NMMC doing something right

[TF Admin]

momof3, I know another couple who went through the SAME ordeal with them asking for payment up front, and they pay extra to their insurance company to get 90% and a $250 dollar deductible. Their whole family is in excellent health, and that's why they can afford to make the premiums to the insurance company. Their child was having ear problems as well, went to the Surgery Center and their part was $1500 dollars. They asked for payment up front, and my friend quickly told them to go to you know where. He actually has the money to pay it, but there was no way he paid for his insurance, and was DIRECTED by his insurance company to not pay them a DIME and go back to his DR. for a referral somewhere else.

He ended up at Baptist in New Albany, his portion was $750, and guess what, they DID NOT ask him to pay up front. is insurance took care of it two months later. The hospital did send him the bill in the mean time, but his insurance did pay, no problems at all.

If the hospital says they are losing money, then why don't they cap those bleeding salaries, and put an end to the free medical care they give the executive's families, or perhaps STOP with those blasted PR campaign commercials, they had to spend some BIG bucks for their production and then to buy all that air time.

The public sees the waste, and yet, it is we, who suffer at their hands when we are sick or dying by either poor service, or poor ethics, or poor standards, or poor judgment, or poor accounting, or poor management, or etc....etc....

IMHO, the hospital is a monster reigning terror down onto our community. They have been able to get away with this for a long time, and until the CON process is altered to allow competition into our community, this will continue to be THE problem. It has got to stop, they are a monopoly on Health care in our community, and our state reps had better get a handle on this very, very soon. I have not seen one single industry that has suffered because of capitalism...not one! Health care is no different, competition will strengthen NMMC, and make them a better place for our community, it will force them to fix their on-going problems, and give the community what it has been demanding for years....CHOICE!

TF

[zipzam]

rutrow said:

Operating expenses are high now that NMMC is not a county hospital any more. Got to pay the big boys I guess.

someone sent me a link to the "big boys" and what they made at NMMC a year or so ago.

i wish i could find it... maybe in a few days i'll come across it.

[momof3]

You know TF, at that point and time, if I had had the money, I probably would have paid it just to get her some relief. She had not slept in three months and would scream all the time. She had taken six different antibiotics before they finally decided to operate. She was also losing her hearing in both ears. My husband and I both work full time jobs and we have three children. We just don't have alot of money to hand over at one time. I also asked her what would happen to the extra money if there was any left over. She assured me that there wouldn't be anything extra left over. I didn't think that a hospital (especially NMMC) could refuse services because someone can't pay their 10% up front. I thought only for-profit private hospitals that could do that. I for one think that Tupelo and the surrounding areas are big enough for another hospital.

[TF Admin]

One other tidbit, I will throw out here. I have not heard one single person say that when they checked at surrounding area hospitals, including Memphis, for cheaper treatment, that they were quoted an out of pocket expense HIGHER than NMMC. I'm sure there are some services that are higher elsewhere, but I have not heard anyone that shopped around for whatever they were in need of, find a higher price.

Like I said, competition is a good thing, it keeps prices in check and it keeps overall medical care at all facicilites in better shape, it helps to keep wages at a respectable level, which something NMMC is having trouble with now.

If NMMC had to slow it's pace because of competition, then fine. They own over 30% of the property in Tupelo anyway, and I'd guess 10 percent is not in use at any given time. So, why retain the property? We all know the answer to that.

A few weeks ago, I was in a restaurant in Little Rock, I overheard two Dr's discussing their practices, and one of them, to my surprise, was from Tupelo. Dr. Gaines, I didn't catch his first name. I introduced myself, and during our conversation, he said he was looking to move his family to Little Rock. Guess what his reason was for moving? NMMC! He said because of the lack of competition the hospital has it is hurting private practices in the area. He didn't really elaborate on that statement, but it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. I asked him why Little Rock, his answer was one word, competition. It's worthwhile for a General Practitioner to have a practice where there is quite a bit of competition amongst providers.

He also mentioned he was sick of sending his patients to New Albany for tratment that could be done in Tupelo, if it were not for the stringent referral service the hopital forces upon Dr's. I still need this explained to me in better detail, but this is now 3 people I have met and talked with in the health care field that have expressed this problem. I'd like to understand it better because I am betting that many, many other Dr's and NP's feel the same way.

TF

[rutrow]

cpurdon said:

<A sidenote to rutrow> That avatar of yours is ruining me. Everytime I find myself getting upset over an issue and go to write a stinging comment I see that thing and it makes me laugh.

