Invasive much? Can't believe this letter I got!

[TranquilMind]

So, I got a letter from a local hospital corporation.  My personal doctor is not affiliated with this hospital, nor do I see anyone in this system.  I once had emergency surgery there years ago.  That is the extent of my connection.

 

Even then, back when I had surgery, it was very odd.  They demanded my SSN on the spot and I was too ill to fight it (hey, if you aren't paying me taxable income, you don't get my SSN).  They said no more information was needed, that they had ALL of my personal information and my husband's!  It was all right there and we had never set foot in that place before. 

 

What??

 

So today, I get a letter from the same hospital indicating that they have noticed in their records (???) that I have not had a mammogram lately.  Seriously,  why do they have any records on me?  I don't do business with them, with the single exception of the emergency years ago above. 

 

Big Brother is watching.  This is too creepy.  Everyone knows your business. 

 

 

Edited February 21, 2016 by TranquilMind

[zoobie]

Being able to access records prior to surgery is useful. They can see allergies, past surgeries, reactions to anesthesia, and so forth. Using the information to treat you safely in an emergency = good. Mining that information to profit off you later = bad. Corporate greed needs to get out of healthcare!

[Mimm]

The health network is all connected. You go to one office and they can see everything from other doctors and hospital visits and so on.

 

It's creepy that they're sending you letters trying to get you to come in.

[TranquilMind]

The health network is all connected. You go to one office and they can see everything from other doctors and hospital visits and so on.

 

It's creepy that they're sending you letters trying to get you to come in.

Well, I didn't consent for every medical office to  be able to pull up my records at anytime.  That is just wrong! 

 

There's money to be made from my age group. 

[OneStepAtATime]

Creepy.  

[regentrude]

I don't quite understand the upset.

The letter is generated by a computer program that looks through their data (and yes, they will have a record on you because of the surgery) for females of the target age group and sends letters to any patient whose record does not show a mammogram in the past year. The whole process is done automatically.

 

The purpose is to remind forgetful women that they should get a mammogram.

I fail to see why this is invasive. They don't force you to get one.

 

It is also very likely that this hospital system is affiliated with some other source of medical care you received at some point. Those affiliations change. 

Edited February 21, 2016 by regentrude

[lauraw4321]

All health networks are NOT connected.  Different hospitals / doctors' offices use different EMR (electronic medical records).  All of the VA hospitals, for example, operate on the same system.  But beyond that, it's really quite varied.  There has been a push to get a standard EMR so that if you had an emergency out of state, for example, they would be able to access your medical records.  With rare exception, that is not the case.

 

Now, my guess is that when they said "according to their records" they meant according to the records of their hospital system.  Which means they wouldn't know if you had a mammogram in another hospital system.  If you haven't, then that's just coincidence.  And I'm sure it's an automated algorithm that automatically spits out those letters.  I do agree that encouraging people to have preventative tests is a good thing.  Marketing to make money - not a good thing.  I usually get those kinds of letters from my insurance provider, which makes more sense to me.

[creekland]

The health network is all connected. You go to one office and they can see everything from other doctors and hospital visits and so on.

 

I wish.  It would save me a ton of time and explaining.  (sigh)

[marbel]

I get letters from 3 hospitals each year, reminding me of my annual mammogram.  One is in another state; I've never had a mammogram there but I did have a baby there.  Their computer hasn't figured out that my zip code is far, far away, too far to come for a mammogram (no matter how nice their facilities are).

 

They all want business from their customers, current and former.   You are a former customer and they want you back. 

 

 

[Laura Corin]

I don't quite understand the upset.

The letter is generated by a computer program that looks through their data (and yes, they will have a record on you because of the surgery) for females of the target age group and sends letters to any patient whose record does not show a mammogram in the past year. The whole process is done automatically.

 

The purpose is to remind forgetful women that they should get a mammogram.

I fail to see why this is invasive. They don't force you to get one.

 

 

And I assume that the hospital is a business, in which case it wants to sell you services.  As with any other business, you call up and ask them to remove you from their mailing list.  I've done it to two businesses today.

