I quit smoking a year and a half ago. I asked Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina if they will lower my insurance premiums because of it. The said they will do a "tier review" if I provide them with the past five years of my medical history and a lab test proving I no longer smoke -- which they will not pay for. Fine, how much of a hassle can it be to get tested for nicotine in the best health care system in the world?
My doctor's office, who are a great bunch of compassionate professionals, offered to do the test for $220. I understand they need to make a profit, but that's expensive, so I went shopping around.
Any Lab Test Now said they do a nicotine test for $69. When I called back to schedule, the lady wasn't sure if they did such a test, but she'd check. A couple of callbacks later, she said they'd do it -- for $109.
Piedmont Paramedical Association wasn't sure if they did such a test. After three days of callbacks, they said they will conduct such a test, but said the price will depend on who my insurance company is, even though I will be paying for the test and receiving the results personally. That's like the price of your car depending on where you buy your pants. I declined to give them the name of my insurance company, they declined to give me a price.
My first call to Spectrum Labs was answered with "I've never heard of such a test and my coworker hasn't either." After talking to three more people, I learned they do offer a test for nicotine, but they would not give me a price or provide the test to me directly because I am not a doctor.
Finally, there is LabCorp. They'll do the test for $96. They need a note from my doctor, which I can probably get because he is just about the only thing I can call "the best" in my experience with the best health care system in the world.
Love this post Roch. I feelz youz pain.... I quit about 4 years ago. Never attempted to get my premium reduced.... but ultimately it was the fact they refused to insure us as a couple because we were in a same sex relationship I came to the conclusion that I was just going to drop my HMO.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the insurance companies are involved. If our healthcare were more consumer oriented than insurance company oriented this would not happen. We should be able to call any health provider and get a price for a service they offer and decide our own path. Just about every other good or service has that competitive aspect wheras health care is subject to Socialist concepts.....concepts that are going to increase with the implementation of Obamacare.
ReplyDeleteIf these lab companies were not on the insurance dole you would be able to get that test for $25.
Thanks for the sympathy Liv. I remember reading of your frustrating experience too. Experiences like yours and mine are exactly why I don't buy the fear-mongering offered against health care reform. This simplest of things has proven to be enormously inefficient and expensive under our current system. The bogeyman of reform bringing about expensive inefficiencies by uncooperative bureaucrats doesn't scare me when that is precisely what I am confronting currently.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, my experience completely contradicts your dogma.
You are mistaken, these guys are so concerned with the insurance companies that they do not set themselves up to serve the consumer. That is why you cannot get a price or they have a price based on your insurance company. That is also why the prices of all healthcare services are over inflated. These companies do that so that when they "negotiate" with the insurance company they come down to the actual price of the service. The poor shmoe trying to get the lab test on his own is stuck with the list price.
ReplyDeleteI see the point you are making. These companies are not set up to serve the consumer for sure. On that we agree. And yes, the probably are set up work within the system that exists. Lest you think I was excusing the insurance companies, remember that this all started because my insurance company raises my rates anywhere from 15% to 50% per year as a matter of course, but getting them to adjust my rates downward to correspond to a change in lifestyle and it's a months-long ordeal.
ReplyDeleteThe risk of insuring you does not magically plummet as soon as you quit smoking. Besides the fact that 75% or so of attempts to quit end in failure(and I assume that informing your insurance company in the event of relapse would not be at the top of your to-do list), I cna see why they would be less than enthused about granting your request. Also, nicotine only stays in your bloodstream for 72-96 hours, so I don't see how that would verify to them that you quit smoking a year ans a half ago.
ReplyDeleteCP (AKA Dr. John Hayes),
ReplyDeleteWould you please start reading more carefully before engaging me. I am getting tired of correcting you, it's a little embarrassing.
Nowhere did I say that I expect my rates to plummet. Nowhere did I say that the insurance company has declined my request. If you want to argue with me, please stop arguing against things you make up while pretending I've said them.
Morbid curiosity has finally overcome me. You ask people a lot of questions. I've got a few for you.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you do for a living? If this is it, what do you do for fun?
Do you ever have fun? Are you really like this in real life? Were you born thinking you are always right without burden of proof to the world of dolts, or was it an acquired state of mind? And if so, how did the realization come to you? Are you on drugs?
In case you think I am even more "cowardly" as anonymous, I'm not sure why that last post didn't pick up my "real" cowardly pseudonym.
ReplyDelete