Remote INR taking over Coaguchek

[tom in MO]

Those "facts" come from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation "Pete Peterson established the Peter G. Peterson Foundation in 2008 to raise awareness of America’s long-term fiscal challenges and promote solutions to ensure a better economic future. As a non-partisan organization, the Foundation works to put America on a fiscally sustainable path and protect the American Dream that Pete was so fortunate to have lived." By definition that graph is agenda driven and is one man's agenda. Not to be taken at face value.

That data from the OECD shows US health costs 2.5x the OECD average. Is that the average from all 38 countries or just those shown. Why exclude the US from the average? What is meant by "purchasing power parities to convert data into US dollars". Why choose only those 10 countries?

What I get out of that graph is that when it comes to healthcare, the only country more miserly than the UK is Spain

 

[LondonAndy]

Those "facts" come from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation "Pete Peterson established the Peter G. Peterson Foundation in 2008 to raise awareness of America’s long-term fiscal challenges and promote solutions to ensure a better economic future. As a non-partisan organization, the Foundation works to put America on a fiscally sustainable path and protect the American Dream that Pete was so fortunate to have lived." By definition that graph is agenda driven and is one man's agenda. Not to be taken at face value.

That data from the OECD shows US health costs 2.5x the OECD average. Is that the average from all 38 countries or just those shown. Why exclude the US from the average? What is meant by "purchasing power parities to convert data into US dollars". Why choose only those 10 countries?

What I get out of that graph is that when it comes to healthcare, the only country more miserly than the UK is Spain

There is certainly plenty that is wrong with the UK's NHS - even before the pandemic there have been long delays in some types of elective treatment, and now it is forecast to be years before waiting lists recover. It is a very bureaucratic organisation where, for example even though it is a national organisation, it is split into Trusts for different areas and patient records are all too often not accessible electronically outside of that Trust's area. We also score poorly in some areas such as cancer treatment, where other countries have improved outcomes much more than we have.

But I am not sure why you equate the level of spending with how happy, or miserable, a country's population is: health outcomes are frequently judged to be worse in the US than in other countries, despite the huge extra spending US citizens incur. [Edit - since posting I realise you said miserly, not miserable! Apologies. However, the point remains: outcomes are more important than spending per se].

Neither of us have much to celebrate from this graph's comparisons - the UK is second from bottom, and the US is bottom. There is much to be learnt from other countries.

 

[LondonAndy]

What I get out of that graph is that when it comes to healthcare, the only country more miserly than the UK is Spain

And if only comparing 10 countries concerns you, how about this list - I'm afraid that I had to zoom out of the normal screen size to be able to fit the US in, as that country ranks 37th out of the top 100. (UK is 18th).

Best Healthcare In The World 2021

 

[slipkid]

Reopening this old thread...

Now well in 2022 and I still have never gotten a bill from Biotel Heart or Philips whatever I had heard they were calling themselves recently but now have another surprise. Actually 2 surprises.

Want to ask who else serviced by Biotel/Philips/whatever they call themselves now (think moving forward I will just call them using the generic term "The Washington Football Team" after they changed their name from "The Redskins" but couldn't think of what they wanted to be called yet for like 2 years..)...anyways...

I just got an EOB from BC/BS that includes a "medical service" charge for $880 which is obviously my meter/strips from dated as service of 1/7/2022 and received by BC/BS on 5/24/22.

This would be the first EOB that mentions a "Washington Football Team" bill for my home monitoring for 2022. Oh & note I still have yet to receive a single bill for MY OWN portion of these bills from the "Washington Football Team" (aka WFT) for going on over a year now or however long it is.

Surprise #1 - the name of the company submitting this bill to BC/BS is now "CARDIONET LLC" rather than the last bill for WFT which was called "BIOTEL INR LLC" that appeared on the last EOB I could find for this (from last November). Add to that they are listed as "a Lab" rather than "a Doctor" like the last EOB, AND strangely are saying that they are "Not in your plan" and are "out of network" as opposed to with BIOTEL which was always designated as "in your plan"!!!!!!

Surprise #2 - BC/BS totally denied their $880 charge on the grounds of "222 - The claim was submitted to the wrong health plan. The doctor or facility should submit it to the Blue Cross or Blue Shield plan in their state. The member will receive a new EOB after the claim is resubmitted to the correct health plan".

Wtf????? Has this happened to anyone else recently serviced by Biotel/Phillips/The Washington Football team???

 

[MdaPA]

Now well in 2022 and I still have never gotten a bill from Biotel Heart or Philips

My wife has also not received a bill yet for their INR monitoring services for 2022. She did receive a bill for 12/2021 just last month so they are somewhat still functioning.

Have you looked for your bill on their portal? If you don't have a bill with a reference code then use the "Find My Account" link.
Log in

Want to ask who else serviced by Biotel/Philips/whatever they call themselves now

From what I have gathered:

BioTelemetry, Inc. combines the world’s largest remote cardiac monitoring services under BioTel Heart brand
CardioNet is a subsidiary of Bio Telemetry, the holding/parent company
CardioNet merged with Biotel, Inc - 2010
Philips acquires BioTelemetry - 2021

Here is some history on the company.
News - BioTelemetry, a Philips company
History - BioTelemetry, a Philips company

"Not in your plan" and are "out of network" as opposed to with BIOTEL which was always designated as "in your plan"

BC/BS totally denied their $880 charge on the grounds of "222 - The claim was submitted to the wrong health plan.

