GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Step inside Streu’s Pharmacy and odds are people know what it’s like to pay a medical bill.
“I thought I was just going to have a check up,” said Sabrina Weiland.
Sabrina Weiland thought it was just a cough, and as she said, a simple check up.
“All they did was just kind of listen to my lungs and bill me a lot of money,” she said.
One hundred and eighty dollars later, after insurance, she thought the check up didn’t match the bill.
“I definitely probably would’ve avoided going if I knew it was going to be that expensive
So would knowing the prices before going to the hospital be helpful?
Having options and know what your options are are always useful,” said Weiland.
We asked people at Streu’s Pharmacy if they’ve ever been surprised by a large hospital bill.
“Oh yeah, many times,” said Belinda Teran.
“Unless there is a broken bone sticking out, I’m not going,” said Tracy Bader.
It’s the vagueness between cost and care that many say keep them away.
“I think the last time I asked for an itemized bill and my Band-Aid was $8,” said Bader.
A federal law now requires that all hospitals post their prices on their website. It’s part of the Trump administration’s goal to better educate patients.
“As an industry we are not there yet, and that’s not good,” said Jim Dietsche, Bellin’s Chief Financial Officer. “It’s not healthy for consumers, especially when healthcare is so expensive.”
We asked Dietsche what the new law means for Bellin Health.
“Any individual item that we can charge for in our hospital, they’re going to see a list of all of those charges,” said Dietsche.
He says it’s an overwhelming list of about 50,0000 items.
While Bellin is looking for ways to provide more transparency about costs to those getting medical care, Dietsche says this is another step.
“The end point is, if you come in for a service, before you have that service provided, you know exactly what it’s going to cost you.” said Dietsche. “Here’s what your responsibility is going to be, no surprises.”
Simplifying the process further would mean bundling items together and including insurance.
