13 Secrets Hospitals Don’t Want You to Know
Most of us, if we're lucky that is, won't ever have to spend too much time in a hospital as a patient. Yet accidents and unexpected health problems can strike at any time, affecting you or those you love.
While most hospitals are great places to convalesce and most patients will emerge in full health afterwards, there is a darker side to the business as well. From exorbitant costs that may not be covered by your insurance to the risk of a serious error, there's a lot you need to know stay that your healthcare providers may not be so open about. Whether you're a patient today or just want to prepare for a day when you might be, these hospital secrets are something every potential patient needs to know to stay safe, healthy, and financially solvent after a health issue.
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Hospital errors are fairly common.
With all the cutting-edge technology we have today, you might think that hospital errors would be a thing of the past, or at least pretty uncommon. Yet that simply isn't the case. A new study has revealed that one in three hospital admissions leads to a patient being harmed or killed by errors made by doctors and staff. That's a pretty good chance of getting hurt when you go into a hospital, and with many institutions understaffed and overworked, it's unlikely to change soon. Even worse, many hospitals are actively trying to hide these stats from the public. The good news? If an error is made, you likely won't have to pay for your hospital care, a small consolation for many affected by this widespread problem. -
You may be able to negotiate your bill.
Even with insurance coverage, hospital bills can be astronomical, leaving many in dire straits financially. While you might balk at all the numbers in your total owed, that amount isn't necessarily fixed. In fact, in many cases you may be able to negotiate with the hospital to reduce the amount of your bill. Because there are often markups in the cost of care, hospitals have a little wiggle room when it comes to billing, and if you can prove that you need the help to pay your bills, they may just cut you a deal. It can often help them in the long run, as bill collecting agencies can take a cut of up to 25% of what is owed, so it is often to the hospital's benefit to simply charge you less. -
Your health care records aren't as private as you might think.
Patients would like to believe that their most private personal healthcare records aren't available to just anyone, but the reality is that they're much less private than you might think. While keeping medical records private has always been an issue, in a digital world where information can quickly and easily be shared, privacy of medical records has eroded even further. In many cases, the law allows for your medical data to be shared without your knowledge or consent, giving your information to other doctors, insurance companies, and affiliated businesses. -
Hospitals are a great place to catch an infection.
Even if you make it through a surgical procedure with flying colors, you're not out of the woods yet when it comes to recovery. Hospitals are hotbeds for germs, and over 1.7 million patients are affected by them each year in the U.S. The most serious kinds are most often introduced in IVs, which provide a direct pathway into the body for all kinds of nasty germs. Many hospitals are fighting back against infections with simple programs that help to prevent illnesses caused by them, but with over 48,000 deaths each year from bacterial infections like sepsis and pneumonia, patients still need to watch out for infection in any hospital to which they are admitted. -
July isn't a good month to seek treatment.
July is statistically the most dangerous month to visit a hospital, so if you can avoid it, do. So why is there a 10% spike in deaths in July? July is the month when medical students become interns, interns become residents, and residents become full-fledged doctors. In other words, a good portion of the staff at the hospital will be newbies. If you must have a procedure in July, try to choose a hospital that isn't a teaching one. While doctors in training need to practice, the increased risk could be deadly for patients. -
There are major differences in health care quality by hospital.
While most hospitals provide good care, not all have the same standards of quality and success rates. For those who are planning a surgical procedure, doing research on hospital death rates and which hospitals have the best departments in the area you need care can be a life or death matter. Look up any heath care facility through The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services or from private providers such as HealthGrades and U.S. News and World Report. -
Hospital work may be outsourced.
It seems everything these days is outsourced, and hospital work is no exception. The anesthesiologist on your surgery may not even work at the hospital and the radiologist looking at your x-rays might be halfway around the world. Outsourcing doesn't necessarily mean that you will get a poor quality of care, but it does mean that you don't really have control over who will be taking care of you, even if you're choosing the hospital. -
You will wait, even if you have a potentially serious condition.
Emergency room wait times have become a bit of a joke, though perhaps a dark one. Hospitals around the nation have terrible wait times, many of which may actually endanger patient lives. American College of Emergency Physicians reports that most patients who need to be seen immediately or within 15 minutes actually ended up waiting more than 37 minutes for care. Of course, 37 minutes is paltry compared to emergency rooms that may have waits of up to 24 hours. These wait times have caused patient deaths in recent years, and hospitals are working to improve them, though chronic understaffing has made it hard to move patients through. -
Hospitals will check out your credit report.
Credit card companies and mortgage officers aren't the only ones who care about your credit report. It is becoming increasingly common for hospitals to take a peak as well, examining your credit scores, credit card limits, and even your personal savings. While some hospitals simply want to separate those who really need free medical care from those who want to freeload, others are using it as a method to establish whether or not patients will be able to pay medical bills – and thus whether or not the hospital will provide care. Both instances are major privacy concerns for patients, and if you believe your hospital may be profiling your credit, don't hesitate to ask (though you may not get an honest answer). -
Chances are good that your hospital is understaffed.
Hospitals all over the U.S. are experiencing shortages of qualified staff, especially when it comes to nurses. By 2020, it is estimated that hospitals will be short over 1 million nurses, and a shortage of nurses means a significant drop in positive patient outcomes. Of course, nurses aren't the only thing many hospitals are running short of, as many ERs are seriously understaffed and often there simply aren't enough specialists in fields like cardiology, orthopedics, and neurosurgery to support them; 75% of ER directors report inadequate coverage. These kinds of shortages can have very real ramifications for patients, from increasing waiting times to decreasing the overall quality of care. -
Not everyone involved in your care may be covered by your insurance.
You may have carefully chosen a surgeon in your health care network at a hospital that accepts your insurance, but that doesn't mean you're necessarily covered. Sometimes the anesthesiologists, pathologists, and radiologists that will be working with you aren't covered by your insurance plans. Unless you speak up and assure that they're all network-approved providers, as many hospitals won't ask before they assign someone to your procedure, you may be left with a big bill after your surgery. -
You have a right to question your medical care.
Just because your doctor tells you a procedure is the only way doesn't mean you have to take his or her word for it. You are entitled to a second (or third, or fourth) opinion no matter how adamantly a medical professional is about his or her assessment. Additionally, if you feel something is wrong in how you're being cared for in a hospital, you have every right to speak up and speak out. If your immediate caregiver seems unwilling to help, find out who's in charge and take your case to them. Patients are often reluctant to be seen as a pain, but the annoyance of caregivers is inconsequential in such a life and death matter. -
You are entitled to an itemized hospital bill.
Want to know just what your bill from the hospital actual entails? Most states have mandates that require hospitals to provide you with an itemized bill. Often, on an itemized bill you'll be able to see what you've been charged for and will better be able to negotiate down and have extraneous charges removed. While some billing departments may kick and scream about getting you an itemized bill, don't forget that you are well within your rights to ask for one. After all, you want to know just what you're paying for.
Taken From Insurance Quotes
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