New Jersey Hospital Charges Man Nearly $9K to Bandage Cut Finger

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kage69

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
26,967
35,581
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I'm not sure what your point is here, most people would consider a crushed hand to be an emergency.

Fingers.

My point was the scale of difference between charges from ERs and other avenues of treatment - I thought it rather obvious. Seems relevant given all the outrage over the man's bandaid/tetanus shot bill. I'm a little surprised you think a difference of over $8,000 between similar issues is immaterial.

If I catch a ricochet at a gun range, get hit by a car, or get mauled by an irate bear, etc, please rest assured that I will be reporting to an ER, stat. You may have missed it in my prior post, but as it turns out I don't look to what the majority of people think as a gauge for the proper use of the ER.

Going to the ER because you have a cut, or a cold, or one of a hundred other non-emergency issues ERs get that consume their time, space and manpower, is the same kind of impatient pussitude that makes people call 9/11 when Facebook is down.

Screw that shit. I made a smarter call and benefited from it. The difference in opinion regarding the ER doesn't bother me in the least; I saved a shit load of money and once my fingernails are all fully grown back I will have healed up completely with no lingering issues.
Well, ok that middle finger might be a little off and maybe a tad longer than his right hand counterpart now, but I'm the only one who can really tell so I'm cool with it. I doubt the results would have been much different had I gone to the ER.
 

MrPickins

Diamond Member
May 24, 2003
9,011
558
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TBH I have absolutely no idea where the closest "urgent care" center is to me it may not even exist. Id wager like 99% of the population are the same so they go to the ER

the hospital is a mile away

And that's part of the reason our hospital costs are jacked.

The ER is not there for minor cuts and bruises.
 

Veliko

Diamond Member
Feb 16, 2011
3,597
127
106
Fingers.

My point was the scale of difference between charges from ERs and other avenues of treatment - I thought it rather obvious. Seems relevant given all the outrage over the man's bandaid/tetanus shot bill. I'm a little surprised you think a difference of over $8,000 between similar issues is immaterial.

If I catch a ricochet at a gun range, get hit by a car, or get mauled by an irate bear, etc, please rest assured that I will be reporting to an ER, stat. You may have missed it in my prior post, but as it turns out I don't look to what the majority of people think as a gauge for the proper use of the ER.

Going to the ER because you have a cut, or a cold, or one of a hundred other non-emergency issues ERs get that consume their time, space and manpower, is the same kind of impatient pussitude that makes people call 9/11 when Facebook is down.

Screw that shit. I made a smarter call and benefited from it. The difference in opinion regarding the ER doesn't bother me in the least; I saved a shit load of money and once my fingernails are all fully grown back I will have healed up completely with no lingering issues.

So you crushed six of your fingers yet you decided not to go to ER... that's not a smart decision, it's a bloody stupid one.

Well, ok that middle finger might be a little off and maybe a tad longer than his right hand counterpart now, but I'm the only one who can really tell so I'm cool with it. I doubt the results would have been much different had I gone to the ER.

Classic post-event rationalisation from someone who thinks he's smarter than everyone else.
 

-slash-

Senior member
Jan 21, 2014
361
1
41
Getting medical treatment is nothing like getting a car fixed.

Isn't it? Stop clouding your judgement with morality and think about this from a fiscally intelligent standpoint. You pay for Service A, you get Service A. Paying for Service A and expecting the benefits of Service B is asinine regardless of the application is it not?

Oh right, healthcare is something everyone in the world is entitled to regardless of cost or burden on the tax payers:rolleyes: Forget responsibility for one self, someone else will pick up the tab.

If you are dumb enough to buy Service A and expect the benefits of Service B, you're going to pay the stupid tax.

Do I agree with the insane rates at which hospitals are charging insurance companies? Not in the least. Rampant overcharging is a huge issue in the healthcare industry. Part of that is caused by the "refuse no patient" clause causing healthcare providers to incur a cost for a service with little to no compensation.
 

thraashman

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
11,063
1,464
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About 10 years ago I got a severe case of the flu. I visited my primary care physician and he gave me an anti-nausea shot but told me that I was severely dehydrated and needed to get an IV of fluids which he could not administer and I had to go to the ER. I went, got 2 bags of fluids, left feeling better. At the time I had insurance that would only cover ER visits if it were an emergency. My insurance initially refused to cover my visit. So my out of pocket for an hour and two bags of fluids was going to be about $2k.

Luckily I eventually got the insurance to cover it since I only went at the express orders of my doctor (I initially refused to go but my doctor took my phone from me and called my mom on me, not joking).
 

fleshconsumed

Diamond Member
Feb 21, 2002
6,483
2,352
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The guy should have went to Urgent Care instead of ER. However, there is no way in hell ER should have charged him $9K.
 

