$153,000 bill for medical care after rattlesnake bite

[Annisman*]

From the OP:



So for that guy the cost was more important than the treatment. And no government "Death Panels" (TM) required.

Isn't it great when the poor choose to die? The free-market at work. Right?
:hmm:

I say good for him. He got to make that decision for himself. Individual choice >>>>gubment deciding

 

[Indus]

They let the guy die? Fucking hell.

His gf wanted to take him to a hospital but he refused saying he couldn't afford it.

http://kfor.com/2015/05/27/man-dies-from-snake-bite-after-saying-he-couldnt-afford-hospital-bill/

A Missouri man died in his sleep just hours after he was bitten by a snake.

While snake bites are relatively rare, officials say 37-year-old Gilbert DeLeon died after being bitten by a venomous snake in the James River.

DeLeon was actually struck twice, but refused to go to the hospital because he couldn’t afford the bill.

Later that night, his girlfriend started to notice symptoms.

“During the night, she thought he was having some labored breathing, but once again, could not get him to go to the doctor or seek medical attention,” said Brad Cole, the Christian County coroner.

That night, DeLeon died in his sleep.

 

[1prophet]

From the OP:



So for that guy the cost was more important than the treatment. And no government "Death Panels" (TM) required.

Isn't it great when the poor choose to die? The free-market at work. Right?
:hmm:

If he was an illegal would he have gotten treatment at the expense of the American taxpayer?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

If he was an illegal would he have gotten treatment at the expense of the American taxpayer?

So we should let illegals die?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Ha story is on MSNBC now. He was posing for a selfie with the snake.
8k a night room charge, 5 night stay. Medical billing advocate who is also a Doctor said most of the bill is for hospital services like the room charge, diagnostic charges not for the treatment.
No other industry is allowed to bill like the medical industry I don't know why we all tolerate it. People go ape over minor charges on their phone bill imagine if your phone bill was calculated like hospital bills. Just a list of vague charges with no realistic reasons why. Imagine getting a $12,000 phone bill because you called into a support queue and a tech had to troubleshoot something plus the network was extra busy during your YouTube usage so it costs 175 times the normal rate and nobody could tell you about those charges before you used them.

 

[sportage]

Well if we all get together and vote accordingly for true healthcare reform next November, or vote for a president AND a congress (don't forget that congress) that has a record of supporting real reforms, then just maybe this type of scamming could be eliminated once and for all?
And this is not a matter of, "you were bit by a snake, how much is it worth to you to live?".
That is not healthcare, that is blackmail.

 

[BoberFett]

Well I would pay anything for this life saving procedure. Letting market forces figure out its worth is kinda dumb considering my former comment.

How do you price things, if not the market?

Personally, I think Lamorghinis should be free, but that damned free market keeps fucking things up.

We definitely need a politician to step up and put the smackdown on the producer of a very rare, hard to create antivenin. And Lamborghini.

 

[Slew Foot]

Drug company charges a crap load for medication, news at 11.

 

[BeeBoop]

He let the snake go? It's going to breed...

 

[JSt0rm]

How do you price things, if not the market?

Personally, I think Lamorghinis should be free, but that damned free market keeps fucking things up.

We definitely need a politician to step up and put the smackdown on the producer of a very rare, hard to create antivenin. And Lamborghini.

If everyone on the planet was going to be killed unless they had a Lamborghini then you would have a point.

 

[michal1980]

isn't life priceless? So why worry about what things cost.

 

[michal1980]

So we should let illegals die?

we should bill their countries.


That should nicely stem the flow of illegals, since their countries wouldn't want to pay the bill

 

[Fanatical Meat]

we should bill their countries.


That should nicely stem the flow of illegals, since their countries wouldn't want to pay the bill

What process would be used to collect unpaid bills? Why would their governments pay? Should our government get billed for our tourists?

 

[FelixDeCat]

Big Pharma has gotten away with everything.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Something to think about pulling the medicine cost out of the total bill he paid about $9.75 PER MINUTE for his stay then given 3 weeks after receiving the bill to pay in full. Nobody in the hospital thought this was odd either.

 

[piasabird]

I saw another article about a young lady who stopped at a scenic overview with sandals or flip flops on and a copperhead bit her on the toe or heel. The hospital way overcharged her for the snake anti-venom. When hospitals way overcharge people they never seem to go to jail. This is something that a real healthcare system needs to address more. When a hospital tries to overcharge people, someone needs to go to jail.

 

[piasabird]

It is important that patients need to challenge hospitals when they send a stupid bill out like this. People need to challenge hospitals about what they try to charge. They all purposely overcharge people. They are all guilty of fraud and extortion.

Personally, after reading the story, it is a good idea not to mess with poisonous snakes. Please just leave all snakes alone. However, this proves that you just cant fix stupid.

 

[sm625]

And no one does anything about it. It is a giant racket and there is not one single person demanding that it stop. They pass this giant massive disgusting boondoggle legislation which they claim will reduce healthcare costs. But all that is really needed is a simple one paragraph bill that removes all protections and exemptions from 15 USC. But my frickin god people are so stupid, so dumbed down, so mindless that they just god damn refuse to wake the hell up and demand this very simple legislative action. God damn is all I can say, people are so unbelievably stupid. Everyone's being raked over the coals, and willfully submitting themselves to financial rape and no one is willing to do anything about it.

 

[piasabird]

Most people aren't stupid enough to get that close to a rattle snake on purpose.

 

[piasabird]

With a snake bite it is important to get medical care right away. The longer you wait the more muscle and tissue is damaged. If it kills your heart or shuts down your lungs you are dead.

 

[realibrad]

If everyone on the planet was going to be killed unless they had a Lamborghini then you would have a point.

The problem with your original comment on the free market, is that the hypothetical you put forth was not a free market. The only reason the price would be so high is if there is not competition.

The problem we have now is that we have a bunch of regulation on some parts, and free markets on the other. If you limit the supply to be from one firm and then let the market decide the price, then you will likely pay a higher price than if there were competition. In the case of the article, ask yourself, why is there only one supplier? Was it market forces that caused it? The answer is no.

Because the FDA requires all companies that want to make drugs to go through them, they limit supply to only those who can pay the fees for the regulation. I wont debate on if that is good or bad, but I will say it limits supply.

You cant cripple the free market system, then criticize that it does not work.

 

[BoberFett]

If everyone on the planet was going to be killed unless they had a Lamborghini then you would have a point.

Everyone on the planet is going to be killed by snakes?

Damn, your predicted future is bleaker than most.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Bober you understand that the point is nobody needs a Lamborghini everyone wants one. Nobody wants a snake bite anti venom but someone who has been bitten needs a snake bite anti venom. I know you are a smart guy don't cling to that Lamborghini statement.

 

[Braznor]

I'm going to tell you all a supposedly true incident narrated to me by this guy who lives in rural India.

His brother was bitten by a cobra and this guy took his brother to a native healer. The native healer to confirm whether it had indeed been a poisonous snake made the bitten man drink some concoction and asked the guy whether that drink tasted bitter or sweet.

On being answered that the drink tasted sweet, the native healer tied down the bitten man with the help of ropes and nails and used his knowledge of bloodletting to help that guy survive the incident.

I dunno whether this story is true or not since this was narrated to me by the bitten man's brother. But what the hell, this is AT! :whiste:

 

[PricklyPete]

I have seen a dozen rattlers on various hikes/bike rides in CO. You bet I would pay $153k for anti-venom if it came to it. I'm pretty sure I'm covered though.