Today's healthcare costs have gone through the roof. All
one has to do is turn on the televison, read the newspaper,
or browse news articles on the internet, to hear about the
most outlandish stories of people being financially gutted
by doctors and hospitals who excessively overcharge
individuals. It used to be that a family had just one
doctor of their choice, and they went to that one doctor
for all of their healthcare needs. The doctor would become
intimately acquainted with the family through the years.
The doctor would also charge a reasonable fee, for
reasonable care. Unfortunately, now with HMO's and
insurance companies requiring individuals to choose only
doctor's that they choose, one has to ask the question, of
whether or not, they are getting the best and most cost
effective medical care.
Here are some recent stories that have been in the news. A
hospital billed an individual $186,000, for two hundred
heart valves, when only one was used. Unbundling of
medical codes and other errors in one medical clinic
revealed that they had overcharged a whopping $708,000. An
independent review was made of over 1,144 hospital bills
between 1992 and 1994, and it found that 859, or 75% of the
bills, had significant overcharges, totaling $891,655.81.
This is an average of $1,038.02, in overages per bill. One
patient received six radiation treatments, but was charged
for seven, which was a $4,000 error. This same patient was
also billed for two initial visits, of more than $100 each.
Another bill reviewer in Virginia, reviewed 300 hospital
bills and found errors totaling over $300,00.
It's no wonder that insurance rates, doctor's visits,
prescription drugs, and hospital visits are so expensive.
Can you imagine being billed for two hospital visits
instead of one. Or how about being overcharged $4000.00,
on your medical bill. One national magazine was quoted as
saying, that they believed that more than 90%, or about
thirty one million hospital bills that are processed each
and every year, contain errors, with overcharges which make
up about two-thirds of the errors. They also go on to
state, that this costs consumers, insurers, and government
an estimated ten billion dollars a year.
Fortunately, however there is now a way for the average
individual to get free doctor's consultations and
prescriptions approved for absolutely no charge. Yes,
that's right, I said it, nothing, nada, zip, free. Online
pharmacies are now employing staff doctors to consult with
customers and even write prescriptions for them. Can you
imagine surfing online, and finding an online pharmacy,
which offers discounted medications and free doctor's
consultations for prescriptions. Hallelujah!
Forget about going to the doctor's office. No more waiting
in the lobby for hours. No more fighting the downtown and
freeway traffic to get to a doctor's office. No more
paying exorbitant fees for a visit just to get the
physician to prescribe medications.
Nowadays, to get a prescription medication, all one has to
do, is to turn on the computer, and surf the internet.
There are many discount pharmacies online today that offer
free doctor's consultations and free prescriptions, from
licensed doctors. Just go to their website, get the phone
number, and speak directly to a physician. This physician
will ask a series of questions, and afterwards, give you a
prescription, right over the phone. Sounds to good to be
true, but it isn't. Thankfully, in this day and age of sky
high gas prices, mortgage payments, taxes, and healthcare,
at least doctor's visits for prescription medications
doesn't have to cost a dime anymore.
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Bryan Pringle, Ph.D., is an author and an webmaster of
websites offering news and information about online
pharmacies and discount prescription medications. For more
information, please visit:
http://www.consumersdiscountrx.com/discount_prescription_rx
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