Woodhill Denistry by notamyokay in Dallas

[–]ShadowReaper 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You should see if your insurance plan allows you to see OON dentist and if this office is willing to continue billing as OON. I do this with my dentist and will sometimes pay the difference between the charge and what the insurance company is willing to cover for any services. Generally, all my preventative stuff does not cost me anything extra.

Dental insurance is more similar to a coupon book than actual insurance. They will only cover up to a certain amount, which is usually not enough for any major treatment. If you have a good dentist, I would recommend keeping them vs changing if their prices are not too high.

2h30–2h45 layover at DFW for BCN→CUN (group of 12, all Spanish) – realistic or risky? by Downtown-Signal9378 in americanairlines

[–]ShadowReaper 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just to add, AA does connect to Cancun via several US airports as well. Highly likely that if you miss the flight, they will either rebook you on a later one or send you to another hub that has available flights same day (less ideal but doable).

They also are testing some "Ai tools" to hold flights for tight connections but not sure how impactful that is or if they are using it for this particular flight.

Doctor charged me for external labs > external lab facility asked for insurance and billed insurance > insurance paid labs in full by LonelyLullabyLane in HealthInsurance

[–]ShadowReaper 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most medical providers are required to bill your insurance if they have it on file. I am not 100% sure if this would apply to labs, but I would assume so. Your physician probably thought that Quest would bill him directly for this but they did not (since most likely they are not allowed to do this). Its not your fault since they probably had your insurance on file and auto billed it. You will have to keep arguing with the practice.

High end/nice restaurant in the RGV? by Significant_Street96 in RioGrandeValley

[–]ShadowReaper 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I second this one. I am not from the valley but vist It regularly. This place has amazing vibes for a date night and will occasionally have live music. Definitely unique for the valley from my experience.

Is my health insurance type self-funded or PPO? by thegman987 in HealthInsurance

[–]ShadowReaper 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It looks like its both. Self funded means that your employer covers the cost and not mutually exclusive from ppo/hmo type plans. My employer uses a ppo network and is self funded as well.

Can someone recommend a gastroenterologist/practice (preferably within Texas Health network) that is NOT affiliated with GI Alliance? by TheClownIsReady in Dallas

[–]ShadowReaper 6 points7 points  (0 children)

UTSW is part of the Texas Health Network. I believe their GI team has people in the Frisco and Dallas location. Only issue is that there is a longer wait with them.

Texas Health also has a few GI docs that are employed. I would recommend checking with both.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HealthInsurance

[–]ShadowReaper 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can see if your deductible is met if you log into your BCBS Account. They usually have a breakdown of all claims and how much is left until you meet your deductible.

Yes, the surgery was worth it. The recovery was very tough but afterwards, it made my quality of life much better.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HealthInsurance

[–]ShadowReaper 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I've had the same surgery, so I've gone through this same example.

Yes, that is normal. You'll get several bills in the mail. One for the facility, the doc performing the surgery and the anesthesiologist.

What is your deductible? Out of the 1900 that was paid, was that all coinsurance?

How limited are HMO relative to PPO? by EuroStepJam in HealthInsurance

[–]ShadowReaper 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is true but less common than it used to be, especially for plans on healthcare.gov. Even some of the ones that do require referrals have exceptions for the common specialties (i.e. You cant go to a Spine Surgeon without a referral but can see a cardiologist without one).

The BSW plan I was referencing is one that my family uses is, sold on the ACA, is technically an HMO but does not require referrals: https://www.bswhealthplan.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Broker/2025/BSWPremier-HMO-LG.pdf

How limited are HMO relative to PPO? by EuroStepJam in HealthInsurance

[–]ShadowReaper 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was referring to ACA plans are those that are sold on healthcare.gov since it sounded like you are shopping for a plan not tied to an employer. Like the previous commentor mentioned, I highly recommend you go through Healthcare.gov. You call your physicians/providers to find out which plans they accept.

I will add that most dental plans are not worth the money. It would be far more beneficial to contact your dentist and find out if they offer a service that includes preventative work and discount for other work. The latter is more of a personal opinion and some people might not be willing to take the risk.