Zorba

Lifer
Oct 22, 1999
14,449
9,834
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Hospitals are crazy. My father in law had kidney stones a few months ago. He hadn't ever had them before and he had no idea what was wrong except it was the most horrible pain ever. He went to the ER, they gave him a shot of morphine and an X-ray, total of about 45 minutes there. The bill after insurance discounts was $5K (not sure how much of that insurance paid).

I just want to know where all the money is going. I know doctors make a lot and hospitals are turning themselves into country clubs, but there has to be a shit load left after that.
 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,606
166
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www.slatebrookfarm.com
So you crushed six of your fingers yet you decided not to go to ER... that's not a smart decision, it's a bloody stupid one.



Classic post-event rationalisation from someone who thinks he's smarter than everyone else.
No. What he described is exactly the sort of thing that Urgi-care centers were built for.
According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, you should visit the ER if you have any of these warning signs:

  • Chest pain or pressure
  • Uncontrolled bleeding
  • Sudden or severe pain
  • Coughing blood or vomiting blood
  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Sudden dizziness, weakness, or changes in vision
  • Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea
  • Changes in mental status, such as confusion
  • Evaluation of an assault, physical or sexual abuse, or child abuse
 

Strk

Lifer
Nov 23, 2003
10,198
4
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But why should you not be able to go to the hospital and get charged a reasonable amount for services rendered? Just because the hospital is having a fight with the insurance company, they should be allowed to rip people off?
Do we want people self diagnosing and delaying care to avoid being pawns in some financial games or should the government step in and clean up this mess, and regulate health care like the utility it is.

Oh, I absolutely agree with you. People using the wrong service will always be an issue and that's not just for medical treatment. What we pay and what we get is just ridiculous.

Every time I read a story like this I think of a friend who cut his hand badly in England during a work trip.
He cut himself on a knife, called the front desk because he bleed on the carpet a bit and had some ruined hand towels. The woman who came to clean it insisted he go to the hospital. He was drove over to the hospital and the stitches, ER visit and filing fee cost a little more than $40. The whole process took about 2 hours and an intern did the work. His hand is fine to this day.
We are obviously doing something wrong in America, there is no way you could get a comparable service here for close to that cost. Single payer is the only way to go.

And the really sad part is our government, and just our government, already spends more per capita than the UK. And with all we pay, the only things we really are above other developed countries on are a few cancers.

There is so much more reform that is need than just the insurance portion. Medical education, malpractice insurance and insurance all need a huge overhaul.
 

Pantoot

Golden Member
Jun 6, 2002
1,764
30
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No. What he described is exactly the sort of thing that Urgi-care centers were built for.
  • Sudden or severe pain

I agree with you, but it seems like having six fingers crushed would fall under the "severe pain" category.
 
Feb 4, 2009
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Oh, I absolutely agree with you. People using the wrong service will always be an issue and that's not just for medical treatment. What we pay and what we get is just ridiculous.



And the really sad part is our government, and just our government, already spends more per capita than the UK. And with all we pay, the only things we really are above other developed countries on are a few cancers.

There is so much more reform that is need than just the insurance portion. Medical education, malpractice insurance and insurance all need a huge overhaul.


You mean like this?

fFkMJc0.jpg
 

Attic

Diamond Member
Jan 9, 2010
4,282
2
76
Been in twice. Once in high school when I bused tables and I got the wrong end of a broken pint glass that cut through my forearm like a hot knife through butter. Restrauant insisted I go to emergency for stitches, which I needed. Now I know why there was an injury free party pool that was used to fund parties and giveaways if nobody got injured for lengths of time.

Other time was for severe chest pains. Was told one rate upfront and found out about a month later the charges were roughly 20x what I was told.

Just have no idea what the stuff will cost, it's so high it's beyond what you'd ever imagine.
 

LennyZ

Golden Member
Oct 24, 1999
1,557
0
76
I went to the Bayonne Med Center multiple times over the last 40+ years.
Every time I went there they screwed something up.
last time I went they even missed the vein for the iv and my arm swelled up like Popeye.
They almost let me die in the ER waiting room because I couldn't talk nor show insurance because of a fractured skull, Luckily the cop that brought me in made them treat me.
And they even lost the Cat scan when I was one room away, Luckily I got transferred to another hospital nearby.

My friend's mom went there 2x's complaining of chest pain, They sent her home quickly and she died of a heart attack at home.

My Grandmother was dying from emphysema there and her doc wrote on her charts no solid food and no self feeding, Nurse gave her a plate of food and left the room for long enough for her to choke to death on the food.

