This is what a Tampa hospital billed the estate of a deceased patient. Now, in defense of the hospital, the patient was there for 5 years.  For those of you that are following this blog you know that I’m wondering how the whole “uncompensated care” thing factors into this.  Well, it turns out that the hospital expects to collect no more than 1 million of this incredible charge…ok…maybe 2 million.  But that means…cough…they lost 7.2 million! Right?  And guess who pays this?  You do!  See my previous blog (uncompensated care) on how they will pull this off.  This 7.2 million dollar “write off” will also help them maintain the fiction that they are a not-for-profit facility, as well.

Think they will use this to justify cost-shifting, the wonderful excuse to charge you more for those who don’t pay them?

G. Keith Smith, M.D.