[Entropymama]

I got an automated phone call a few weeks ago that my oldest was behind on her shots. It was from the Dept. of Health in Arizona. We moved away from there in 2007. 

 

I doubt any actual humans are sending these. :) 

[brehon]

The health network is all connected. You go to one office and they can see everything from other doctors and hospital visits and so on.

 

It's creepy that they're sending you letters trying to get you to come in.

No. There is no one national health network, except maybe the VA or Tricare (and those are different from each other); but, they are limited to former and current military members and their dependants. I live and work in an area with three major hospital systems. All three use different EMRs and they do not share information with each other.

 

TM, I can understand how receiving that letter is disconcerting. Just know it's automatically generated and you can probably safely shred it. Their records on you are limited to the emergency surgery you had years ago, assuming no change in affiliation.

 

I want to give an example, though, of how having an EMR and a health system allows for improved patient care. My mom was visiting me last year, became quite ill, and needed to be seen in an ER. Because Mom's doctor where she lives (some 250 miles from where I live) is associated with one of those three major health systems I mentioned the ER doctor where I took her (which is also a part of that samehealth system) was able to pull up her records and know important information. This allowed him to give the best treatment for her condition using the most appropriate medications.

 

Could I have given the ER doctor the same information? Probably. I am my mom's MPOA and know her medical history, med's, and allergies. However, the doctor was able to pull up her records much quicker than I, or even my mom, could have given him the same information.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I don't mind except when they harass me to get a procedure.  I have been harassed.  Letters, phone calls, e-mails, more letters, more phone calls.  To the point I had to start blocking stuff and calling up to tell them to knock it off (to no avail).

 

 

[TranquilMind]

I don't mind except when they harass me to get a procedure.  I have been harassed.  Letters, phone calls, e-mails, more letters, more phone calls.  To the point I had to start blocking stuff and calling up to tell them to knock it off (to no avail).

Yeah, we used to get harassed by the "health coach" for the crappy insurance company.   We told them to knock it off and they did, eventually.

[Anne in CA]

My SIL works for one of the biggest insurance companies/ hospital chains in the northwest. She has told me stories of people using their jobs to track down information on relatives, enemies, friends, ect. Those computer systems are very interrelated.

[Jean in Newcastle]

A good shift in medical care in the last year or so has been a focus on preventative medicine.  So hospitals are generating automated systems to remind people of those preventative procedures and vaccinations.  I recently got one from a specialist.  I'm actually current on all my preventative care but his system doesn't know that.  I just deleted it.  I know that my primary doctor's system keeps track of all of my preventative care. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Yeah, we used to get harassed by the "health coach" for the crappy insurance company.   We told them to knock it off and they did, eventually.

 

Same here.  Our insurance isn't crappy, but they kept saying they wanted to help me manage my chronic condition.  I don't have a chronic conditions.  I barely ever go to any doctor.  They did knock it off eventually too.  I worked for 2 health insurance companies.  Their goal is to save money. It's not that they care deeply about my medical needs.  Which is fine.  It's not a terrible idea all around, but good grief if I say I don't have a chronic condition or that I am not interested I don't think I need to repeat that 50 times to get them to go away. 

[SKL]

I don't think they would know if you got a mammogram outside their system.  I think they are just saying you haven't had one in their system.  I know the docs in my system don't know about the care we get outside of it.  (Unless things have changed recently.)  The system itself would have information because of billing (the system docs and the claims people are under the same umbrella - though that is about to change).  Also, a lot of the hospitals and doc offices in are area have been consolidated in recent years.

 

Your insurer would have gathered info when you were signed up for insurance.  Is it employer-provided?  If so, your / your spouse's employer would have provided the info.  There must have been a form filled out at some point listing your kids etc.  If your insurer is connected with whoever is sending you these letters, that would be how they know you are a woman of a certain age.  :P

 

I get those notices too.  I just throw them in the garbage.  Once I got a call saying my kid was overdue for a well check.  I said we were passing on the well check.  She started to say that was not allowed, they were required.  LOL no way.  I demanded an explanation for her statement, and she backed off.

