A minor example of insurance company sliminess

[Lydia Leftcoast]

One evening last month, I was crossing the street near my home when I hit a patch of black ice and fell, causing damage to my arm.

X-rays and exams determined that I had cracked the tip of my radius on the "elbow end." Treatment has been straightforward. I was in a splint for a month, and now I have exercises that I'm supposed to do to regain and preserve mobility.

Background: I have one of those high-deductible insurance plans that conservatives love, the ones that conservatives and their "moderate" Democratic fifth-columnists tell us are necessary for avoiding "overuse" of medical care. (Right, I purposely slipped on the ice and put myself in great pain.)

OK, today I get a letter from the company.

Mind you, they don't have to pay a penny for this injury, because even though it will be expensive, since I saw two doctors, the price will be well under my deductible.

Still, they sent me this letter, asking me to figure out whether this injury could possibly have been anyone else's fault and whether I shouldn't be going after their insurance company for medical costs. They need to know this so they can tell whether they ought to apply these bills to my deductible or not.

The answer is no. I slipped on the street because the snowbanks started melting, and then the damp street surface refroze.

But the noive of those slimeballs trying to get out of applying a charge to my deductible.

Useless vultures. They all deserve to go out of business and their more innocent employees to be absorbed as administrators for the new single payer system.

[Lil Missy]

1. It's called the right of subrogation, and it's routine. n/t

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

2. Yes, it is routine - it has nothing to do with those evil

High Deductible Health Plans.

[katandmoon]

4. It wasn't routine for me when I had a similar accident a few years ago.

Only my fall was due to slipping on an icy city-owned sidewalk, not a street. I broke a bone which required a visit to the ER and medical treatment. My health insurance covered it without comment.

[KT2000]

3. How much money was spent

for them to comb your records and come up with such crap.
We pay vultures like this even when they do not pay for any medical care - that is what is so wrong.
Oh by the way - because of administrative costs - we need to raise your rates for health care that you are not getting.

[kudzu22]

8. Probably about 45 cents

This is a standard letter whenever there is a slip-and-fall type accident. The claim comes in with an accident code and it is an automatic subrogation claim. Legally they don't have to pay for damage caused to you by someone else, as when some other driver rams into your car. They are willing to pay IF you assign your rights in the third-party liability case to them. That way you can't double-collect from an injury.

I used to work in a medical claims department. I'm sorry to say that there are creeps out there that do this sort of thing. Insurers may do some slimy thing, but this isn't one of them.

[bvar22]

5. Now, now, Lydia.

It sounds like you are begrudging the Health Insurance Industry CEOs their $MILLIONS.
I mean... look at all the baseball players!
.
.
.
Oh,um...and Its the "Free Market"!!!
.
.

That should make you feel better.
Don't want to be a Debbie Downer while the Democratic Party torpedoes any chance at any REAL reform.
Just be happy for those Health Insurance Execs who will now be able to afford another Summer Home in Aspen.
:party:

[inna]

6. "Useless vultures." - Not just "useless", but emormously HARMFUL, actually. KR, nt

[PHIMG]

7. If you are not already, please join up with the Medicare for All movement.

We have to beat the vultures and destroy them.

Money in Politics is poisoning our democracy. People in politics is the antidote.

[csziggy]

9. I got one of those for my shoulder surgery and it was not even an injury

I just wore the damn joint out over the years. No matter that the paperwork at the doctor's office and again at the orthopedic surgeon's office and yet AGAIN at the surgery center all asked if the operation was needed because of an accident and whose fault the {non-existent} accident was, all of which I answered NO. I still got a letter trying to get me to blame the accident on someone else so the insurance company would be off the hook.

I recently found that letter and realized it was not actually FROM the insurance company - it is from a third party company that the insurance company pays out of the premiums we pay to hassle us with this crap. Just another way to spread money around without actually spending it on HEALTH CARE. :mad: