No actually I don't. Im the quiet guy in the basement talking to the potted plant.
You just got me at a bad point, okay sorry.
These aren't the droids you are looking for move along.
Cataract surgeons in Southern MD?
- Thread starter Mike OTDP
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No actually I don't. Im the quiet guy in the basement talking to the potted plant.
You just got me at a bad point, okay sorry.
These aren't the droids you are looking for move along.
The femtosecond laser is actually used for two parts of the surgery. To make the cut in the cornea and to do the 'anterior capsulotomy' where the front of the lens is cut open to remove the cataract. In the classic technique, the surgeon uses a little hook to create that opening by hand. Some of the lasers are also approved to break up the cataract itself but most surgeons use the traditional ultrasound method (phacoemulsification) for that part of the surgery.
The downside of laser cataract surgery is that it adds steps to the procedure.
sleepingdino
Active Member
Wilmer, like any other academic organization, can be highly variable, depending on who you see. If you get an appointment for someone experienced and well regarded, then this will be different from seeing a recent hire who is a lowly paid employee and fresh out of training. This is especially true of larger organizations that have many locations--they exist to serve the mother ship.
Academic centers are known for keeping the best staff for the main location and hiring others for their outlying offices. Hopkins, in particular, has also been very aggressive at expanding their presence via acquiring local hospitals and quite a few private practices.
Lists are also often barely disguised ads, as anyone who has browsed an airline magazine will understand.
Academic centers are known for keeping the best staff for the main location and hiring others for their outlying offices. Hopkins, in particular, has also been very aggressive at expanding their presence via acquiring local hospitals and quite a few private practices.
Lists are also often barely disguised ads, as anyone who has browsed an airline magazine will understand.
Capt Skup
Ultimate Member
Hopefully the persons who are preparing for cataract surgery reads what I am writing. ENSURE that you ask if everything is covered by your insurance. I just got another bill for the anestesiologist. Now get this: PER eye, $750 for the anastesiologist, and $720 for the tech that put the drops in my eyes. Almost $3,000! This is not for the eye surgeon, this is not for the hospital. I am hoping that Tricare picks up some of this, because CIGNA states that if not in the network, they only pay $100 per bill. Do your homework, to avoid heart attack.
Incredible. Thanks for posting. I have Cigna and I'm looking to get my right eye done in 2017.
Stephen Michaels is the COO and Chief medical officer for the hospital. The fact that they did your surgery using a non-network anesthesia provider is a failure that falls into his portfolio. Be persistent, be nice, and make sure to express your unhappiness about the uncovered charges you are stuck with due to the hospitals inability to get in-network anesthesia coverage for your case. Make sure to point out that you are in the process of telling anyone you know and dont know about the failure of medstar St Marys hospital to handle this in the patients best interest.
Luigi2020
Member
Dr. Scott LaBorwit of Select Eye Care is a tremendous cataract surgeon. Not only a skilled surgeon but also a very kind, caring person.
Im hoping so. He is set to do my eyes in about 3 weeks.
Capt Skup
Ultimate Member
Thank you Traveller for the info. Yes, that the hospital is using this service without telling patients during the sign in for the surgery is pretty crappy. I have to wonder, would I have had a choice of providers if I had asked?
I dont know the details for St Marys, so what follows are general comments:
For anesthesia, radiology, emergency medicine and pathology a hospital typically signs an exclusive contract with a single group of providers for each specialty. This is done to ensure 24/7 coverage of the respective services. So all the anesthesiologists and nurse anesthesists at a particular hospital belong to the same medical group. That group otoh has a set of contracts with the different health insurers but those payor contracts apply to all members of the group.
So, typically, once you go into a hospital, for those three services you dont have a choice of providers.
To avoid the kind of bad suprise you experienced, the contracts between the hospital and he anesthesia/radiology/EM/pathology groups usually require that those groups participate in all the networks the hospital participates in. That way, all patients who have surgery, x-rays or lab work done at the hospital receive those services at in-network prices. The problem is, the insurers know that and try to use it as leverage against doctors. Occasionally a provider group may decide that it is simply not in their interest to contract with a particular payor as the reimbursements offered for 'in-network' (or PAR) coverage are just so awful that it is not worth it.
So, the long and the short of it: If you go for surgery at a hospital, find out which groups provide anesthesia, radiology and pathology services for this particular location. Then call up the business office for each group, ask what insurances they participate in, obtain their provider ID or federal employer ID and the name of the person you spoke to. Then call up your insurance company and confirm whether under your particular plan this group is PAR or NON-PAR.
Now you are going to say that this is a gigantic pain in the arse and it shouldn't be that difficult. You are correct.
Capt Skup
Ultimate Member
Wow, what a cluster****. If I had known.... I would have shopped elsewhere for a surgeon that used a different hospital. Thinking of my headache, the morning of both of my surgeries, there were 19 other people lined up for the same surgery. Assembly line. Now, $1400.00 a pop per surgery for the anestesialologist and her tech X 20 each day. Love to see the car she drives. I imagine it is nicer than my 2008 Honda Civic with 225K on the odometer. Bait and switch.
my 1st surgery is tomorrow. can't wait to see again
Corporate hospitals tend to be expensive places when it comes to surgery. For any surgery that can be performed at a freestanding ambulatory surgery center (ASC) you are usually financially better off to have it done there. These days, Whitten works for the hospital so it you want him as your surgeon there is no ASC option.
Stiff them
Capt Skup
Ultimate Member
Not so easy, I am sure that they would take me to court over the debt. While this was a medical procedure, it gives me the uneasy feeling someone would get from buying a car from Easterns Motors. IE, where your job is your credit.
Go back to your insurance company and get their contract rates for in network providers. Tell the providers that's what you'll pay. Did your insurance company pay them anything?
Capt Skup
Ultimate Member
From the phone call I had with Cigna, the insurer offered them 90% of their bill, which they turned down. Looking at my bill, Cigna than gave them $100 for their time per person, $200 per eye total.
That sounds fishy. No way they'd turn down $. They would still come after you for the 10%. If in fact true, tell Cigna to make good onthe 90%.
Probably wouldnt take you to court. More likely they would sell the debt to a collection agency after 6 months. They know they would lose if their claim ever made it in front of a judge. They would have to prove that there was a valid contract between you and the anesthesia group that obliges you to pay their charges.
I had a similar issue with my wife's OB/Gyn. I had an oddball out of state health insurance and they were non-network. They would bill and receive back a check and an EOB. They routinely wrote off the difference as the amount my insurance paid was reasonably within what other insurers around VA pay. Then my wife had a procedure and suddenly they wanted the full amount of their top line charges and didn't accept repricing. This was s good chunk of money. I left the doc a scathing Yelp review and sent her personally a letter with a check for the blue Cross payable with the instruction that cashing of the check will mean they accept my offer of settlement. They did and I took down the Yelp review.
Had my first surgery yesterday. no issues. 15 minutes.
vision improved to 20/40 with just one eye done.
vision improved to 20/40 with just one eye done.
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