Anyone have any experience with medical billing? Check out my bill!

[Dolemite69]

I know, this may not be the place to discuss medical bills, but i feel this is absolutely rediculous.

A few weeks ago i had a swollen/sore throat. It wasn't your average sore throat. My uvula (the little fleshy punching bag that hangs down at the back of your throat) was huge and getting in the way of eating. Well, i recently graduated from college and hit that age where you can no longer be on your parents' insurance. I am currently working through a temp agency and have no benefits. Yes I know it's stupid of me to not have health insurance, but lets not get into that right now. Anyway, long story short. I went to an emergency health care / diagnostics center. I was there for maybe 30 minutes tops... The actual physician only saw me for maybe 5 minutes, the rest was by a nurse. They do the usual routine of checking my blood pressure, temperature, etc... Finally, he prescribes me some antibiotics and the nurse give me a shot of steroids in the ass... Whooptee frickin' DOOO.

Like i said, i'm in and out after 30 minutes. Click here to see the bill....

Somebody please tell me they cannot make me pay this! The nurse was not even that HOT!! :|

 

[Leetman]

wow...

 

[Mill]

Seems about right. You will need to get on a payment plan.

 

[rgwalt]

The visit to the ER is what cost you. Next time, go to a standard Dr's office.

Yes, they can and will make you pay that bill, unless you can make yourself disappear.

Call the billing department and see if you can be put on a payment plan.

Ryan

 

[ScrapSilicon]

says it is Not A Bill

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

I've been to the emergency room before. That's a little high priced methinks, but that seems like a very standard bill.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: ScrapSilicon
says it is Not A Bill

It isn't a bill. It is a summary and statement of charges that he will get billed for.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: ScrapSilicon
says it is Not A Bill

No, but since he doesn't have insurance, he'll be the one paying 100%. That's what he'll have paid out when the bill is paid in full. What, do you think they'd send out "not a bill" for 9018723490871209y856`19827349213708234 dollars, then send him the real bill for $15??

That's the bill. "not a bill" means that the notification of charges doesn't require a response that will include partial or full payment.

 

[vi edit]

You went to ER without insurance. This is what happens. They should have given you a courtesy tub of vasoline as a parting gift.

 

[43st]

Doh!

I made a similar mistake when I first graduated college. Except mine was about $300, still too much for a poor ex-student.

You got shafted bud. Next time see a PCP at a local doctor's office. They usually take "emergency" (within the same day or two) and they'll be much cheaper.

You can work out payments with the hospital I think. Welcome to reality sucking and high medical prices.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Well, I guess you are going to pay it 10 dollars a month.

You are stuck with it.

 

[Jzero]

My mom had a bout of vertigo a couple months ago. She spent the night in the hospital and underwent a battery of tests and diagnostics - CAT scan, EKG, etc.

Her overnight stay at the Chateau De Vivre came to a mere $35000. Luckily for her, she is insured.

 

[Dolemite69]

Originally posted by: rgwalt
The visit to the ER is what cost you. Next time, go to a standard Dr's office.

Yes, they can and will make you pay that bill, unless you can make yourself disappear.

Call the billing department and see if you can be put on a payment plan.

Ryan

No I cannot and will not pay that bill. But i'm not going anywhere. Here's what i think.. When they get these people that come in without health insurance, they figure that the patients will get financial aid in some way. Via Medicare or some other federal program. The healthcare establishment then hikes the bill up to some rediculous amount because they know the government will bend over and take it up the tailpipe. I went to an emergency room last summer for another minor incident and stayed at least the same ammount of time, maybe longer. However, I was covered under my parents insurance then. My bill was like 200 bucks or so... F this.

 

[pulse8]

Originally posted by: Dolemite69F this.

That's exactly what you should tell the hospital and I'm sure they'll let you off the hook. It worked for my credit card companies.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Jzero
My mom had a bout of vertigo a couple months ago. She spent the night in the hospital and underwent a battery of tests and diagnostics - CAT scan, EKG, etc.

