of a 10 dose vial of flu vaccine is ~$100 which means each dose costs $10. Even figuring for "overhead", that is still one heck of a markup from $10--> $400. I can't imagine that the insurance companies are not screaming bloody murder because they are they ones who are getting screwed by this. That's odd.
Wow That's scary. My flu shots are free because I have allergies and asthma. They would still only cost me $20 otherwise. I live in Canada though. Here I was freaking out because insurance no longer covers my birth control...and it's only $40 bucks :uhoh21: I feel better now at least, lol.
I can't imagine that the insurance companies are not screaming bloody murder because they are they ones who are getting screwed by this. That's odd.
Insurance companies don't care what is charged, they will pay only their contracted amount for any given item or service.
It is the self-pay patient who gets screwed, because he has no one negotiating a "discount" for him. I agree with JBudd that self pay-patients should attempt to negotiate a discount (in advance, if possible). Most hospitals and other providers will make adjustments for those who must pay their own bills, especially if the patient has a choice as to where to receive his/her care.
That's scary. My flu shots are free because I have allergies and asthma. They would still only cost me $20 otherwise. I live in Canada though. Here I was freaking out because insurance no longer covers my birth control...and it's only $40 bucks :uhoh21: I feel better now at least, lol.
JBudd, MSN
3,836 Posts
Not that I agree with the huge markups, but I just wanted to point out that part of the charge is for overhead: ordering, billing, pharmacist salary, pyxis, nurse salary, something extra to cover the doses that don't get paid for (uninsured, indigent funds), malpractice insurance, techs to deliver and stock meds and bandaids, etc.
Markups can be drastically overdone, but the is some reasoning behind it, besides just greed.
You going to the store is easier and cheaper to get bandaids, did you factor in your gasoline, time, taxes etc.? It's the "overhead" of daily living.
When it is all coming out of your pocket, try negotiating with the billing department. Sometimes they will bring costs down to a more reasonable level than what they charge insurance companies. My insurance paperwork shows the amount discounted for using a preferred provider, the billing department will sometimes allow those amounts for you. One of my primary docs will discount things for me (actually gives me equipment at cost) if I am having to pay for it instead of insurance.