This Hospital everyone I know has a bad story or 2.

I try never to go there anymore.
 

kage69

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
26,967
35,581
136
So you crushed six of your fingers yet you decided not to go to ER... that's not a smart decision, it's a bloody stupid one.



Classic post-event rationalisation from someone who thinks he's smarter than everyone else.



Right, I mean what would I know about my own body and the nature of the injuries I received? Clearly, an unknown forum user with comprehension issues is a far better judge of what happened, and of the appropriate response.

Oh and I love how you are seizing on the term 'crushed' too. Classic cherry picking by someone who wants to rant their position no matter what. Like, say being told only one finger was broken. I'd say a bloody stupid decision would have been to forgo consultation and treatment all together. I've heard of guys doing that, and with far more serious injuries than what I had. Definitely stupid, and I'm sure more than few of them regretted it at some point. Regardless, you're acting like I took the "oh I'll walk it off" attitude, yet I specifically said I went to URGENT CARE, and actually got treatment quicker than times in the past when I did have to the go to the ER.

Please, quit being an idiot.


Cherry-picking details to try and invalidate something you don't approve of, same shit different troll. Challenge their bullshit and they resort to false attribution, groundless assumptions, and some character assassination for good measure.
While I'd love to sit here and attempt to get you to explain yourself and your myopic, judgmental attitude, I'm not sure I have the time or the interest.

So here, a quick summary and final request:

1. Got hurt, but avoided serious damage.
2. Decided the severity and pain didn't warrant a trip to the ER, but that a DR should still look at it.
3. Left premises within 10min, arrived at hospital in 15min, medical attention began within 20min (far quicker than past visits to ERs).
4. Received the same care I would have at the ER, saved roughly $8,000, was discharged and back home within two hours.
5. Injuries healed normally with no loss of sensitivity, flexibility or grip strength.
6. Person who doesn't know me and who wasn't there yaps about what a stupid choice it was, failing to acknowledge elements of the info that don't support his desire to stereotype and insult.

Pretty sure I've never proclaimed myself to be smarter than anyone else, hell I admit I'm on the thick side. Accordingly, you are definitely going to have to give me a hand here and point out the glaring, 'bloody stupid' parts involved in the info you've been given. Somehow I had this bizarre notion that opting for the same treatment, in less time, and for substantially less money, was a smart call instead of a bad one. Silly me!

But if all you're going to do is regurgitate more assumptions and falsehoods, cherry pick what to respond to while playing e-psychologist, save yourself the time and effort and just skip it. I've got things to do dude, and listening to you act like a sanctimonious prick with clairvoyance ain't one of them. You can disagree with the assessment and choice I made if you want, that's fine, but what I did was demonstrably smarter/better than the alternative, for reasons I've already stated several times. If those are somehow negatives in your book, then you need to take your own advice and seek swift medical consultation. You may have sustained a head injury at some point and definitely should get that looked at.

Good luck! :)
 
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Zodiark1593

Platinum Member
Oct 21, 2012
2,230
4
81
So you crushed six of your fingers yet you decided not to go to ER... that's not a smart decision, it's a bloody stupid one.
Question: What would the ER have done differently compared to the care that he had already recieved. I was under the impression the ER is for the "I need care now or I'm gonna die" kind of thing. Sure, 6 crushed fingers sucks, but hardly what you'd call life-threatening. Not to mention the money saved vs going to the ER. Going bankrupt would most certainly suck too.
 

kage69

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
26,967
35,581
136
I agree with you, but it seems like having six fingers crushed would fall under the "severe pain" category.

Hey, I never said it didn't hurt. I remember thinking in the car I'd take a dislocated shoulder over this any day (my last emergency room visit, years ago in Florida).

I lucked out. We had thrown a party the night before, and one of my big coolers was still outside with all the stuff I had left in place to pick up later that day. So when I got my hands free and saw what I was dealing with, I was about 60ft away from at least 10lbs of ice. What got my wife out there so quick was her looking out a window and seeing me frantically kicking the shit out of the cooler in an attempt to get it open without using my hands. Brought a scoop of it with us in a salad bowl, worked great.

Also, I really think embarrassment combats pain. I was embarrassed the whole thing even happened, and then I was more embarrassed when I realized I was sweating buckets and freaking out over some bust fingers....while sitting right next to the amazing woman who I watched give natural birth to our 8lb son, without once losing her cool.
 

Mai72

Lifer
Sep 12, 2012
11,578
1,741
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My tetanus shot at a Bangkok hospital cost me $30.

I live in NJ so I know how expensive the state is.