Her overnight stay at the Chateau De Vivre came to a mere $35000. Luckily for her, she is insured.

The use of the scanning equipment is where she racked up the majority of the bill. The cost to train operators, service and maintain hardware, keep things in spec, etc., is outrageous. :disgust:

 

[OutHouse]

That sucks dude, i feel for you.

Moral of the story? Dont visit an EMERGENCY ROOM unless its an EMERGENCY. A sore throat is not an emergency.

The bill you got is from the Hospital for the bed you took. You can expect another bill from the Dr pretty soon.

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

Good god you americans are nuts... My grandmother underwent surgery a few days ago and has been in the ICU for a week now. I shudder at the thought of what that would've cost had she been living in the US...

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: Dolemite69

Originally posted by: rgwalt The visit to the ER is what cost you. Next time, go to a standard Dr's office. Yes, they can and will make you pay that bill, unless you can make yourself disappear. Call the billing department and see if you can be put on a payment plan. Ryan

No I cannot and will not pay that bill. But i'm not going anywhere. Here's what i think.. When they get these people that come in without health insurance, they figure that the patients will get financial aid in some way. Via Medicare or some other federal program. The healthcare establishment then hikes the bill up to some rediculous amount because they know the government will bend over and take it up the tailpipe. I went to an emergency room last summer for another minor incident and stayed at least the same ammount of time, maybe longer. However, I was covered under my parents insurance then. My bill was like 200 bucks or so... F this.

Actually all told hospitals make little profit. One area where they do is the ER. That fancy equipment and staff isnt free though. Far as insurance and the Feds, they do not pay what they are billed, but what they feel like. You being an individual havent that power. You certainly do not have to pay. Worst that can happen is that your credit will be perpetually trashed. As long as you can live with no credit, nothing else is going to happen

 

[olds]

Hey, it's the cost of doing business. Next time sac up and deal with it.

 

[pulse8]

Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
Good god you americans are nuts... My grandmother underwent surgery a few days ago and has been in the ICU for a week now. I shudder at the thought of what that would've cost had she been living in the US...

If she had major medical insurance, it probably wouldn't cost anything.

My mom's about to have surgery and won't pay a dime.

 

[Jzero]

The use of the scanning equipment is where she racked up the majority of the bill. The cost to train operators, service and maintain hardware, keep things in spec, etc., is outrageous. :disgust:

That is possible. I'm more inclined to believe that it is all part of a ludicrous tit-for-tat game that the hospital plays with the insurance companies. They know the insurance is going to give them a maximum amount that is less than what they bill, so they inflate the bill to get the money they really want.

 

[Dolemite69]

Originally posted by: Jzero

The use of the scanning equipment is where she racked up the majority of the bill. The cost to train operators, service and maintain hardware, keep things in spec, etc., is outrageous. :disgust:

That is possible. I'm more inclined to believe that it is all part of a ludicrous tit-for-tat game that the hospital plays with the insurance companies. They know the insurance is going to give them a maximum amount that is less than what they bill, so they inflate the bill to get the money they really want.

Bingo.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Moral of the story? Dont visit an EMERGENCY ROOM unless its an EMERGENCY. A sore throat is not an emergency.

 

[Dolemite69]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Hey, it's the cost of doing business. Next time sac up and deal with it.

Like i said, "long story short"... I knew going in that i'd be paying 200-300 so it's not like it was some minor sore throat. I couldn't really just 'sac up and deal with it'... I'd been dealing with it for a few days already before i went in. This is sort of what mine looked like, only a little bigger, a little uglier...

Oh and i guess i can mention that I just recently moved so I hadn't really scoped out the doctor office scene yet....

 

[optoman]

Ask them for an itemized bill. They might of overcharged you or charged you for things you didn't have done. If they ran any tests, then that can rack up the costs real quick. The ER also charges more for the same treatments you can get at a walk in clinic. We use to have one by us and it only cost $50 to see a doctor if you didn't have insurance. I only hated waiting in the lines. Secret was to get there when they opened at 8 in the morning. It would only take about 10 minutes to see the doc.