I-Team Extras: Secrets in the Soil
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Nov 18, 2008 6:05 pm US/Eastern
Hospitals Accused Of Overcharging Underinsured
Click Here for more info what you can do if you think you were overcharged by a hospital.
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
A lawsuit is exposing what some experts say is a huge problem across Florida; hospitals overcharging patients thousands of dollars.
Susan Sorrentino makes guardian angel figurines. Nearly two years ago she lost one of her personal angels when her father died of colon cancer. To be safe Sorrentino's doctor recommended that she have a colonoscopy.
"When I got that bill I was just floored," said Sorrentino.
While in the hospital, doctors also checked Sorrentino for stomach and throat cancer. The test results came back negative but the results of the bill, at nearly $10 thousand, came as a shock.
"People would have to mortgage their house to pay a routine procedure if they're not given a fair bill. This is ridiculous," said Sorrentino.
Dr. Gerard Anderson, who studies hospital billing practices for Johns Hopkins University, agrees with Sorrentino. He estimates that some hospitals overcharge the uninsured, or the underinsured, 3 to 4 times what it costs the hospital to provide services.
"One of the major reasons for declaring bankruptcy in the United States is unpaid health care bills," said Anderson. "My concern is that these unpaid bills are three times more expensive than they should be."
Anderson said people who have insurance get a break because the insurance companies negotiate a substantial discount for their clients.
Click Here for more info what you can do if you think you were overcharged by a hospital.
"There's a collection agent calling constantly," Sorrentino told
CBS4 reporter Carey Codd.
While Sorrentino has insurance it did not cover the entire cost of the procedure and the hospital has sued her for the balance, about $23 hundred.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2006 more than 47-million Americans were uninsured. Given the current economic situation, many healthcare experts speculate that number has gone up significantly in the last two years.
Linda Quick, with the South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association, said hospital prices are not out of control and many hospitals actually have a small profit margin. Her advice to anyone who has a complaint about their bill is to contact the hospital.
"If you do not have the conversation with them, then they have no way of knowing this is a problem for you," said Quick.
As healthcare costs continue to rise, patients like Sorrentino feel like they have few options when it comes to managing this type of crisis. But the angel maker said she recently received a miracle – her attorney called to say the hospital had settled their case.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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