[TranquilMind]

I don't think they would know if you got a mammogram outside their system.  I think they are just saying you haven't had one in their system.  I know the docs in my system don't know about the care we get outside of it.  (Unless things have changed recently.)  The system itself would have information because of billing (the system docs and the claims people are under the same umbrella - though that is about to change).  Also, a lot of the hospitals and doc offices in are area have been consolidated in recent years.

 

Your insurer would have gathered info when you were signed up for insurance.  Is it employer-provided?  If so, your / your spouse's employer would have provided the info.  There must have been a form filled out at some point listing your kids etc.  If your insurer is connected with whoever is sending you these letters, that would be how they know you are a woman of a certain age.  :p

 

I get those notices too.  I just throw them in the garbage.  Once I got a call saying my kid was overdue for a well check.  I said we were passing on the well check.  She started to say that was not allowed, they were required.  LOL no way.  I demanded an explanation for her statement, and she backed off.

Seriously?  They were "required"?  Right.  This is why I don't answer the phone unless I am expecting your call. 

 

The scary thing is that now that the government is into our health care and everyone shares everything, all kinds of things will be "required" sooner or later. 

 

You know everyone shares your business once you hit 50, for sure.  You get the aarp card on your birthday!

[SKL]

My age, address, previous addresses, some of my previous employment, and everyone closely associated with me (and you and everyone else) is very readily available on the internet.  And I wasn't the person who put it out there.

 

I don't like it either.

[Laura Corin]

Seriously?  They were "required"?  Right.  This is why I don't answer the phone unless I am expecting your call. 

 

The scary thing is that now that the government is into our health care and everyone shares everything, all kinds of things will be "required" sooner or later. 

 

For reference: I live in a country with a national health service and nothing is required.  I receive reminder letters for vaccinations for the kids, PAP smears, bowel cancer screening and mammograms.  If I don't respond I get a second letter.  That's it.  No requirement, and it's not mentioned if I go to the doctor about another matter.  Sooner or later?  The NHS is over sixty years old...

 

FWIW: I don't mind answering the phone.  I'm quite happy to tell people I'm not interested if they try to sell me something.  

Edited February 21, 2016 by Laura Corin

[TranquilMind]

I don't quite understand the upset.

The letter is generated by a computer program that looks through their data (and yes, they will have a record on you because of the surgery) for females of the target age group and sends letters to any patient whose record does not show a mammogram in the past year. The whole process is done automatically.

 

The purpose is to remind forgetful women that they should get a mammogram.

I fail to see why this is invasive. They don't force you to get one.

 

It is also very likely that this hospital system is affiliated with some other source of medical care you received at some point. Those affiliations change. 

I take control of my own health and don't need reminders as if I were in junior high.  

 

The invasiveness stems from the fact that they use my information obtained from a surgery years ago to peddle more services.  I don't consent to the use of my information ever. 

 

Fat lot of good it does me, but it is the principle of the thing.  

Edited February 21, 2016 by TranquilMind

[TranquilMind]

My age, address, previous addresses, some of my previous employment, and everyone closely associated with me (and you and everyone else) is very readily available on the internet.  And I wasn't the person who put it out there.

 

I don't like it either.

That is really disturbing to me. 

I had a fellow landlord tell me he could find me in 5 minutes from my IP address and a couple of other things.  Yikes. 

[SKL]

In one way it is helpful though.  They keep changing their policies on what they recommend / what they will pay for.  The letters at least tell me that my insurance does or doesn't cover certain things (for now).  Then it is up to me to decide whether I want to make an appointment.

[TranquilMind]

In one way it is helpful though.  They keep changing their policies on what they recommend / what they will pay for.  The letters at least tell me that my insurance does or doesn't cover certain things (for now).  Then it is up to me to decide whether I want to make an appointment.

You mean they keep reducing the procedures they will cover, despite ever-growing premiums and deductibles? 

 

I've heard some are now demanding that you try certain treatments IN ORDER of their costs, regardless of what the doctor wants you to use.

Screw that. 

 

Insurance companies need to be eliminated.  We are just enriching this industry with billions of dollars while it continues to nickel and dime the little guy who is paying (often) tens of thousands out of pocket every year for premiums and deductibles.  In exchange you get some little discount.  Gee, they will take $100 off a procedure when you paid 11 grand last year out of pocket.  Thanks so much. 

