February 4, 2001

12:04 PM

Why bother with insurance forms--go to the Luxury Hospital. And they're helping Medicare costs stay low too!! (?)
posted by aflakete (4 comments total)

The concept is that Medicare and HMO nickel-and-diming starve medical businesses. This is one reason for a dramatic rise in things like pricey OpenMRI centers. Doctors can partner with outpatient services like that, get their referrals from the HMOs, but make their money by referring them to expensive non-reimbursable services.
posted by dhartung at 12:49 PM on February 4, 2001

In grossly generalized terms, it is true that such things as Hotel Recovery would benefit Medicare. A doctor who was getting 100% of his fee schedule from some patients, paid on time, would be more likely to be willing to see Medicare clients (which pay only part of his fee schedule - usually a few months later - and costs him extra time and money in paperwork).
posted by aaron at 2:19 PM on February 4, 2001

Any note taken of the quality of the nurses at a luxury place such as this, assuming that the doctors are tops in their fields?
posted by Postroad at 3:20 PM on February 4, 2001

In fact, Hotel Recovery [...] won't except insurance payments when in opens in March.

ahem. you'd think they could afford a proofreader.
posted by dagnyscott at 5:09 PM on February 4, 2001