Insurance and Denial of Care

We all know how much we LOVE insurance. Anyone who has any health conditions or extra needs soon find that there is a LOVE/HATE relationship with them. In a lot of cases insurance is the only way that we can all survive and keep our kids alive.

Back in November Dallas was sick. TWICE. I took him to the instacare in Riverton. It is a GREAT hospital and a great clinic and we LOVE the doctors there. Anyway, both times we went they gathered our co-pay and we got treated and left. We were not aware of any remaining balance. We paid an arm and a leg so we didn't have 20% and I never got a bill.

July came around and I got a letter. I had been sent to collections for $11 dollars. They didn't charge enough on our co pays so we owed ten dollars and they charged finance charges to this bill. I understand we owed and that didn't bother me.

What bothered me was the sentence in the last paragraph of the letter. It stated that if we have an account in collections with IHC ( Intermountain Health Care) we couldn't be seen for any non life threatening conditions. You see, life threatening conditions they would stabilize us and send us on our way. They are not required to do any more. But NON life threatening conditions would be things like his neurosurgeon visits, his eye exams ( so his retina's don't fall off and him go totally blind) his rehab doctor visits or his sleep doc. Basically any visit that isn't going to NOT kill him. This is including his pediatrician for well baby/child exams.

For 11 bucks I was SHOCKED ( I did pay) but I had a few questions to ask them. I asked them where we were suppose to go to get treatment if we couldn't go to an IHC facility. He said " You can always go to Las Vegas. They have a Children's hospital. You couldn't go to our facility because it is obvious you wouldn't pay." Um, 11 bucks makes you a dead beat. ( I didn't mention to them the 90 grand bill we have hidden away somewhere either.) I then asked if our Select Health ( which is OWNED by Intermountain Health Care) covered Las Vegas and he said " Why no. We don't cover out of state. You would have to pay cash."

In Utah there is only ONE children's hospital. Guess who runs it? HOW DID YOU KNOW! By golly it is IHC. It is also considered a children's miracle network hospital but you have to "qualify." and low and behold if you don't have medicaid you don't fall into the realm of qualifying for Miracle care.

In Arizona we had 3 choices of children's hospitals and care. We chose what is now Cardon Children's but was Banner Desert for our needs with Tyler. We went to St. Joes but RARELY. Yet that meant 3 options, three choices, three places we could get care. HERE, a bill you don't know about could get you no care.

Anyone else thing IHC is a monopoly? Guess who runs the state Medicaid D program.... IHC. Guess who runs the worker compensation insurance.... By Golly Select Health.