I suggest calling then and tell them to bill your insurance correctly otherwise you will not pay the bill and will drop their service.
Per the Better Business Bureau (BBB) link below, looks like you are not alone facing billing issues:
https://www.bbb.org/us/pa/malvern/p...on/biotelemetry-inc-0241-236041529/complaints

 

[almost_hectic]

They had mine all screwed up like that as well. Missing several months. Terrible company. I’m in the process of switching services for a new provider of supplies and reporting

 

[RAS]

I just got an EOB from BC/BS that includes a "medical service" charge for $880 which is obviously my meter/strips from dated as service of 1/7/2022 and received by BC/BS on 5/24/22.

My last invoice was 1/20/22 at which point I was nearly 100% caught up for 2021. There was one claim at the end of the year that went to my insurance and was approved, but not included on the 1/20 invoice. Since then there have been no further claims or invoices.

The web site to pay Biotel is Log in. Without an invoice that has the account and activation info I doubt you can establish an account, but you could give it a try using the "Find My Account" link.

BC/BS totally denied their $880 charge

Definitely call BC/BS to get as much info as possible to understand the situation. I had similar issues when RemoteINR was owned by Roche and they submitted the claim incorrectly. I had to call my insurance to get that settled.

 

[slipkid]

..
I suggest calling then and tell them to bill your insurance correctly otherwise you will not pay the bill and will drop their service.
Per the Better Business Bureau (BBB) link below, looks like you are not alone facing billing issues:
https://www.bbb.org/us/pa/malvern/p...on/biotelemetry-inc-0241-236041529/complaints

I will never ever waste my time calling them again. I already called them something like 3-4 times last year to ask when they would be billing me and how much it would be (this was b4 they even started billing my insurance company BC/BS). No one there could/would tell me a ****** thing other than something like I was not yet in their billing system so they had no information they could give me. Eventually (like a year later) they did submit bills to BC/BS most of which were denied because they took so long to submit the bills that they were no longer even legal (or something). In the meantime I owe them something like $20-25 leftover from what BC/BS did allow towards the end of last year or beginning of this year (I 4get) yet still, they have yet to bill me for even that balance. Think I talked about this stuff earlier in this thread and others had similar experience with them.

Thx for the BBB link. Very interesting. Think my original impressions of them were correct, that they have no idea of what they are even doing and will be out of business soon, plus now after reading about the complaints against them I see they are even worse than that. I will just wait and see what happens. If they bill me properly for what I owe I am happy to pay them. This latest weirdness on my recent EOB is just another example of how effed up they are....

 

[slipkid]

They had mine all screwed up like that as well. Missing several months. Terrible company. I’m in the process of switching services for a new provider of supplies and reporting

Please keep us posted on how you do/what you find out. I simply do not have time to devote to researching all this stuff again to find another provider or figure out how/where/etc to buy a meter or supplies directly (and have no motivation/priority to do any of that at this point either).

 

[ATHENS1964]

In Greece, the public health system can have many problems, but in the case of people who have to check the inr reason for surgery with a mechanical valve, it is very friendly.
I am entitled to 1x24 strips every 3 months, ie 4 boxes per year for 20 euros per box with 24 films and for the device they charge 80 euros for the purchase of a lifetime.
The procedure is very easy and is done by the cardiologist, they need a certificate from the hospital for the mechanical valve and 10 euros. The whole procedure did not take more than 1-2 weeks.

 

[mecretired]

I’ve been having the opposite problem. I have Medicare and private ins which pays the total cost. I have gotten bills 3 different times for an amount that my insurance company has already paid. . So I call, have to email them a copy of my EOB from my insurance co and then hear nothing more until I get a bill for a different month.

 

[pellicle]

I am entitled to 1x24 strips every 3 months,

quite generous ... my own usage is something like less than 3 x 24 every year.

and for the device they charge 80 euros for the purchase of a lifetime.

interesting, while mine has lasted over 10 years so far, how often do they accept you getting a new one?

 

[ATHENS1964]

quite generous ... my own usage is something like less than 3 x 24 every year.


interesting, while mine has lasted over 10 years so far, how often do they accept you getting a new one?

In order to buy a new one, the roche company must certify that it is not repaired and that its operation is not correct.
In case of misuse that the patient is responsible will have to pay about 530 euros

 

[pellicle]

ok

and that its operation is not correct.

... so after that, you can buy a new one? same low price??

 

[ATHENS1964]

ok

... so after that, you can buy a new one? same low price??

Exactly if the device does not work properly, public safety will give you a new one. It strikes me that while the public system has many problems in the case of heart disease it works perfectly. In other simple cases you may not be served properly.
Of course the old one with the serial number recognizes the owner and you have to deliver it to get a new one.

 

[pellicle]

Of course the old one with the serial number recognizes the owner and you have to deliver it to get a new one.

this must pertain to the new INRange model...

 

[pellicle]

... It strikes me that while the public system has many problems in the case of heart disease it works perfectly.

if you happen to know, what percentage of valvers self monitor (and even self dose) in Greece?

 

[ATHENS1964]

if you happen to know, what percentage of valvers self monitor (and even self dose) in Greece?

Unfortunately I do not know these statistics on how many do self-management in Greece and how many have mechanical valves, If I have the opportunity I will ask my surgeon I hope he has data and I will inform you.
The truth is that in Greece not many patients do self-management, I try to promote it and inform through various websites that it is a very good solution.

 

[pellicle]

If I have the opportunity I will ask my surgeon I hope he has data and I will inform you.

thanks, that'll be welcomed

I'd guess because Greece is EU that data should be available (unlike say Turkey )

 

[pellicle]

They had mine all screwed up like that as well. Missing several months. Terrible company. I’m in the process of switching services for a new provider of supplies and reporting

Can't self manage?