I do not intend this to become an eye-health blog, but I do have to make another comment about health care costs.  As many of you know, I need periodic injections in my left eye to eliminate fluid that collects behind my retina.  I recently had to switch eye doctors and took this opportunity to select a (somewhat) closer facility.  For now, let’s call the facilities University Hospital A and University Hospital B.

I have met my health care deductible for this year, so I did not receive a bill from UHB after my recent visit there.  I did, however, get an Explanation of Benefits from my insurer, showing how much UHB charged them and what the “allowed” charges were.  It is the allowed charges that I would have been responsible for, had I not met my deductible.

So, here was the eye-opener.  I thought my original facility, UHA, was expensive, as the allowed charges per visit were $687 for the physician, $3,222 for the medicine (!) and $357 for the facility.  I compared these charges to those for my first visit at UHB: $781 for the physician (which includes a new patient charge), $5,039 for the medicine (!!) and $621 for the facility.  Overall, UHB would have cost me almost $2,200 more than UHA, mostly due to the pharmacy bill.  How can two hospitals charge my insurer such wildly different amounts for the same drug, and why does my insurance company agree to pay them that?

This is even more incentive for me to find a facility that can tell me upfront what it will  cost me for my exams and injections.  This should also be an incentive for all of us to vote for politicians who support fundamental changes to address health care and drug costs.  Single payer anyone?  I’m for it.