Off DVA board
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
Posts: 1
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 9:14 am Post subject: Looks as if Corp doesnt want to respond!
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HAVE ASKED REPEATEDLY FOR CORP HELP<
>by: renalstew 02/02/04 02:54 pm<
>Msg: 11292 of 11292 <
> <
>I am posting the following information.As stockholders, maybe you can get an answer.<
>This patient has called DaVita and feels that only excuses are coming down. His fear is the reluctance for the company to fix a problem, but also not to answer or respond to anyone asking about billing practices. In all fairness I left a message with Mr. Broderick at310-536-2410,and have heard nothing,nor has an effort been made yet to clear up this wrong billing. <
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>It may not be a big deal to you,but with this type of billing it goes against the patients lifetime benefits and eats up his entitlements. Most policies have limits.<
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>I am posting this with the patients permission and you can receive your own copy of the bill,as the address will be at the end of this posting. This is for discussion only, and in my opinion it is wrong. You decide for yourself. I have sent it to the Senate Finance,Press and CMS. I gotten no response of clearing it up in Corporate DVA.which I tried first.<
>__________-<
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>I have now received another explanation of benefits from Medicare for dates of service from December 1, 2003 - December 31, 2003. The amount charged to Medicare as "Claim Total" is $45,126.05. The amount that Medicare paid provider is $3,838.23.<
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>I questioned Davita about their new erroneous billing practice and their response is "Oh, we just installed a new computer system, and this is our usual and customary fees". I explained to the billing clerk "that this is not usual nor customary, A usual and customary claim total is between $1700 - $4000". And I know this to be fact because I have been treated by other providers both corporate chain and private." As I was explaining that Davita was bordering into fraudulent billing practices knowing that they could never collect a huge amount from Medicare and my secondary insurance company, she kept repeating her canned answers about a new computer system and the over inflated charges as being usual and customary each time her voice getting more shaky.<
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>I notified my secondary health insurance United Health Care and explained what they were doing and not to pay anymore claims until they straighten out their billing system and thanked me for notifying and quickly made note in their computer. Medicare said they could charge anything they wanted to but will only pay the going rate for that particular month of services regardless of what Davita asks for. Medicare also advised that they must be trying to show some sort of huge write-off for whatever reason. It also hides the
eak-down of charges for services and medication where Medicare beneficiaries and anyone looking at the explanation of benefits cannot determine how much Davita is truly charging.<
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>I didn't know if you needed to be involved in all of this, but here it is. If this is out of your scope then I will continue to plug away at it myself.<
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>Best Regards,<
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>______<
>I am writing this as a private citizen that is concerned that this is going on. Is it a mistake? Is it maybe happening all over? These are questions that I liked answered as a private citizen that has been advocating for patients in this industry. <
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>The address for the letter, minus the patients name will be sent to you. Please send a self addressed envelope, as you can decide for yourselves.Also will enclose this bill.<
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>www.dialysisethics.org<
>11500 Ne 76th St BoxA-241<
>Vancouver, Washington 98662<
>360-604-4440<
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>For discussion and opinions! <
> <
>
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Worker
Joined: 17 Mar 2003
Posts: 5
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 11:32 am Post subject: Answer? Of course not
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answer,,,,never! It appears that
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cks
Joined: 30 Jun 2003
Posts: 12
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 12:16 pm Post subject: huh?
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What is it that concerns you? That the counter rate at Davita is something like $1,500? Medicare mandates what rate can be paid, medicare pays the 80%, the secondary pays the 20%. There is no tax advantage. This is not a write off, talk to any accountant, call the IRS toll free hot line, the billed amount in this case is meaningless. There are very few payors who pay the counter rate. Who exactly are you advocating for? Foreign visitors? German patients visiting Disneyland?
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Advocating
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
Posts: 1
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 11:49 pm Post subject: German Patients?