 

I paid cash for a surgery again recently.  The obligations were just too onerous, with the insurer demanding years of paperwork, as if I would voluntarily subject my family member to a procedure that is unnecessary just for the fun of it. 

Let me tell you how I really feel...

[JoJosMom]

I don't quite understand the upset.

The letter is generated by a computer program that looks through their data (and yes, they will have a record on you because of the surgery) for females of the target age group and sends letters to any patient whose record does not show a mammogram in the past year. The whole process is done automatically.

 

The purpose is to remind forgetful women that they should get a mammogram.

I fail to see why this is invasive. They don't force you to get one.

 

It is also very likely that this hospital system is affiliated with some other source of medical care you received at some point. Those affiliations change. 

 

Umm, because it's none of their business?  Some of us still like to cling to the illusion of privacy, however dead it might be.

[madteaparty]

banks (unaffiliated ones) have a similar system when it comes to stuff like legal names, etc.

[SKL]

You mean they keep reducing the procedures they will cover, despite ever-growing premiums and deductibles? 

 

I've heard some are now demanding that you try certain treatments IN ORDER of their costs, regardless of what the doctor wants you to use.

Screw that. 

 

Insurance companies need to be eliminated.  We are just enriching this industry with billions of dollars while it continues to nickel and dime the little guy who is paying (often) tens of thousands out of pocket every year for premiums and deductibles.  In exchange you get some little discount.  Gee, they will take $100 off a procedure when you paid 11 grand last year out of pocket.  Thanks so much. 

 

I paid cash for a surgery again recently.  The obligations were just too onerous, with the insurer demanding years of paperwork, as if I would voluntarily subject my family member to a procedure that is unnecessary just for the fun of it. 

Let me tell you how I really feel...

 

Oh yes, tell me about it.  Some years ago my sister's doctor told her she needed a colonoscopy.  The insurance company said she needed to get a "sigmoidoscopy" first because it was cheaper.  The doc said she needed a colonoscopy regardless.  Insurance co would not budge.  So she had to go in for 2 rather nasty procedures, and the insurance company had to pay for both of them.  Brilliant.

 

The other funny one was when they tried to disallow my colonoscopy because it was an "elective" procedure.  That's right, I was feeling bored and the best fun I could think of having was a colonoscopy.  :/  And the doc (for other reasons) aborted that colonoscopy and said I should schedule another one.  Oh sure.  I'm hoping when I turn 50 they will cover it with no fuss, but who knows ....

[TranquilMind]

Oh yes, tell me about it.  Some years ago my sister's doctor told her she needed a colonoscopy.  The insurance company said she needed to get a "sigmoidoscopy" first because it was cheaper.  The doc said she needed a colonoscopy regardless.  Insurance co would not budge.  So she had to go in for 2 rather nasty procedures, and the insurance company had to pay for both of them.  Brilliant.

 

The other funny one was when they tried to disallow my colonoscopy because it was an "elective" procedure.  That's right, I was feeling bored and the best fun I could think of having was a colonoscopy.  :/  And the doc (for other reasons) aborted that colonoscopy and said I should schedule another one.  Oh sure.  I'm hoping when I turn 50 they will cover it with no fuss, but who knows ....

Bureaucracy at work, right there. 

Sure, facelift...colonoscopy.  What's the difference?  ;)

[T'smom]

We have two healthcare "systems" where I live. My GP belongs to one and my OB/GYN belongs to another. It seems impossible to get them to communicate with each other. But if it is an appointment within the system, they know everything. Honestly, I would prefer if they could all pull things up easily. It would have really simplified a lot. (I had to have some tests on my heart during my last pregnancy- getting my cardiologist reports to my OB/GYN required several phone calls/visits)

 

When we were applying for our mortgage, somebody (I don't remember if it was insurance or credit report or what) pulled up a bunch of information about dh. Only it wasn't about dh- it was about his brother! They had previous addresses listed- both correct ones and addresses where his brother had lived. It was weird.

[ChocolateReignRemix]

Umm, because it's none of their business?  Some of us still like to cling to the illusion of privacy, however dead it might be.

