New York City – A Brooklyn Rabbi who was wrongly charged over $5,000 in medical bills won’t have to pay a cent, Representative Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn and Queens) said today. Weiner corrected a Medicare error that held 85-year old Rabbi Meyer Lubin responsible for 2007 hospital fees.
Rabbi Lubin was charged two medical bills totaling over $5,000 for an April 2007 visit to Sloan-Kettering Hospital. Medicare should have covered Rabbi Lubin starting in March 2007, who’s currently residing in an assisted living home, but an error on his Medicare card made Rabbi Lubin responsible for the costs. After calling and writing letters to Medicare to no avail, Rabbi Lubin turned to Rep. Weiner for help a year later.
Rep. Weiner petitioned on behalf of Rabbi Lubin, calling on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to correct the problem. In late June, the Center responded to Rep. Weiner, assuring that a corrected card will be issued to him, which would allow Medicare to absorb Rabbi Lubin’s hospital bills.
Rep. Weiner said, “Rabbi Lubin and many others should not be scraping their wallets to pay for costs covered under Medicare. For many fixed-income seniors, Medicare cards are the tickets to affordable health care and it’s essential that these cards have the right information.”
Recently, Rabbi Lubin wrote a thank you letter to Rep. Weiner: “Considering it [Medicare] changed the date from 6/7 to 3/7, and after my many calls and letters to Medicare – all unsuccessful – you have done a great accomplishment. Thank you!”
(YWN Desk – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
7 Responses
YUP- I DO MEDICAL BILLING AND IT’S NOT EASY TO GET MEDICARE TO CHANGE THEIR MINDS! THEY ARE SO TOUGH AND NASTY. WE HAVE MOST PROBLEMS WITH THEM. THEY COULDNT REALLY CARE LESS ABOUT THE PATIENT OR DOCTOR. THEY DENY EVERY LETTER OR CALL THAT WAS SENT TO THEM STATING THAT THEY NEVER GOT THEM.
IM HAPPY THEY FINALLY GAVE INTO HIM.
The Goverment programs have made medical care inacessible to the middle class who are not elegible for free Government programs.
Before all of this socialist stuff, you could walk into a local hospital clinic and get care for $2 a visit.
The hospitals in New York were founded by religious groups–mostly-Jews–to give charity care to the indigent.
You didn’t have to fight with them to get the care you needed.
Thanx for coming out of the wood work and doing a good deed. We know your running for Mayor. Your act is not going to cover up where you stand on the “Toeiva” legislation!
deepthinker,
There are hospitals around the U.S. that have the names Jewish in it such as Long Island Jewish.
They have in St. Louis and other big cities as well.
The reason is that in the early 1900’s Jewish doctors came to the U.S. and could not be given jobs. By default they had to get together and open their own hospitals and clinics. I can’t imagine that these batei cholim charged to much either.
Eventually these small hospitals turned into the giant institutions that they are today.
May we only use them for good reasons.
Good news! It is nice to read about a public servant actually serving.
ayin tov,
The former Jewish Hospital of St. Louis is now part of the BJC conglomerate (stands for Barnes-Jewish-Christian), which also includes St. Louis Children’s Hospital as well as other hospitals & medical practices in the region.
Dear ayintov:
I see you know your history.
You’re partially right. The Jewish hospitals gave jobs to Jewish doctors who were excluded from the gentile hospitals.
But, their main reason for being was to take care of Jewish charity patients, while the Christian hospitals took care of the Christians.
Mount Sinai was originally named “Jew’s Hospital,” for obvious reasons. They did, however, take Goyim in emergency cases.
Later, they changed the name to “Mount Sinai,” because they wanted to show how non-sectarian they were to ingratiate themselves to the Christian community.
Today, all hospitals are quasi-governmental institutions, since they all operate under Government control and funding.