Yeah, he's a little heartthrob don't ya think? I thank TF for digging him up. Kind of makes my intensity on issues a little less intense. LOL.

[granny2young]

I guess I need it explained to me too. Why on earth would a dr. want competition, especially a dr like Dr. Gaines who specializes in a particular field. I still say that NMMC prices are no more expensive and are comparable with any other hospital in their class in this region.

[All Seeing Eye]

All I can say is that NMMC is going to have a fight on their hands come next year. Word amongst the state legilator's is that a CON is coming, and NMMC won't be able to do anything about it. Apparently, some of the lobbyists advocating on behalf of NMMC are being cut off.

ABOUT FRIGGIN' TIME!

The madness will soon be over! ASE

[All Seeing Eye]

granny2young said:

I guess I need it explained to me too. Why on earth would a dr. want competition, especially a dr like Dr. Gaines who specializes in a particular field. I still say that NMMC prices are no more expensive and are comparable with any other hospital in their class in this region.

How many other hospitals are in the same class as NMMC in our region, and by region, I am assuming you are talking about North Mississippi, right, or the southeast?

Can you point to something online showing this cost breakdown? I would sure be interested in reading that. ASE

[granny2young]

I am not sure if it's available online or not, but I do know it's available at the business office in hard copy form. Stop by there and grab a copy of the entire study.

[rutrow]

admin said:

A few weeks ago, I was in a restaurant in Little Rock, I overheard two Dr's discussing their practices, and one of them, to my surprise, was from Tupelo. Dr. Gaines, I didn't catch his first name. I introduced myself, and during our conversation, he said he was looking to move his family to Little Rock. Guess what his reason was for moving? NMMC! He said because of the lack of competition the hospital has it is hurting private practices in the area. He didn't really elaborate on that statement, but it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. I asked him why Little Rock, his answer was one word, competition. It's worthwhile for a General Practitioner to have a practice where there is quite a bit of competition amongst providers.

He also mentioned he was sick of sending his patients to New Albany for tratment that could be done in Tupelo, if it were not for the stringent referral service the hopital forces upon Dr's. I still need this explained to me in better detail, but this is now 3 people I have met and talked with in the health care field that have expressed this problem. I'd like to understand it better because I am betting that many, many other Dr's and NP's feel the same way.

TF

It seems that a lot of the "good" doctors are leaving. I lost one of my doctors last June. Went back to Nebraska to teach. It seems to me that NMMC dictates to the doctors how they want them to treat their patients. I've had more than one doctor tell me this. I think that most of the doctors want to spend more time with their patients and practice medicine with a more intention of trying to heal their problem rather than keep them coming back to pay them more? Many of the doctors would rather have someone praise them on their skills and bedside manner than to have a production line to gain money.

What is going to happen when all the good, compassionate, and caring doctors leave this area?

[King Rat]

Granny, a while back you said that competition would hurt the patients in this area. A couple of us asked you to explain that (maybe an example) but I haven't seen an explanation yet. Did I miss it or is there not one?

[rutrow]

Just because a study is done on paper does not mean it is the actual, bonafide truth. Organizations have been known to pay good money to sway the public over to their way of thinking. And studies can be done on the side of their favor to the one who pays them.

However, to give NMMC the benefit of the doubt, it would be interesting to read other large hospital studies with their comparison of NMMC policies and charges as compared to their own. This would give a more accurate picture of which hospital charges what and how they go about collecting it.

[granny2young]

There is no way the study could be flawed. They are actual prices that these hospitals charge. You, me or anyone can call these hospitals and get the prices of procedures, etc. and compare them yourselves.

[rutrow]

Yeah, well there is many ways the study could be flawed through manipulation.

But, what I find interesting is that very few, if even any, posted that they got the better deal going to NMMC. (xcept for maybe you) I surely did not. I must say this though. When I worked there, I got a good deal because I had double insurance and I did not know that the ordinary folks out there had to go through hell to have health treatment till I became one of them.

[King Rat]

ANY study can be flawed. In fact, I saw on tv the other night a news item claiming the US government actually has two sets of books - one made public and the other kept private. The private one, according to the report, painted a much more gloomy picture of our nation's financial health than the public one. And no, Bush didn't create the second set of books but he does use them. The study didn't say how long this has been going on.

But back to NMMC. Even if they were the cheapest hospital around it still doesn't justify their monopoly. This country is all about choice. NO business, not even the great NMMC, is going to please 100% of their customers. Those unsatisfied customers should not be kept from seeking an alternative just because the state of MS passed a corrupt law a long time ago.

There is no room in a capitalist society for a monopoly.