 

What is the privacy violation?  She is in their records and received an auto-letter based on her being a female over a certain age.

[Liz CA]

Now, my guess is that when they said "according to their records" they meant according to the records of their hospital system.  Which means they wouldn't know if you had a mammogram in another hospital system.  If you haven't, then that's just coincidence.  And I'm sure it's an automated algorithm that automatically spits out those letters.  I do agree that encouraging people to have preventative tests is a good thing.  Marketing to make money - not a good thing.  I usually get those kinds of letters from my insurance provider, which makes more sense to me.

 

This is how I understand it as well. Naturally, they are trying to get you to have one there because they can bill it.

[regentrude]

Umm, because it's none of their business?  Some of us still like to cling to the illusion of privacy, however dead it might be.

 

I don't see how privacy is violated if this hospital figures out that she did not have a mammogram at their system in the last year.

They did not share this information with any third party - they only notified the patient herself.

 

 

Edited February 22, 2016 by regentrude

[OnMyOwn]

The health network is all connected. You go to one office and they can see everything from other doctors and hospital visits and so on.

 

It's creepy that they're sending you letters trying to get you to come in.

 

Yes!  I hate this.  Starting sometime in the last year or two, when I've taken my kids to the doctor, they bring up other doctor visits that I never gave them any sort of permission to see.  It feels incredibly invasive.  

 

I haven't been to the doctor myself since it started, but I'm now sure how far this reaches.  Can every doctor see every bit of information about my medical records now?  Just because I feel comfortable sharing personal medical information with one doctor doesn't mean I want every receptionist and doctor in the country to have that information as well.

 

Also, let's say I see Dr. A and he gives me a diagnosis I don't agree with.  Now, I want to go to Dr. B and get a second opinion.  Well, now I can't get an objective second opinion because Dr. B can already see what Dr. A said.

 

Or, what if Dr. A doesn't like me?  Then I go to the next doctor and they already have a negative opinion of me because Dr. A made some snide comment about me in the files.  

 

With all the HIPPA garbage, which mainly seems to keep family members from getting medical information that they need for their own loved ones, it seems particularly outrageous that we've suddenly been stripped of all privacy from the medical establishment.

[TranquilMind]

Yes!  I hate this.  Starting sometime in the last year or two, when I've taken my kids to the doctor, they bring up other doctor visits that I never gave them any sort of permission to see.  It feels incredibly invasive.  

 

I haven't been to the doctor myself since it started, but I'm now sure how far this reaches.  Can every doctor see every bit of information about my medical records now?  Just because I feel comfortable sharing personal medical information with one doctor doesn't mean I want every receptionist and doctor in the country to have that information as well.

 

Also, let's say I see Dr. A and he gives me a diagnosis I don't agree with.  Now, I want to go to Dr. B and get a second opinion.  Well, now I can't get an objective second opinion because Dr. B can already see what Dr. A said.

 

Or, what if Dr. A doesn't like me?  Then I go to the next doctor and they already have a negative opinion of me because Dr. A made some snide comment about me in the files.  

 

With all the HIPPA garbage, which mainly seems to keep family members from getting medical information that they need for their own loved ones, it seems particularly outrageous that we've suddenly been stripped of all privacy from the medical establishment.

Yep, and I'm wondering this too. 

 

Right.  HIPAA is working backward, to provide CYA for the medical profession,  and not to protect the rights of individuals, as intended. 

 

Recently, I was not allowed in a recovery room for a MINOR for HIPAA reasons, which I thought was awful.  Ostensibly, this is because it "violated the privacy" of other patients who happened to be there too.   I would think this is exactly why I need to be there.  None of the other people could care less, as they are all worried about their own patients. 

Edited February 22, 2016 by TranquilMind

[TranquilMind]

I don't see how privacy is violated if this hospital figures out that she did not have a mammogram at their system in the last year.

They did not share this information with any third party - they only notified the patient herself.

How does this system know whether I had a mammogram or not?  It seems to me that if it were all simply automated for people not in their system, the letter might state that it should be disregarded if one was acquired somewhere else. 

The privacy is violated if information was acquired in other ways, without my consent. 

