Do not go to the hospital unless you are dying!!!!

[steppinthrax]

I work for the state. I have medical, dental, vision, drug.

My 5yo daughter, from playing around sprains her arm (first time). I know just from common knowledge it's notthing serious. Anyway my wife keeps telling me she needs to go to the hospital. I don't want to, knowing when you go, they charge up the ass if your not admited. Anyway we go and as I suspected after 4 X-rays nothing serious, just a simple sprain. The doctor spends 5 mins. They let us go and we pay a $50.00 ded upon leaving (that's not too bad). So I get a bill in the mail for $50.00 from the hospital (some mistake we already paid) NOT!!!! I checked my health plan carefully.

"100% of allowed benefit after $50 copay from EF Facility Care and $50 copay for ER Physician Services"

Lesson learned

 

[KK]

sounds like someone needs to get their pants back.

 

[Capt Caveman]

So, if she broke her arm(not dying), you won't take her to the hospital to save $100?

 

[her209]

Yes, its a rip off.

 

[FoBoT]

you think $100 is a lot for an ER visit?

 

[vi edit]

Not only for cost reasons...but injuries like that also slow down the services for people that really need help.

I'm actually surprised that it was only a $50 "lesson".

 

[Kadarin]

Make your wife pay for it.

 

[F1N3ST]

Seems like $100 isn't too bad, could have been much, much worse.

 

[vi edit]

So, if she broke her arm(not dying), you won't take her to the hospital to save $100?

Prompt/Urgent care center? The last three states I've lived in had very established Prompt/Urgent care networks that offer much more convenient and quick access to non-life threatening injuries and illnesses.

 

[GlacierFreeze]

So, if she broke her arm(not dying), you won't take her to the hospital to save $100?

People can die from a broken bone. Sprains aren't that serious.

 

[Insomniator]

this is a joke right? you're whining about having to pay 50 or 100 dollars to get x-rays in the ER?

 

[arcenite]

Tightwad?

 

[CRXican]

I paid $100 co-pay and nothing more. My arm WAS broken.

 

[steppinthrax]

The problem I have about this is pretty much this. The idea is to discourage those from going to the hospital when it's not life-threatning (which i agree). But how do you know it's not life-treatning. I'm not a medical doctor. In some cases in our lives we will feel so bad (sick) or have something happen to us where we think we need to go to the hosptial. How do you know what would require a hosptialization as well.

It all boils down to the doctor I guess and what they want to do.

However, yes $100.00 is not much, but I can think of a lot I could spend $100 on now.

 

[steppinthrax]

Prompt/Urgent care center? The last three states I've lived in had very established Prompt/Urgent care networks that offer much more convenient and quick access to non-life threatening injuries and illnesses.

We spent 4 hours in the hospital!!!!

 

[waggy]

wow complaining about a $100 ER visit..

anyway i agree that people should not go unless its a real emergancy.

I go to the local pain clinic wich shares waiting rooms with the ER. There was a young women with a newborn. the "ermergancy" she had was the baby needed its shots and she was out of formula. the nurse told her nicely that they don't do shots and she can get formula from the store. the girl had a hissy fit and finally left.

another time i went in because i couldnt breath (had severe asthma and a history of having a collopsed lung). It took 2 hours to see a doctor because there were a LOT of people who were in just for shit like colds. the nurse was even upset that it was taking so long. Finally my wife got upset and went up and said said something to her (couldn't hear it didn't have in my hearing aids) and i got in. the doctor said NOT to come in on the first week and to call a ambulance for a emergency. they are always swamped with people coming in for BS reasons.

 

[Atheus]

I just can't imagine it - you arrive at a hospital with a child and they take your money. As if it's the kid's fault if the parent doesn't have it. When you guys get real healthcare you'll wonder how you ever put up with this evil shit.

 

[Uppsala9496]

$100 isn't bad. I had to take my wife to the ER 2 weeks ago because she had a miscarriage. Cost us $100 for the ER fee. We spent 9 hours in the aproned off room.
The EOB showed up the other day and came in at over $5,000 since they had to run a bunch of test and call in an ultrasound technician (it was 1am).
I'll take the $100 fee over the $5k.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Call your PCP. At my doc's office the nurses are there to advise on when to come in to their office or when to go to the ER.

 

[Deeko]

The vast majority of you are missing the point of this thread. Good job, kids.

 

[vi edit]

Call your PCP. At my doc's office the nurses are there to advise on when to come in to their office or when to go to the ER.

What do you do if it's outside of business hours or the weekend?

 

[destrekor]

Seriously, parents need to relax a bit. It is almost always obvious when an injury is serious or not.
If it's obviously broken, go to the ER.
If it's obviously not broken, stay the fuck home. Follow the appropriate care guidelines based on type of injury.

Did it start hurting immediately after doing something? Most likely a sprain, use some compression wraps, pop some pills, and take it easy.
Start hurting slowly, or out of no where, not following any obvious injury? Likely an inflamed tendon. Use ice for short periods, pop plenty of NSAIDs, take it easy.

When a sprain or tendonitis happens, it's typically obvious. Anything worse and there are almost always signs.
If in absolute doubt, sure, go to the ER. But 9/10 times, it is obvious whether it is a serious injury or not.

I cannot count the number of times I hurt myself as a kid. Ice packs, band aids, compression wraps, and pain pills, go a long way. I never broke a bone, and as a kid, I'm pretty sure I never was taken to the hospital unless I had an infection.

 

[GlacierFreeze]

The vast majority of you are missing the point of this thread. Good job, kids.

Pics of wife?

 

[her209]

Guys. $100 is just the copay and/or deductible. You're paying way more than this (indirectly) through your health insurance company.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Sounds like a crappy medical system if they charge you, oh wait, US system. It's better to go in case it is something serious then to find out the hard way it's something serious and not go. My nephew actually broke his foot in the mcDonald's play land once and since he was not really crying (tough guy! lol) they figured it was not serious. I don't really blame them for not going to the ER as they did figure he would be crying worse, but just saying, it's very hard to tell with kids if it's serious or not. they endd up going the next day as at that point it was quite obvious just by looking at it all swolen up and such.

unfortunatly though, the ER can be packed with "just in case" patients. I find ERs should be reserved for very serious emergencies, and it should be standard for all hospitals to also have an "immediate care" clinic that kinda acts like an ER but for less serious issues, or for when people arn't sure and just want to go get checked. Ours does have a 1/10 scale system though so someone with a 10/10 will go first no matter what.