American Home Shield Insurance Website

Some doctors turn their backs on insurance (script)

She says she can take as much time as she wants with a patient and her business doesn't have to deal with all the paperwork.

So now, instead of her patients handing over their insurance details when they arrive, they pay up front. Helman charges $85 for a regular check-up, $30 for a vitamin injection, and so on. Patients are given a receipt and it's up to them to get reimbursed by their insurance company.

Patient John Tackett appreciates the change.

John Tackett: "She can tell me how much it's going to cost. How much the labs are going to be, etcetera. it's pretty up-front."

Tackett actually has health insurance -- through the Veterans Administration. So he uses his health insurance like his car insurance.

For a routine doctor's visit he pays out of pocket and doesn't seek reimbursement, just as he would pay out of pocket to change the oil in his car.

But if he gets really sick and needs to be hospitalized, he'll go to the Veterans Administration -- just as he'd file a claim with his car insurance to pay for a big smash-up.

He says knowing what everything costs is a relief, unlike his previous insurance bills:

John Tackett: "Because you never know, when you open up the mailing, that you're going to be on the hook for several hundred dollars or whether they're going to cover it. You come here, it's going to be cut rate. You know in advance what it's going to cost, you pay it and you get good service."

Doctor Helman says she can afford to have lower prices because she doesn't need a big billing staff. In fact, she decided to forego insurance when faced with the decision to hire yet another person to deal with all the insurance codes and paperwork.

SOUND

Inside an examination room, Doctor Helman examines another patient.

Valerie Peterson is here for a painful wrist. Helman explains her medical options:

Manya Helman: "It costs maybe 10 cents and the patch cost maybe $5 or $7 dollars. So, big bucks. But I have two studies showing benefits for wrists. It's a patch.

What is the average cost of replacing a water heater? Which would ...

My water heater needs to be replaced (electric) I have a warranty insurance that will replace it however there are a few non covered costs – the pan, the permit, some other part, it will cost me $ 512.00. They have given me the option to “cash out” which means they cut me a check and I try to figure it out on my own. Problem is the “cashout ” amount is unknown and it will take up to two weeks for me to find out what the amount is before i can even decide – two weeks without a hot shower is HELL! But I’m not sure what to do. What would you do?

Can anyone guess as to what amount they MIGHT give me?

The insurance company is American Home Shield.

ANY advice will help. I’m a new home owner and don’t know a thing about house stuff!

Thanks!

You can get a tank and the parts to do it for probably close to 250-300. If you have a handyman, or an uncle, or cousin, or boyfriend that may be able to do it for you for less than a plumber than that’s the ticket. If you have to call a plumber its gonna cost you at least $ 700. And that is with a cheaper tank. Sure would be nice to know how much they were giving you. As a matter of fact it is ridiculous what they are doing to you. If they are gonna present you with that option and then tell you to wait two weeks, that’s crazy. I would make a demanding phone call and get a solid answer. Then after this is all done, never call them again.

If the existing water heater was installed with all the correct ‘permits and such’, the county/city has a record of such.If this renovation was done prior to such crap- you will have to spend what is required to comply with current regs. I personally would stay with a new ‘electric’ only if it can be set to make ‘hot-water’ during times that I need that. It’s really dumb to make hot water all day if I’m only needing hot water for 15 mins twice a day.

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