 

It seems incredibly wasteful and expensive to send letters to all individuals in an age range without some sort of verification that these are your targets.  I have a hard time believing this is the case, based on other incidents. 

Edited February 22, 2016 by TranquilMind

[TranquilMind]

What is the privacy violation?  She is in their records and received an auto-letter based on her being a female over a certain age.

If that is absolutely all it is, yeah.

 

It is hard to imagine the hospital spends hundreds to send thousands of letters to every woman in my age group for years going back (remember, I haven't been there for most of a decade), without knowing whether or not they are the target audience.

 

From a marketing perspective, that is stupid. 

Edited February 22, 2016 by TranquilMind

[Jean in Newcastle]

How does this system know whether I had a mammogram or not?  It seems to me that if it were all simply automated for people not in their system, the letter might state that it should be disregarded if one was acquired somewhere else. 

The privacy is violated if information was acquired in other ways, without my consent. 

 

It seems incredibly wasteful and expensive to send letters to all individuals in an age range without some sort of verification that these are your targets.  I have a hard time believing this is the case, based on other incidents. 

 

The system does not know whether you had a mammogram or not.  It was simply automated.  Many of us simply disregard it if we acquired one somewhere else or even if we want to acquire one somewhere else or even if we are against acquiring one at all.  The only way that they would know is if it were linked to the same system used by your other medical practitioners. 

[TranquilMind]

The system does not know whether you had a mammogram or not.  It was simply automated.  Many of us simply disregard it if we acquired one somewhere else or even if we want to acquire one somewhere else or even if we are against acquiring one at all.  The only way that they would know is if it were linked to the same system used by your other medical practitioners. 

So you do think it makes sense that the hospitals are just randomly sending letters to every woman over a certain age who ever in history went to that hospital for unrelated purposes?

Hmmm. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

So you do think it makes sense that the hospitals are just randomly sending letters to every woman over a certain age who ever in history went to that hospital for unrelated purposes?

Hmmm. 

 

It depends on what you mean by making sense.  If it is an actual letter then I think they are wasting money on postage etc. and from a financial standpoint I don't know if that makes a lot of sense or not.  But the e-mails I've gotten were a combination PSA (reminding people of the importance of preventative care) and an advertisement of their services.  That makes sense to me, even if I hit "delete" (or in the case of an actual letter, file it in the wastebasket). 

[SparklyUnicorn]

You know what irks me to no end is the fact they send my claims to my husband and list my claims under his account on-line.  I can sign up to have the claims show in my separate account, but they still show up in his account.  I'm not his property.  I'm not a child.  I don't think this should be allowed.  Now I don't care if he knows or sees them, but what if I did?  I have every right to keep my medical stuff private. 

 

 

[marbel]

You know what irks me to no end is the fact they send my claims to my husband and list my claims under his account on-line.  I can sign up to have the claims show in my separate account, but they still show up in his account.  I'm not his property.  I'm not a child.  I don't think this should be allowed.  Now I don't care if he knows or sees them, but what if I did?  I have every right to keep my medical stuff private. 

 

Who is the primary insured?  (I'm not sure if I'm using the right term.)  

 

Our health insurance is purchased through my husband's work.  So he can see everything while I can see only mine and our kids. When we were buying insurance on our own, I was the primary (I think it was set up that way because I am the oldest though what that has to do with it, I've no idea) and he could see only his but I could see everyone's.

 

I think it makes sense that the primary insured person - the one who ultimately pays the bill and/or is paying for the coverage - can see everything.

 

'course I don't know if that is what you are talking about.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Who is the primary insured?  (I'm not sure if I'm using the right term.)  

 

Our health insurance is purchased through my husband's work.  So he can see everything while I can see only mine and our kids. When we were buying insurance on our own, I was the primary (I think it was set up that way because I am the oldest though what that has to do with it, I've no idea) and he could see only his but I could see everyone's.

 

I think it makes sense that the primary insured person - the one who ultimately pays the bill and/or is paying for the coverage - can see everything.

 

'course I don't know if that is what you are talking about.

 

Yes he is the primary insured, but I still don't agree that he should be allowed to see my claims. 

