2 hours in the emergency room cost me......

[gm]

a bunch of uncalled for nasty comments made me want to delete and end this posting. This is the dis but unfortunately, there are a couple of bad seedlings on here.

 

[Aliceacc]

My sincere sympathies!!!

I was there for 4 hours Monday night (allergic reaction to medication; my throat closed up and I just could't breathe.) I'm afraid to wonder about the bill, though thankfully we do have insurance.

Hope you're feeling better!!!

 

[Poohgirl]

$3100 just for the emergency room, the doctors fees, cat scan and blood work fees are separate.

I had abdominal pain and I was thinking it could be appendix so we went to the emergency room at our local Tenet Hospital and i was taken in since not a lot of people, had a doctor come in check me and ordered an cat scan and did blood work and came out negative. He said I did have some gallstones but it was not on the side of where the pain was. So I asked him, well why the pain? and he mentioned maybe it could be associated with a herniated disc which may be giving pressure there and that go to my regular doctor and get a MRI to be sure.

So I was in an out within 2 hours cost $3100+physician fee+cat scan fee+blood work fee. Should come out to about $5000+

Oh and I have no insurance . I will have to probably dip from my disney fund or charge after just having paid of my American Express.

Thats awful. I would call and just put it on a payment plan, its a free loan.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Once again, I am extremely glad to live in Canada.

Teresa

 

[yeartolate]

How are you feeling now?

 

[Danauk]

Wow, that is awful. I hope you are OK and figure out what is wrong and can sort out payment. I am so greatful I live in England, even though my taxes are high I am thankful for our national health service.

 

[kidzmom3]

I work for a hospital so I have a couple of suggestions:

-check the bill, is there anything on there that shouldn't be?

-are you sure you will be getting an additional bill for the CT scan? Maybe just a radiologists fee. The tests are usually included in the ER fee. However speciality doctors sometimes are not. At my hospital, they break down the fees on the bill, but it is really just one bill

-apply for any programs your state has FIRST. Medicaid, Health Safety Net, Free Care. You can probably do so thru the hospital you were seen at. Then, if you are rejected see if the hospital has any plans you can apply for. While you are in this process, let the hospital know so they won't send you to Bad Debt, or collections.

-ask for a discount, insurance companies get one, so can you

 

[TeresaNJ]

$3100 just for the emergency room, the doctors fees, cat scan and blood work fees are separate.

I had abdominal pain and I was thinking it could be appendix so we went to the emergency room at our local Tenet Hospital and i was taken in since not a lot of people, had a doctor come in check me and ordered an cat scan and did blood work and came out negative. He said I did have some gallstones but it was not on the side of where the pain was. So I asked him, well why the pain? and he mentioned maybe it could be associated with a herniated disc which may be giving pressure there and that go to my regular doctor and get a MRI to be sure.

So I was in an out within 2 hours cost $3100+physician fee+cat scan fee+blood work fee. Should come out to about $5000+

Oh and I have no insurance . I will have to probably dip from my disney fund or charge after just having paid of my American Express.

You have no health insurance but have a Disney fund?

 

[Buckalew11]

I agree with Teresa. Insurance costs an arm and a leg (I know, I've been w/o and had to provide my own) and it is so important to have it just in case something happens.

DD went to the ER on NYE and had all that done and it cost me $50. because I have insurance. I am very, very grateful for our health insurance.

I hope you are feeling better. I am sorry health care costs so much.

 

[Aliceacc]

Yes, it's brutally expensive.

But most definitely a higher priority than a vacation to anywhere.

Please, when you get on your feet, use that Disney Fund to purchase some health insurance. Disney will be there when you're more financially stable.

 

[Amlee]

I hope you are feeling better!

But I just got a statement (no bill as I have insurance) from my MRI 3 weeks ago. It was over $10K just for the MRI. I have another MRI coming up on the 20th, so that will be another $10K or so. I pay around $6000 a year for my insurance and it's worth every penny I pay!

 

[TeresaNJ]

I just want to add that I do realize health care costs are exhorbitant, but if one can have a Disney fund, then one should think about getting health insurance. The hospital I work at does have a NJ Hospital Assist program for those without insurance, but I think you also have to qualify for it. I'm not sure about how it is in the state that you live, but might be worth looking into. Call the hospital's billing office and see what your options are.

 

[yeartolate]

I do not know if pre-exsting conditions exclude you from any policy, but it is not bad to at least have a high deductible polcy So that you don't go homeless.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Not to sound harsh but how can you even think of Disney or any vacation without health insurance? I would prioritize & quickly.

Just an FYI....in Northern NJ we have the 4th busiest medical center in the country and before you even have blood drawn they take your insurance card. After that they collect your co-pay.

Also wondering what would you do if you had a dreadful diagnosis? Cancer, TB, AIDS....expect all of us to pay for it?

 

[Mischa]

gm -

Make sure the bill specifies what they are charging for. My DH was in the ER in March and we noticed that they were charging for things 3 and 4 times. And they tried to charge us (and our insurance company) for a visit from a doctor that we never even saw! When DH ended up in the ER the following month (the day after having surgery to remove his gall bladder) you better believe I was taking down names of everyone that came in to check on him!

Let me tell you that $3100 is nothing (though I know when you don't have the money to pay it it is a lot) but when my DH had quintuple bypass surgery this past January - let me tell you that we were ever so grateful we had insurance. The bill was almost $95,000!

 

[Amlee]

Let me add if you even remotely think it's a disc problem. Invest in insurance before you go to your doctor. Once he or she sends you to be tested, in most cases it's prexisting(sp). I have had 3 back surgeries from ruptured disc in 4 years. I am well over the $1 million mark with hospital, doctors, PT, and home health.

Insurance is such a small bill to pay once you have a major medical problem!

 

[golfgal]

I agree with Teresa. Insurance costs an arm and a leg (I know, I've been w/o and had to provide my own) and it is so important to have it just in case something happens.

DD went to the ER on NYE and had all that done and it cost me $50. because I have insurance. I am very, very grateful for our health insurance.

I hope you are feeling better. I am sorry health care costs so much.

There are many individual health plans out there that are not all that expensive, $100/month or so. Many have first dollar coverage meaning they pay bill up to a certain amount and then you pay your deductible. Do some research and you will find that health plans are NOT always expensive, a LOT less then $5000 that you will be paying just for one visit to the ER.

 

[SandraVB79]

Once again, I am extremely glad to live in Canada.

Teresa

I agree, when I read stories like this, I am glad I live in Belgium with its high taxes.
One night in ER + X-ray + (one hot) doctor's fee + cast + medication = 25 EUR!

 

[golfgal]

I agree, when I read stories like this, I am glad I live in Belgium with its high taxes.
One night in ER + X-ray + (one hot) doctor's fee + cast + medication = 25 EUR!

On our insurance plan that same visit for me would cost $75. Not everyone is like the OP here. I would bet you pay more in taxes then our health plan costs us. Not everyone has as good of a plan that we do but they COULD if their employer decided to get a plan like we have.

 

[SandraVB79]

It's sad that it depends from an employer, whether you get one or not and which one, and that otherwise, you're on your own

But that's just my opinion, from my point of view. I have never known any other "personal reality" as everyone having the mandatory same medical plan, and it's very hard to imagine a reality where it's not the case.