Dentist

[Bondhead88]

I went to the dentist today in Mira Flores in Peru. I was thinking about having some of my front teeth pulled and doing a partial denture. The dentist who convinced me not to once he told me the price for him to do an implant with a cap and crown and fix my other two teeth.
The total cost will be S/.360 soles which is ($133.70) He said it was a lot because he was using higher end materials...I just smiled and said "I think we can afford that."

[B2Tall]

Living in S. Florida, I know quite a few people from south of the border. Almost all of them plan their dental (and often medical) visits around trips back home to see family/friends. Even factoring in the cost of airline tickets, the overall cost is much less. Why?? Insurance, that's why. Sometimes I think we'd be better off if medical & dental insurance was illegal. The cost of such procedures would plummet if there were no insurance companies for doctors and dentists to bilk and overcharge. How many people in Peru have dental insurance?? I'd guess virtually none, therefore the dentists will charge what the market will bear.

[Bondhead88]

Living in S. Florida, I know quite a few people from south of the border. Almost all of them plan their dental (and often medical) visits around trips back home to see family/friends. Even factoring in the cost of airline tickets, the overall cost is much less. Why?? Insurance, that's why. Sometimes I think we'd be better off if medical & dental insurance was illegal. The cost of such procedures would plummet if there were no insurance companies for doctors and dentists to bilk and overcharge. How many people in Peru have dental insurance?? I'd guess virtually none, therefore the dentists will charge what the market will bear.

Many have health insurance but many also do without and pay cash. I like your flag by the way it looks very much like the tattoo on my right calf.

"How can it be treason if England is foreign to me." William Wallace

[Phillip Gain]

I AGREE. I often wonder just how much profit is being made, precisely because insurance companies are being squeezed, particularly with dental work and other more routine procedures.

[B2Tall]

I AGREE. I often wonder just how much profit is being made, precisely because insurance companies are being squeezed, particularly with dental work and other more routine procedures.

A couple of years ago I had outpatient surgery. When I went back for my final follow-up, the doc was with me for no more than 60 sec ("How's it feel...good? OK. Call me if you need anything"). He charged my insurance company $400.00 for that "consultation". The entire bill came to more than $15k for a 90 min procedure.

An acquaintence of mine had a major health issue a while back. 4 days in ICU plus 4 more in a regular bed. The bill they would have presented to an insurance company was just over $100k. Since he had no insurance the hospital billed him $9500. With no insurance company to squeeze they charge him what they felt they could get. He agreed and paid them off in 2 years.

[Oldgrunt]

A couple of years ago I had outpatient surgery. When I went back for my final follow-up, the doc was with me for no more than 60 sec ("How's it feel...good? OK. Call me if you need anything"). He charged my insurance company $400.00 for that "consultation". The entire bill came to more than $15k for a 90 min procedure.

An acquaintence of mine had a major health issue a while back. 4 days in ICU plus 4 more in a regular bed. The bill they would have presented to an insurance company was just over $100k. Since he had no insurance the hospital billed him $9500. With no insurance company to squeeze they charge him what they felt they could get. He agreed and paid them off in 2 years.

I have been unfortunate enough to have had heart and cancer surgeries this past year. When I received my insurance statements, the hospital and doctors had submitted their charges but my insurance only allowed lesser amounts, which was accepted in full payment. If I had not had the insurance, I would have been charged for the full amount, not the lesser payments to the doctors and hospital. Doesn't seem quite right to me. If you don't have insurance, you really get screwed and they do not hesitate to turn the account over to a collection agency if it is not paid promptly. Just the opposite of your friend's problem. Wonder if that is peculiar to just my area?

[B2Tall]

I have been unfortunate enough to have had heart and cancer surgeries this past year. When I received my insurance statements, the hospital and doctors had submitted their charges but my insurance only allowed lesser amounts, which was accepted in full payment. If I had not had the insurance, I would have been charged for the full amount, not the lesser payments to the doctors and hospital. Doesn't seem quite right to me. If you don't have insurance, you really get screwed and they do not hesitate to turn the account over to a collection agency if it is not paid promptly. Just the opposite of your friend's problem. Wonder if that is peculiar to just my area?

Good luck with your medical issues.

In my friend's case it was more of a settlement of sorts. The knew if they slapped him with anything near a $100k bill that he'd probably just walk away or declare bankruptcy or something. I guess they decided to cover their expenses. His is not the only story like that that I've heard. Maybe it's just typical of S. Florida with it's large immigrant population (i.e. not a lot of health insurance).

When I saw the itemized bill that had been submitted to my insurance company I could only shake my head. Many years ago my brother (no insurance at the time) had a brief visit to the emergency room after getting bonked on the head with a bat during a softball game in NJ . X-rays, mild concussion, Tylenol, and that's about it. His bill was almost $2k (this was in the '80s). He asked for an itemized bill and the hospital refused to provide him with one. He refused to pay. They said "collection agency", he said "court". The hospital presented him with a new bill of a couple of hundred dollars.

I'm all for making a profit but the rampant greed in something so important as healthcare is just way over the top. The docs & hospitals milk the insurance companies, and the insurance companies milk us one way or another....either directly or through our employers.