Poll of the Day > Woman badly injured in subway begs people not to call ambulance

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/woman-begging-people-not-to-call-ambulance-gains-national-attention/ar-AAzxDpI

This happened not far from where I live.
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I can relate. When I broke my arm a few years ago I had my roommate drive me 40 minutes to the VA hospital instead of 5 minutes down the road.
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That's a truly sad story. It was always a worry in the US. Even with insurance an ambulance ride is expensive. With most Americans being paycheck to paycheck, many would be forced to choose between bankruptcy or physical hardship. Or worse.
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Fuck this country.

Like, honestly. It shouldnt get to this point where something like a god damned ambulance is too expensive.
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rexcrk posted...

Fuck this country.

Like, honestly. It shouldnt get to this point where something like a god damned ambulance is too expensive.

If you're living paycheck to paycheck, *any* amount can be too expensive.
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This was like two years ago. It was dark and I was taking my dog for a walk. Some guy was riding his bike on the sidewalk, which is a no-no but anyways... some stupid kid had left his little bike in the middle of the sidewalk, and this guy plowed into it at full speed and just went flying. He was wincing in pain, could barely walk, had blood dripping of his face and was slurring his words. He told me not to call 911 and that he was just going to walk it off.

What the fuck. I called once I was out of earshot.
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Also, to be fair, some areas operate volunteer ambulances which are free, if I remember correctly. For instance, I broke my arm in Norfolk, but a few miles over in Virginia Beach they have volunteer ambulances.
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And I thought $500 was too much. Although you can literally pay that with a dollar a month if you want.
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SinisterSlay posted...

And I thought $500 was too much. Although you can literally pay that with a dollar a month if you want.

Yeah, the rules regarding medical bills are pretty lenient like that. However, when you die, they can try to come after your estate so it's not a perfect solution.
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Cacciato posted...

I can relate. When I broke my arm a few years ago I had my roommate drive me 40 minutes to the VA hospital instead of 5 minutes down the road.

Feel ya. My dads the same way.
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Its almost like healthcare shouldnt be part of capatilist ideals
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McSame_as_Bush posted...

This was like two years ago. It was dark and I was taking my dog for a walk. Some guy was riding his bike on the sidewalk, which is a no-no but anyways... some stupid kid had left his little bike in the middle of the sidewalk, and this guy plowed into it at full speed and just went flying. He was wincing in pain, could barely walk, had blood dripping of his face and was slurring his words. He told me not to call 911 and that he was just going to walk it off.

What the fuck. I called once I was out of earshot.

But what if he couldn't pay? I guess they can't really force him in the ambulance...
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rexcrk posted...

Fuck this country.

Like, honestly. It shouldnt get to this point where something like a god damned ambulance is too expensive.

agreed, bud

no such thing as a rich country if almost everybody is fucking broke and miserable
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LinkPizza posted...

McSame_as_Bush posted...

This was like two years ago. It was dark and I was taking my dog for a walk. Some guy was riding his bike on the sidewalk, which is a no-no but anyways... some stupid kid had left his little bike in the middle of the sidewalk, and this guy plowed into it at full speed and just went flying. He was wincing in pain, could barely walk, had blood dripping of his face and was slurring his words. He told me not to call 911 and that he was just going to walk it off.

What the fuck. I called once I was out of earshot.

But what if he couldn't pay? I guess they can't really force him in the ambulance...

I once got hit by a car while riding my bike. Messed me up pretty good but I was ambulatory. Bike was trashed, but I was prepared to carry it home. Someone must've called 911 because they showed up a moment later. I was able to refuse going to the hospital, but the medics did check me out before I left. They never caught the guy that hit me.
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Far-Queue posted...

LinkPizza posted...

McSame_as_Bush posted...

This was like two years ago. It was dark and I was taking my dog for a walk. Some guy was riding his bike on the sidewalk, which is a no-no but anyways... some stupid kid had left his little bike in the middle of the sidewalk, and this guy plowed into it at full speed and just went flying. He was wincing in pain, could barely walk, had blood dripping of his face and was slurring his words. He told me not to call 911 and that he was just going to walk it off.

What the fuck. I called once I was out of earshot.

But what if he couldn't pay? I guess they can't really force him in the ambulance...

