THINKBYTE: Hospital Billing Practices

In an article in the April 2006 issue of "The Self-Insurer", Carlton Harker, FSA, MAAA, argues that something must be done to alleviate the unfairness associated with billing non-indigent uninsured patients at higher rates than either (1) indigent unisured patients or (2) in-network patients. Moreover, the indigent unisured patients actual pay their own bills (or possibly go bankrupt), whereas the other types of patients do not pay the bills themselves.

Does anyone know how the new PPACA law affects this situation?

We Need a National Fee Schedule

John Dante, FSA, MAAA, FCA, has written an essay "The U.S. Health Care Revolution" on pages 40-43 of the September 2010 issue of Health Watch, published by the Society of Actuaries.

His number one recommendation for bringing down the cost of health care in the US is the adoption of a National Fee Schedule, so that everyone pays the same for the same service: Medicare, insurers, consumsers, and especially the uninsured.

Audio Tutorials

The Audio Tutorials, which are now becoming available on our website, permit the reader/listener to move quickly up the learning/know-how curve. Each Audio Track is dedicated to an AWPSE risk/actuarial topic of interest. Some of the Tracks merely refer the listener to Website reading; some permit the listener to be proactive and both (a) listen and (b) manage the systems simultaneously.

The intention of AWPSE is that both (a) the systems and (b) their Instruction Manual be as new millennial as possible.

The Audio Tutorials require QuickTime or Real Player, or the equivalent to be installed and available on your computer.