Essay Sample on Patients Suffer as Hospital Billing Becomes a Nightmare

Hospital billing has, in the recent past, been a nightmare to many people who visit the hospitals to be treated and to regain their health and normal functioning but eventually leave the hospital with new mental diseases as a result of the enormous hospital bills. In the world today, money is the primary motivator in most professionals and institutions, including doctors and hospitals. Without money, patients, even in critical conditions, are turned away or denied certain essential procedures until they deposit a specific amount of money to the hospital. Affluent and wealthy individuals in the society, on the other hand, receive specialized care with the best equipment and personnel available since money is the primary objective. Long before money became the sole objective for doctors and hospitals rather than the patients' health, doctors derived their satisfaction in finding the cure that would enable them to treat patients, with or without money.

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The issue of high medical bills as a result of unnecessary hospital charges is a critical issue that must be addressed adequately. First, according to MedData, it is estimated that up to 95% of patients in the United States of America might not be able to settle their medical bills by 2020. The statistics are projected based on 68% of patients who were not able to clear their medical bills in 2016, up from 53% and 49% in 2015 and 2014, respectively (MedData). The upward trend on the inability of patients to clear their bills is expected to keep rising as long as hospitals keep charging patients for unnecessary procedures. Secondly, it has been reported that a debt collector has contacted up to 59% of American citizens as a result of the past due to medical bills which they or their relatives had accrued in the hospital (Karpman, Michael, and Kyle, p. 8). Moreover, medical bills have been reported to consist of 16% of America's credit report, amounting to 81 billion dollars in medical bill arrears (Karpman et al. p.10).

In a survey carried out by the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance 2016, more than 25% of American citizens reported having problems settling their medical bills within the year, while 22% had medical debts that they could not pay (The Commonwealth Fund). Additionally, 18% of the citizens who participated in the survey indicated that they had at one point within the year failed to fill their prescriptions due to financial constraints. In comparison, 31% had skipped specialized care for lack of funds (The Commonwealth Fund). Based on the above statistics, it is evident that hospital billings and overcharging have negatively impacted a significant percentage of citizens, and as such, addressing the issue with the aim of providing a lasting solution is critical.

Hospital billings and unnecessary charging have, over time, impacted individuals negatively, and the impacts are present today. One of the significant problems arising from hospital billings and overcharging is bankruptcy. High medical expenses is one of the reasons many people and families file for bankruptcy. The hospital bills often deplete an individual's savings and assets all at once, in an attempt to clear the medical bills. Families of the patient may also be forced to sell off their assets and exhaust their savings while trying to clear the bills. Even with medical insurance, individuals often end up being overwhelmed by the bills since medical insurance only covers a part of the bills. Reports have indicated that more than 66% of all the bankruptcy cases filed are tied to medical bills (Karpman et al. p.10).

Other problems associated with hospital billings and unnecessary charges include an increment in cases related to mental disorders such as depression and stress (Redd et al., 1115-1117). With bankruptcy comes the inability to meet one's needs, both basic and non-basic, which eventually leads to depression and other conditions associated with depression and anxiety. Additionally, because of the high hospital charges expected, patients chose not to go to the hospitals. At the same time, some opt not to undertake specific procedures that put their lives in danger as a result of the delay in seeking medical help.

If changes towards hospital billing are not effected soon, then it is expected that more and more people will fail to seek medical attention early enough, which helps in the prevention and management of diseases such as cancer. Additionally, the rates of bankruptcy and its associated effects such as depression and sometimes suicide are expected to rise. Lastly, if changes are not made to change the hospitals' money-oriented goals, people will eventually lose faith in the procedures they are subjected to even if they are lifesaving, with the suspicion that the processes are unnecessary and are only meant to generate more income for the hospital (Redd et al., 1115-1117).

Significant benefits that could be gained through direct action to curb hospital billing unnecessary charges include early diagnosis, timely treatment, and management of conditions that could somewhat be diagnosed late when the disease had already progressed. Early diagnosis and treatment would help to maintain a healthy nation and ultimately help to improve the productivity of the citizens. Patient satisfaction rates would also rise since patients would have confidence that the tests and procedures that they are required to undertake are for their benefit and not for the profits. The rates of bankruptcy and mental disorders associated with medical bills would also go down since the costs of health would dramatically decrease with direct actions.

The specific actions that could be taken to curb unnecessary charges in the hospitals include government's move to demand that hospitals adopt a billing by bundling system, where the amount required by the patient to pay is capped at a certain amount, and therefore, patients are sure about the exact amount required way ahead (Robert). With the billing by bundling system, it is nearly impossible for anyone to manipulate the bills or ask for unnecessary procedures. Patients should also be educated on how to dispute their bills should they suspect the inclusion of charges for procedures they were not subjected to.

Works Cited

Karpman, Michael, and Kyle J. Caswell. "Past-Due Medical Debt among Nonelderly Adults, 2012-15." Washington, DC: Urban Institute (2017). https://article.images.consumerreports.org/prod/content/dam/consumerist/2017/03/past_due_medical_debt.pdf

MedData (2020), www.meddata.com/blog/2017/10/26/medical-billing-statistics/Redd, Connor, et al. "Cost of unnecessary testing in the evaluation of pediatric syncope." Pediatric Cardiology 38.6 (2017): 1115-1122. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00246-017-1625-6

Robert Pearl. "3 Ways To Stop Hospitals From Overcharging Patients." Forbes Sept 6, 2017. www.forbes.com/sites/robertpearl/2017/09/06/3-ways-to-stop-hospitals-from-overcharging-patients/#7f77065616c5

The Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2016), www.longtermcarescorecard.org/interactives-and-data/surveys/biennial-health-insurance-surveys/2017/biennial-explorer