Brigham Buhler

So when we talk about obstruction, right, there's money being made off the prescription drugs. So the insurance companies are okay with you being on prescription drugs. They intentionally put obstacles between you and surgery because they don't make money off surgery. There is no backroom arrangement. There's no kickback. There's no money being paid to them. So that's an out-of-pocket expense.

So when we talk about obstruction, right, there's money being made off the prescription drugs. So the insurance companies are okay with you being on prescription drugs. They intentionally put obstacles between you and surgery because they don't make money off surgery. There is no backroom arrangement. There's no kickback. There's no money being paid to them. So that's an out-of-pocket expense.

So insurance companies have structured their plans in a way to intimidate, bully, and stress people out of getting surgery. So like I said, if you're a 20-something-year-old kid and let's just say you said, I'm going to go with the highest out-of-pocket copay or deductible because I'm never going to need surgery. And then you get in a motorcycle wreck and you injure your spine.

So insurance companies have structured their plans in a way to intimidate, bully, and stress people out of getting surgery. So like I said, if you're a 20-something-year-old kid and let's just say you said, I'm going to go with the highest out-of-pocket copay or deductible because I'm never going to need surgery. And then you get in a motorcycle wreck and you injure your spine.

So insurance companies have structured their plans in a way to intimidate, bully, and stress people out of getting surgery. So like I said, if you're a 20-something-year-old kid and let's just say you said, I'm going to go with the highest out-of-pocket copay or deductible because I'm never going to need surgery. And then you get in a motorcycle wreck and you injure your spine.

Well, now you're on the hook, most likely for north of $10,000 worth of your copay or deductible to have that surgery. Where this gets even shadier is the insurance contract with a MRI center, a lab, a hospital, whatever it may be, screws those entities and leaves you holding almost what I would call a subprime mortgage. You don't have a financial record on this person.

Well, now you're on the hook, most likely for north of $10,000 worth of your copay or deductible to have that surgery. Where this gets even shadier is the insurance contract with a MRI center, a lab, a hospital, whatever it may be, screws those entities and leaves you holding almost what I would call a subprime mortgage. You don't have a financial record on this person.

Well, now you're on the hook, most likely for north of $10,000 worth of your copay or deductible to have that surgery. Where this gets even shadier is the insurance contract with a MRI center, a lab, a hospital, whatever it may be, screws those entities and leaves you holding almost what I would call a subprime mortgage. You don't have a financial record on this person.

You are required to accept them as a patient. Then you're required to make them pay you the $10,000 copay or deductible. Your contract with United says, I have to go after Alex for $10,000 of her spine surgery. I have to chase you down. I have to make a reasonable effort to collect. That's what the contract says.

You are required to accept them as a patient. Then you're required to make them pay you the $10,000 copay or deductible. Your contract with United says, I have to go after Alex for $10,000 of her spine surgery. I have to chase you down. I have to make a reasonable effort to collect. That's what the contract says.

You are required to accept them as a patient. Then you're required to make them pay you the $10,000 copay or deductible. Your contract with United says, I have to go after Alex for $10,000 of her spine surgery. I have to chase you down. I have to make a reasonable effort to collect. That's what the contract says.

So at the end of the year, if I haven't got the money from you, oftentimes I'll settle for a couple thousand bucks. Whatever I can get from you, the patient, just so I can put it in a folder so United can't sue me. And it ends up being a lie agreed upon because that's why hospitals and all these companies are so terrified of the insurance companies. Because let's say I did that a thousand times.

So at the end of the year, if I haven't got the money from you, oftentimes I'll settle for a couple thousand bucks. Whatever I can get from you, the patient, just so I can put it in a folder so United can't sue me. And it ends up being a lie agreed upon because that's why hospitals and all these companies are so terrified of the insurance companies. Because let's say I did that a thousand times.

So at the end of the year, if I haven't got the money from you, oftentimes I'll settle for a couple thousand bucks. Whatever I can get from you, the patient, just so I can put it in a folder so United can't sue me. And it ends up being a lie agreed upon because that's why hospitals and all these companies are so terrified of the insurance companies. Because let's say I did that a thousand times.

Now United says, Brigham, we don't think you collected your co-pays and deductibles. Well, I did. I did the best I could. The contract says a reasonable effort. They could argue that because I only collected 20% of the money, they don't owe me anything. And they may win in a court of law and never have to pay me. And that would bankrupt me as a hospital or bankrupt me as a surgery center.

Now United says, Brigham, we don't think you collected your co-pays and deductibles. Well, I did. I did the best I could. The contract says a reasonable effort. They could argue that because I only collected 20% of the money, they don't owe me anything. And they may win in a court of law and never have to pay me. And that would bankrupt me as a hospital or bankrupt me as a surgery center.

Now United says, Brigham, we don't think you collected your co-pays and deductibles. Well, I did. I did the best I could. The contract says a reasonable effort. They could argue that because I only collected 20% of the money, they don't owe me anything. And they may win in a court of law and never have to pay me. And that would bankrupt me as a hospital or bankrupt me as a surgery center.

And so hospitals, surgery centers, doctors, they're terrified of these insurance companies. They do not want to fight the insurance companies because the insurance companies have them bent over a barrel. They control the flow of patients. They can control the reimbursement rates. It takes 60 to 90 days to get paid on a surgery.

And so hospitals, surgery centers, doctors, they're terrified of these insurance companies. They do not want to fight the insurance companies because the insurance companies have them bent over a barrel. They control the flow of patients. They can control the reimbursement rates. It takes 60 to 90 days to get paid on a surgery.

And so hospitals, surgery centers, doctors, they're terrified of these insurance companies. They do not want to fight the insurance companies because the insurance companies have them bent over a barrel. They control the flow of patients. They can control the reimbursement rates. It takes 60 to 90 days to get paid on a surgery.