Current Events > A baby was treated with a nap and a bottle of formula. His parents received an

(+) Yeah! (+)

$18000 bill

https://www.vox.com/2018/6/28/17506232/emergency-room-bill-fees-health-insurance-baby
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Between this and the insane prices they charge for an ambulance, my only advice is stay the fuck away from Emergency Rooms if you can help it.
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eston posted...

Between this and the insane prices they charge for an ambulance, my only advice is stay the fuck away from Emergency Rooms if you can help it.

he's right. there's countless stories about being carted away in an ambulance. they're after me for 1.5k dollars.
might of been for the care too. not sure if they fit it into one bill (they were checking me out because i had a seizure) which led to me having the worst lower back pain of my life.

think i flailed around in my desk chair to land at the precise angle on the armrest just to injure it (mostly normal now) took a whole month to heal.
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eston posted...

Between this and the insane prices they charge for an ambulance, my only advice is stay the fuck away from Emergency Rooms if you can help it.

Yea its fucked
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no wonder doctors are so rich. they are highway robbers

how in the fuck
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kingdrake2 posted...

eston posted...

Between this and the insane prices they charge for an ambulance, my only advice is stay the fuck away from Emergency Rooms if you can help it.

he's right. there's countless stories about being carted away in an ambulance. they're after me for 1.5k dollars.
might of been for the care too. not sure if they fit it into one bill (they were checking me out because i had a seizure) which led to me having the worst lower back pain of my life.

think i flailed around in my desk chair to land at the precise angle on the armrest just to injure it (mostly normal now) took a whole month to heal.

And the really shitty thing is, if you get injured in public and some good samaritan calls an ambulance, even if you didn't ask them to, you are still on the hook for however many hundreds or thousands of dollars it costs. And since ambulance services are often private companies not necessarily in the same network as the hospital, insurance does not always cover them.
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eston posted...

kingdrake2 posted...

eston posted...

Between this and the insane prices they charge for an ambulance, my only advice is stay the fuck away from Emergency Rooms if you can help it.

he's right. there's countless stories about being carted away in an ambulance. they're after me for 1.5k dollars.
might of been for the care too. not sure if they fit it into one bill (they were checking me out because i had a seizure) which led to me having the worst lower back pain of my life.

think i flailed around in my desk chair to land at the precise angle on the armrest just to injure it (mostly normal now) took a whole month to heal.

And the really shitty thing is, if you get injured in public and some good samaritan calls an ambulance, even if you didn't ask them to, you are still on the hook for however many hundreds or thousands of dollars it costs. And since ambulance services are often private companies not necessarily in the same network as the hospital, insurance does not always cover them.

what kind of shit is that? the moron who can't mind his own business should pay for it.

I'm not paying for a fucking pizza some dipshit prank called in my house.

It's the same with dental emergencies. Just mad expensive. If you get sick or injured in this country..... Good fucking luck, LOL.
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think i figured it out now. the hospital knows my insurance
the ambulance doesn't (it's ran by a private company).

it's why i haven't received a bill (they know where i live) at least for the hospital portion.
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Then it didn't need to go to the hospital
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spudger posted...

eston posted...

Between this and the insane prices they charge for an ambulance, my only advice is stay the fuck away from Emergency Rooms if you can help it.

Yea its fucked

And yet, the EMTs who drive the ambulance and actually perform the live-saving care it involves make about $10-$12 an hour. It's so fucked up it makes me sick just thinking about it. -_-
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smoke_break posted...

It's the same with dental emergencies. Just mad expensive. If you get sick or injured in this country..... Good fucking luck, LOL.

and get fucked if it happens on a Friday afternoon. somehow, every dentist in the world gets every weekend off.
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In my experience, you can call and if you ask nicely theyll reduce the charge by some insane amount. I had a 1300 bill dropped to like, 400 by just calling.

Also, if someone calls an ambulance for you, but you dont need one, p sure you can just decline. Dont thibk youre charged unless you ride

But yes it is ridiculous.
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The thing about medical debt is that you can just walk away. They aren't even from America, like, good fucking luck with that one, hospital. They never come after anybody, anyway. They just sell the debt for pennies on the dollar to debt collectors, who have no power whatsoever.
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Asherlee10 posted...

These independent ERs have started popping up in Texas. I've been to 2 of them in 2017 and had a great experience!

Sarcasm?

Because my wife had a bad experience at one a couple years ago. They present themselves as if they are urgent care centers but don't charge urgent care prices.

She slipped in mud and felt a bit bruised up. She went in thinking it was urgent care and then a couple weeks later we got a summary from our insurance saying that we'd owe like $3000. Called them and spoke to a rep and she told me they're getting a lot of complaints about these independent ERs because people go in thinking they're urgent care facilities and then get hit with a big bill.

I filed an official complaint against the ER. Maybe the insurance came to an understanding with the ER asking for more than what the insurance covered, because we never did get a bill or anything from the ER.

The sticker shock is real.
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FlyingForever posted...

Then it didn't need to go to the hospital

This.
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This has to be criminal. I loathe the health care industry
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FlyingForever posted...

Then it didn't need to go to the hospital

I'm sure if they'd known that at the time they would have done things differently
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deupd_u posted...

The thing about medical debt is that you can just walk away. They aren't even from America, like, good fucking luck with that one, hospital. They never come after anybody, anyway. They just sell the debt for pennies on the dollar to debt collectors, who have no power whatsoever.

wut

Sonic the Hedgehog perfectly captures what the American healthcare system is like.
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