Stupid Consumer Tricks

From the same LA Times act of Psuedo Journalism comes this gem of projection;

"The Long Beach woman said she sought treatment in 2009 for a pain in her abdomen. First her doctor ordered a CT scan of her abdomen and pelvis at Liberty Pacific Medical Imaging, an independent facility near Long Beach Memorial.

She got approval from Blue Shield, and she paid the negotiated rate of $660."

"This time, her surgeon referred her to the hospital's imaging center. Snyder said she assumed her bill would be about the same because it was the identical test. Instead, Blue Shield's rate with Long Beach Memorial was $3,497 and the insurer told Snyder she owed $2,336,"

Wow. I would be pissed, too, if I was asked to pay $2,336 for a test I could get down the street for $660. She should go after the hospital or the doctor who referred her to the hospital....right...?

"In a complaint filed last month in Orange County Superior Court, Snyder accused Blue Shield of unfair business practices, breach of good faith and misrepresentation over her medical bills. The suit seeks class-action status on behalf of other Blue Shield customers."

HIPAA would make it hard to find out, but I have to wonder if her chronic case of stupid was pre-existing or not. Sue your health insurance because you assumed a hospital would charge the same as a free-standing imaging center.