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It appears that overcharging is currently happening in this industry. It would be interesting if it was you and they billed up to the current limit on your policy.<
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>It appears that IRS has been contacted as has CMS and the Senate. To have a company who is unyielding in fixing an overcharge says it all. IF you are one of the investors and it is found to be fraudulent, then the company is aware of this and has done nothing.<
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>Maybe you should call the company and find out for yourself if this is normal company procedure. If it is being written off, why such a high amount?<
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>Patients have bills that are enormous and are beyond the scope of reality. On several occassions the patient is told that they are not to worry, as they dont have to pay the $146,000 overcharges that were over the amount in only 7 months. I think that the gravy train is about over in this industry, much will be going down. <
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>It is in the hands of the House,Senate , CMS and press. Maybe they will have a different view. It sounds as if your compassion is equal to some of the investors in DaVita. I personally feel that DaVita is one of the worst companies out there in patient dismissals and 'cherry pickin".<
>Arlene<
>
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Davita board
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
Posts: 1
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 11:53 pm Post subject: Davita
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The Gravy Train at DVA continues<
>by: oranmedco 02/02/04 10:19 pm<
>Msg: 11293 of 11293 <
> <
>finance.yahoo.com/q/it?s=DVA<
>Richard Whitney sells 10,000 shares per day with each sale pocketing him around a $300,000 profit. Not a bad daily salary if you can get it. This is what led to the last time the company nearly went under three years ago when the stock crashed to $2. <
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Andrew Fastow
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Posts: 1
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 12:23 am Post subject: Inflated charges
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Corporate corruption in the accounting arena seems to be the norm these days with companies over-inflating sales and services then showing a loss to book push up stock prices for the moment. Fuzzy math was definately the logic at a little energy company named Enron.(in my opinion only).
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leadsag
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 263
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 1:12 am Post subject: Re: Inflated charges
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Maybe it is done so that the company can say ...Gross Sales/Revenue up $$$$ over last year never mentioning that there is a large sales adjustment before Net Sales. <
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>People like to invest in companies with growing revenue.
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And another thing
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Posts: 1
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 7:41 am Post subject: Propaganda handed to Davita patients
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Received another davita newsletter last week, lo and behold after the clinics received a raise that is coming up, Davita is asking its patients to start writing the congress members for another raise! and asking patients to drag their congress members into clinics! They make enough money go spend some of it on professional lobbyist and leave sick and disabled patients alone.<
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>If they can pass out propaganda like this I will start my own newsletter and begin to pass out to patients!
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leadsag
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 263
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 8:44 am Post subject: congress members to clinics.
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Now this does not sound like a bad idea. Let the congress members see how dirty the treatment centers are, let them see how understaffed, let them see one of the Neprhologist making the 10-15 second patient visit that they are generously reimbursed for.
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Attention
Joined: 05 Feb 2004
Posts: 1
Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2004 12:35 am Post subject: To all DaVita secondary insurance policy holders!
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I have spoken to CMS about the erroneous billing that DaVita claims to have Medicare's blessing on. Medicare does not approve of "Padding the Bill" but cannot regulate the total amount charged. All secondary policy holders without contracts with DaVita need to be placed on ALERT. DaVita is out to bill large sums of money to Medicare then your CMS Summary Notice rejection is mailed to your insurance company in hopes to get huge remaining amount. Contact your insurance companies immediately and explain the new scheme to chop away at your lifetime entitlement today!
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Just asking
Joined: 08 Feb 2004
Posts: 1
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 7:54 pm Post subject: "Enron-esque" accounting
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So the company charges say $40,000 for service in which it anticipates that it will ony receive say $10,000.<
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>The $40,000 is accrued in revenue as a receiveable. This inflates the company's revenue line, (which could drive the company's stock value up). Then it receives the anticipated $10,000 payment which goes to revenue and the $30,000 balance (which it would have never collected to begin with) is converted to a tax write off as an uncollected debt.<
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>Isn't this like what Enron was doing?<
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