According to a recent Consumer Reports survey of 1,000 insured adults who incurred a major medical bill in the past two years, "[T]wo out of three said they had at least one billing issue, such as higher-than-expected charges, unclear statements, and bills arriving months late."

 

The problem starts with our "patchwork" American healthcare system. There are countless plans, government and private, each structured with different deductibles, reimbursement rates, and exceptions. Ultimately, what people actually pay for care varies so much because insurers and providers set their own contracts. Two people in plans with an identical name can be charged different rates by the same doctor, depending on their plan’s network or employer or deductible status and negotiated rates, 

 

Our complicated delivery and billing system is more than inefficient, it hurts patients. Billing issues from inaccurate charges to wrongly denied claims are leaving Floridians (and millions of Americans) in financial hardship. Nevertheless, insurers and providers have little incentive to change the system. After all, these expenses are simply passed on to consumers through higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs. 

 

Over the next months, WPTV Contact 5 (West Palm) is going to investigate the cost of your health, highlighting different problems within the system. Together with Contact 5, Florida Voices for Health wants to make the system more transparent for you and that’s why Contact 5 needs your medical bills.