I found myself heavily entrenched in the news and controversy of the Healthcare Reform Bill for a myriad of reasons. One reason, admittedly, is out of fear. I was, and still am, terribly afraid of dramatic change to our advanced and miraculous healthcare system. Throughout my life, I have watched our healthcare system help save the lives of my premature twin sons, who grew up perfectly healthy, thanks in large part to modern medicine. Conversely, I watched in horror as they treated my father, who had advanced Parkinson’s Disease, with the resources probably used during ancient times.
Nothing is perfect, but if you were to talk to a friend or family member overseas about their universal healthcare system, you realize that we have what people in other countries wish they had!
Of the various clients I have been blessed to have throughout the years, I particularly enjoy doing work for large, inner-city hospitals. Often times, these clients have a large mental health, obstetrical and renal failure population, among others. When I see this type of billing, I think of the lives behind it–the mentally ill patients who are able to lead a better life due to the help they receive, the babies who are born healthy because of pre-natal care and the dialysis patients who are buying more time with their families until a kidney becomes available.
Their lives literally depend upon the fiscal stability of their community hospital! I feel a sense of accomplishment when I get their claims paid because I know that I am helping to keep these hospitals fiscally sound so they can be there for those patients who need them the most!
Recently, we witnessed the closing of a fine institution who served New York City for so many years, that they treated survivors of the Titanic!! St. Vincent’s Hospital was a beloved fixture in the lower Manhattan community that serviced families from the cradle to the grave. Its closing left a hole in the healthcare system of New York City that cannot be fixed. It makes me terribly sad to think there have patients who have suffered, and perhaps even lost their lives, due to the shutdown of this hospital. Would things have been different if they had properly utilized all available resources?
Numbers don’t lie. According to a 2006 Newsweek article, there are approximately $60 billion in unpaid medical bills per year! Our work, of supplementing an over-burdened hospital staff, helps to keep hospitals functioning in our communities so they can continue to serve the patients who walk through their doors everyday!
I have watched the struggles of New York’s inner-city hospitals now for many years and have grown increasingly frustrated as they resist outsourcing their medical billing to an agency, such as MAS. Surely they can do it themselves, why do they need to pay an outside company to do what their internal staff can? Perhaps because, according to the CDC, in 2006 there were 119.2 million emergency department visits alone.
Yes, we want to be leaders in the medical billing industry but my company and I focus on the bigger picture. We know that our efforts and collections help to secure and maintain our cutting-edge American healthcare system. With this in mind, I believe our contributions at MAS could just be a “higher calling”!