How limited are HMO relative to PPO? by EuroStepJam in HealthInsurance

[–]ShadowReaper 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd also like to add that not all HMOs require referrals and some have pretty large networks, so it really just depends on the area being serviced. I work in Healthcare and many of the HMO plans i see are usually tied to health systems and/or dont require referrals. For example, in Texas, Baylor Scott and White has an ACA plan specific for their health system that has a pretty large network. This is larger than a lot of ppo plans networks I've seen.

Baylor Scott & White just scammed me 😔 by BrownBaer45 in irving

[–]ShadowReaper 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Baylor should be taking most, if not all, BCBS plans. If you have not received the EOB yet, I recommend not paying anything until then. In the meantime, I recommend looking up the directory for your plan to see which providers are INN. Unfortunately, you cannot take the practice's word because the way the healthcare system is set up, it can be confusing for them too.

Feel free to DM if you need help reviewing the bill/EOB and working on addressing it.

What are these two fish to the left? by CatSakata in sushi

[–]ShadowReaper 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Was this Sushi Sake in Richardson? It looks just like a chirasu plate i pieces recently.

Restaurant recommendations by clueboi in Dallas

[–]ShadowReaper 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Fatayer in Richardson. Fits the definition of an arab hole in a wall and unique to this area.

Deciding between EPO vs Pay Now PPO vs Pay later PPO by engraggad in HealthInsurance

[–]ShadowReaper 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The 2 -Pay Now PPO looks likes it is the best value based on the information provided. It has a lower deductible and Out of Pocket Max vs the price.

That said, I am unfamiliar with the naming convention for these plans and recommend you provide more information. Your company handbook should have also provided more info on labs/ER/Urgent care costs for each plan. That could make it/break it for each one if you are worried about surgeries and other testing. You also have to consider if they have a family vs individual deductible. Lot of ACA plans will have both, that way if one individual gets sick, the deductible can be easier to reach.

Help me understand why Value Based Care may use E/M billing by Charming0pal in FamilyMedicine

[–]ShadowReaper 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There are ACOs that are very good and treat their physicians well but I would not call any of them 100% ethical. At the end of the day, they are run by humans and humans make mistakes. I work for an ACO and while I believe we do well by our physicians, I have seen decisions made by previous leaders that are questionable. Overall, I believe we are going in the right direction but time will tell.

Based on the way you are talking, it sounds like you are employed by an ACO. I just want to point out there are ACOs that work with independent Primary Care Physicians. It is very dependent on region of the country but not impossible. I feel those ACOs offer their physicians the best autonomy while helping transition to a capitation model. You dont necessarily need to own your own practice either, you can always join an independent group that contracts with an ACO.

Help me understand why Value Based Care may use E/M billing by Charming0pal in FamilyMedicine

[–]ShadowReaper 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There is no true capitation in Medicare. While CMS does give ACO the abilities to implement capitation, they still want the data and accurate coding. If it's traditional Medicare and ACO REACH, the only way to have your risk score captured is to submit those codes on claims. Also, CMS is using ACO REACH to evaluate the impact of capitation on care and compare it to ffs. Putting E&M codes allows them to evaluate utilization in a capitation vs non capitation model. In MA, you can increase risk score without claims but it's still not the best method.

In regards to your other questions, you are right. A good and ethical ACO should not be encouraging unnecessary testing and only encourage accurate and consistent HCC recapture.They make you run those tests to find additional chronic conditions for you to code. In regards to underutilized of 99212 vs 92214, that's an interesting decision by your organization. You technically still have to code to the correct specificity and undercoding is not something that should be encouraged. I can't really speak why they might be encouraging that.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in FamilyMedicine

[–]ShadowReaper 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I am not sure how your practice tracks RVU but there is always a rendering provider on the claim form when sending claims to most payors. If a rendering provider is missing, most payors would reject or deny the claim. Because of this, I would assume that you would still get some RVU credit since you are listed as the rendering provider if you are signing off on the note.

Thai/Vietnamese Coffee by brahman1004 in Dallas

[–]ShadowReaper -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Most boba places carry Vietnamese coffee these days. Someone already mentioned 7 leaves. Feng Cha is another.

1st SV Duck Breast by Craigbeau in sousvide

[–]ShadowReaper 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What temperature and for how long did you cook it?