The Law Office of Matthew W. Dietz, P.L., represents many patients of hospitals across the state of FLorida who are charged grossly inflated rates for medical services and goods simply because they are uninsured. These hospitals charge uninsured or underinsured patients these unfair and unconscionable rates because: (a) uninsured individuals lack the bargaining power of insurance companies; (b) typically an uninsured arrives at the hospital under emergent circumstances and cannot shop around for less costly medical care; and (c) it allows these hospitals to inflate the actual amount of charity and indigent care they report, which in turn increases the Disproportionate Share Hospital payments it receives from the government.
These unfair, discriminatory and unconscionable practices contribute to a much greater damage to our society. The 44 million U.S. residents without health insurance cost U.S. taxpayers between $65 billion and $130 billion per year in lost productivity mainly because these uninsured cannot afford the cost charged for adequate medical services, a trend that can lead to decreased quality of life and shorter life spans. |