[creekland]

So you do think it makes sense that the hospitals are just randomly sending letters to every woman over a certain age who ever in history went to that hospital for unrelated purposes?

Hmmm. 

 

Places around here have stepped up quite a bit of preventative things under the title of Community Service.  They offer classes on all sorts of medical things, they offer very inexpensive blood draws checking out more than 30 critical numbers (for $35 total), and they send out community reminders for preventative things like flu shots or other screenings (like mammograms).

 

I see nothing wrong with any of it personally.  They aren't forcing anyone to do anything.  They're letting folks know what they can do to help take care of themselves.

[regentrude]

So you do think it makes sense that the hospitals are just randomly sending letters to every woman over a certain age who ever in history went to that hospital for unrelated purposes?

 

Yes, it does. The amount it costs to send automated computer generated letters, even if mailed through the USPS, in absolutely negligible compared to the amount it costs to treat a case of late stage breast cancer.

 

What you find so terribly annoying might possibly save another woman's life - a woman who is not so on top of things as you are and appreciates the reminder. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Edited February 22, 2016 by regentrude

[marbel]

Yes he is the primary insured, but I still don't agree that he should be allowed to see my claims. 

 

Do you feel the same way about a covered adult dependent child?

 

(Asked conversationally, not argumentatively.)   :--)

[regentrude]

You know what irks me to no end is the fact they send my claims to my husband and list my claims under his account on-line.  I can sign up to have the claims show in my separate account, but they still show up in his account.  I'm not his property.  I'm not a child.  I don't think this should be allowed.  Now I don't care if he knows or sees them, but what if I did?  I have every right to keep my medical stuff private. 

 

But they don't usually show actual diagnoses, do they? Just the claim for xyz amount for procedure or office visit done at xyz day at xyz facility.

If he is the primary insured and ultimately responsible for the payment of the account, how else do you suggest it should be handled?

He should just get a bill that is not itemized and leaves him no way to check whether the bill is correct? I don't see how it is feasible to hold somebody financially responsible without letting them see the statement.

Edited February 22, 2016 by regentrude

[SparklyUnicorn]

But they don't usually show actual diagnoses, do they? Just the claim for xyz amount for procedure or office visit done at xyz day at xyz facility.

If he is the primary insured and ultimately responsible for the payment of the account, how else do you suggest it should be handled?

He should just get a bill that is not itemized and leaves him no way to check whether the bill is correct? I don't see how it is feasible to hold somebody financially responsible without letting them see the statement.

 

They don't show diagnosis, but procedure which might be too much sometimes.  For example, I went to a therapist/social worker.  What if I was going there because my husband was an abusive jerk?   That is not why, but I think I have the right to that privacy.

 

I am so not my own person that someone one of the claims showed up as him being the patient.  He never went to that place. 

[HRAAB]

Yes, it does. The amount it costs to send automated computer generated letters, even if mailed through the USPS, in absolutely negligible compared to the amount it costs to treat a case of late stage breast cancer.

 

What you find so terribly annoying might possibly save another woman's life - a woman who is not so on top of things as you are and appreciates the reminder. Sorry for the inconvenience.

 

This happened to one of dh's co-workers.  She received a reminder letter about getting a mammogram.  It had been a busy, hectic time in her life and she had forgotten.  The letter reminded her, and it was a good thing.  It very likely saved her life.

 

I for one don't mind getting reminders.  If it's taken care of, I toss it.  If not, it'll prompt me to make an appointment.  I've never felt they were an invasion of my privacy.

[regentrude]

They don't show diagnosis, but procedure which might be too much sometimes.  For example, I went to a therapist/social worker.  What if I was going there because my husband was an abusive jerk?   That is not why, but I think I have the right to that privacy.

 

But how are they supposed to bill him?

"Please pay xyz amount. We cannot tell you what it is for, and we cannot let you check whether this is a claim for the correct patient or procedure. Just trust us and pay up."???

I am so not my own person that someone one of the claims showed up as him being the patient.  He never went to that place.

 

Computers are stupid. We had plenty of that. It was horrible when we switched the kids to my insurance form DH's.. took them years to get that straight.

 

Edited February 22, 2016 by regentrude