Bike Accident - Helicopter

[ny biker]

Well that is good news.

Though I don't understand how a helicopter company (or any emergency transport company) is supposed to pre-certify with the insurance company in a life-threatening situation. But anyway.

[tulip]

Glad you are okay. I had a very similar accident about 10 years ago. I was riding behind my riding buddy and our wheels crossed because I got too close to his rear wheel. I completely missed my 'copter ride, though. I was out.

I never received a bill for the helicopter ride, nor for the hospital. The hospital apparently had some management issues and shortly thereafter was taken into receivership, so I guess that's the reason.

[jobob]

Heh, I still have the bill for the helicopter ambulance ride from my crash, lurking someplace in my files.

It had, in very large letters at the top, THIS IS NOT A BILL, followed by something to the effect that my insurance company had been billed and that I'd hear back from them presently.

Didn't keep my stomach from dropping to the floor when I saw the amount, which was, coincidentally, about $23,000.

I ended up having to cough up a few thousand dollars, but, I consoled myself with the fact that it wasn't 23 grand.

[jobob]

Maybe this is why the do it, so we pay the several thousand willingly.

I'm such a cynic.

LOL, that was my impression too.

I can't complain too much though. All told, the costs incurred by my crash amounted to something like $150,000 of which I had to shell out "only" (heh) about $8,000.

But, it could have been worse, financially and otherwise -- I recovered completely.

Best wishes for your recovery, featuretile. The fatigue does go away. You didn't mention any memory issues, but memory lapses are also pretty common with head trauma. Those go away with time as well ... I think.

[featuretile]

Where do they come up with these numbers like $23,000? Yesterday I got a bill for $4000 for the ambulance that took me to the helicopter. I sent it to the insurance company. I agree that after seeing these crazy amounts, we willingly pay several thousand dollars. And never want to get in an ambulance or a helicopter again.

Health care costs are a nightmare. If I did not have any insurance (because of pre-existing conditions or cost or age - it ws really hard to get anything when my DH 'retired'), then the helicopter would want $23,000 and the ambulance would want $4000. And that does not include doctors and hospital costs. These bills would go to someone who doesn't have enough money to get health insurance (unemployed?). And of course, the insurance company gets discount rates where we mere mortals do not.

I did not have any memory issues. I was just a little slow the first few weeks and knew I should not drive a car because I questioned my reaction time. Two more weeks before I can try riding a bike again!

[jobob]

It should be no surprise that a majority of personal bankruptcies are on account of medical bills.

[Melalvai]

And of course, the insurance company gets discount rates where we mere mortals do not.

A friend was unemployed for a bit while his wife was in school and had that issue where self-pay was ridiculously more expensive than the insurance negotiated rate.

[Melalvai]

Here's a study that just came out that severe trauma victims survive more if they are transported by helicopter.

[Deborajen]

So, how long was the helicopter ride (distance)? I work at a doctors' office and just this week we had a patient send us all of his medical bills for his hospitalization to show his expenses to negotiate a discount on our doctor's bill. One of his bills was for helicopter transport from his local hospital to one of our city's hospitals. It was about 50 miles and the bill was $14,000.00. Just wondered how that compares with the distance you were transported?

You said that at first insurance denied the bill saying they only covered local transport and now they're saying the transport company didn't precertify so the bill is denied and you don't have to pay. A couple of suggestions here:

1. Make sure the transport company contracts with your insurance, ie., they're on the preferred provider list. If they aren't, then insurance company can't diictate what is billed or written off and if they bill you, you ARE responsible. If they are on the preferred list, and insurance requires them to precertify services and they didn't, then if insurance says the bill is a write-off - it is.

2. Be very careful about "not paying." In my 16 years at my current job, I've heard lots of patients say "my attorney told me not to pay your bill" - but not once has an attorney taken any steps to undo bad credit reports if we'd turned the patient to collections. The attorney will tell us "cease and desist collections - I represent the patient in a lawsuit/Work Comp case" - no concern whatsoever about the patient's credit. We turn very few patients to collections, but the ones we do turn are usually the ones that don't respond to us.

I'm guessing, without seeing the bills I can't be sure, but it sounds like your insurance tried to deny the bill initially because you didn't "go to the nearest hospital." They might require precertification for non-emergency services (and they don't understand that your services were an emergency - ?), or proof of medical necessity for the emergency transport. If the transportation company does contract with your insurance, they should work this out themselves. But if they try and bill you, by all means notify insurance they did this since it would be a violation of contract. If the air transport doesn't contract with insurance, "walk it through" yourself - ie., call insurance and find out what then need from air transport, call air transport and tell them that insurance needs "x" from you, call insurance to make sure they receive it and are processing the claim - etc. I know it's a pain, but that's a big bill!

Good luck and let us know how it goes. Wish I could help more. The whole system is so frustrating.

FYI - The patient who sent us his medical bills had nearly a half million on his hospital bill alone. They discounted him - he owes $4000 now, which is still a bite, but they have a credit plan for him as well. He'll pay interest but no deadline to pay the whole thing off. He worked last year and is hoping to go back to work again soon. Healthcare providers do discount. Sometimes you have to ask, but private pay patients should not carry the load for insurance!