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Re:At-home test for colon cancer is as reliable as tradition... by kurthr on Wednesday January 13, 2021 @11:02AM (#25763754)
Your doctor is not good at his job or he doesn't like you. Filling out codes so that insurance pays for things is a skill that good doctors develop rapidly. The proper codes can also change rapidly, and often there is no easy way to find out what price a procedure is or how much insurance will pay for a particular code. MDs do usually have a hand up on others in figuring this out because healthcare and insurance companies will return their calls. (They also discuss it among themselves)

If you are not an MD it may take 3-4weeks to find out what a code costs and what coverage will be. They'll call you about the single code and coverage that you requested, when they get around to it. However, if they have mis-billed you (eg 45min for a 15min visit) then you can get them to reverse and rebill the procedure. Personal experience.

Re:At-home test for colon cancer is as reliable as tradition... by ssully on Wednesday January 13, 2021 @11:19AM (#25764063)
I would agree he isn't good at his job based on what you said, but also not even considering your diet. I've had stomach issues for a lot of my life, and my doctor was very good about asking my questions, and helping me figure out what might help me, including diet changes.
Re:At-home test for colon cancer is as reliable as tradition... by multjoy on Wednesday January 13, 2021 @01:58PM (#25766455)
Should this actually be part of an MD’s job?
Re:At-home test for colon cancer is as reliable as tradition... by serf on Wednesday January 13, 2021 @07:27PM (#25770056)
I think it's safe to say that whenever there is a policy that requires professionals to be less-than-truthful to get the outcome they want, probably the system needs to be considered for reform.

To answer your question : No, this shouldn't be a part of an MD (or their paperwork writing partners in the office) job.

In the U.S. do I personally seek MDs that excel at writing insurance codes? You bet I do.

It's important to achieve any decent level of personal care without breaking the bank -- keeping in mind that i'm not particularly wealthy.

Re:At-home test for colon cancer is as reliable as tradition... by vkou on Wednesday January 13, 2021 @02:13PM (#25766651)
It's not in countries with other healthcare systems, but it is in the US.

It's why doctors in America get paid the big bucks. /s

Re:At-home test for colon cancer is as reliable as tradition... by chousuke on Thursday January 14, 2021 @03:41AM (#25773772)
I live in Finland but am lucky enough to have access to private health care through my employer's insurance. (private health care often works faster and the queues are shorter.)

The MDs will in fact help structure your treatment such that the insurance covers it, though I don't think that includes outright lying. It's also admittedly less of a necessity because the prices aren't ridiculous.

Re:At-home test for colon cancer is as reliable as tradition... by soperj on Wednesday January 13, 2021 @12:23PM (#25765158)
>Your doctor is not good at his job or he doesn't like you. Filling out codes so that insurance pays for things is a skill that good doctors develop rapidly.

My Doctor is great, and has zero skill w/r to filling out codes for insurance purposes. Socialized medicine for the win.