I once got hit by a car while riding my bike. Messed me up pretty good but I was ambulatory. Bike was trashed, but I was prepared to carry it home. Someone must've called 911 because they showed up a moment later. I was able to refuse going to the hospital, but the medics did check me out before I left. They never caught the guy that hit me.

Yeah. I mean, I figured they would probably check whoever out before just letting them walk around. Because it could lead to death if not checked out. But I guess they can't really force you to ride in the ambulance if you're not like internally bleeding or like about to die or something...
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LinkPizza posted...

But what if he couldn't pay? I guess they can't really force him in the ambulance...

Usually it's only the ride that they charge you for. So it's always safe to call them. You can even call them, have them patch you up, and have someone else drive you to the hospital.
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SinisterSlay posted...

LinkPizza posted...

But what if he couldn't pay? I guess they can't really force him in the ambulance...

Usually it's only the ride that they charge you for. So it's always safe to call them. You can even call them, have them patch you up, and have someone else drive you to the hospital.

That's cool, then...
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As an epileptic, I can relate. I tell my friends and coworkers not to call 911 unless I injure myself while falling or if I look like I'm not breathing. Two seizures ago, I had one at work. Ambulance, a bed for 6 hours, and some saline solution cost me 36 dollars a month for three straight years. Not a lot cause I had it spread out, but they did nothing for me and it took three years to pay off.
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Far-Queue posted...

LinkPizza posted...

McSame_as_Bush posted...

This was like two years ago. It was dark and I was taking my dog for a walk. Some guy was riding his bike on the sidewalk, which is a no-no but anyways... some stupid kid had left his little bike in the middle of the sidewalk, and this guy plowed into it at full speed and just went flying. He was wincing in pain, could barely walk, had blood dripping of his face and was slurring his words. He told me not to call 911 and that he was just going to walk it off.

What the fuck. I called once I was out of earshot.

But what if he couldn't pay? I guess they can't really force him in the ambulance...

I once got hit by a car while riding my bike. Messed me up pretty good but I was ambulatory. Bike was trashed, but I was prepared to carry it home. Someone must've called 911 because they showed up a moment later. I was able to refuse going to the hospital, but the medics did check me out before I left. They never caught the guy that hit me.

i was hit by a car crossing the street once and I could move. still took that ambulance ride tho.

after the shock and adrenaline wore off I could just not move
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that's really sad and pathetic. american health care is idiotic.
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Other countries do universal healthcare, it ends up being cheaper for the taxpayer in the long run and it doesn't discourage people from getting help. The only group of people it would hurt are health insurance companies.

We can't fix this problem without a political facelift.
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We might pay more for things in the US and things are still terrible, but some congressman and executives get to clean the fuck up so in guess in the end it is worth it
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Try ambulances in the bay area. There is one company there, can't remember it's name, but they charge insane....I mean REALLY insane amounts for ambulance rides. And they have like a monopoly in the area so you pretty much always get them if you need an ambulance.

Think it was American ambulance response or something like that. Guess I could look it up. I know a few people who had 20-30k worth of ambulance bills from them (and they got them all before they recieved the first bill and saw how much it would be).

Seriously crazy. For a short ride (like under 2 miles) it was around 5k...but ifyou had to go to the main hospital in San Jose (from Gilroy), it was over 10k each way. Your health insurance might pay for the medical bills, but nothing paid for the ambulance.
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Mead posted...

Its almost like healthcare shouldnt be part of capatilist ideals

It's almost like money has to come from somewhere.

Yellow posted...

Other countries do universal healthcare, it ends up being cheaper for the taxpayer in the long run and it doesn't discourage people from getting help. The only group of people it would hurt are health insurance companies.

Is it, though? As soon as things are funded via taxes, the costs become fairly opaque and that's in addition to a slew of other issues (lower standards of care, reduction in care options, government control over treatment, etc).

Not to mention that the public, government-funded options in this nation tend to be far worse than private options whether it's constant issues with the VA, countless medicare issues (including massive fraud cases -- including a recent $100m+ fraud case involving NJ Senator Bob Menendez), and so on.

And, speaking from personal experience, I had a fucking awful time with Canadian hospitals. In the most notable case, the level of care I received -- or more accurately was delayed in receiving -- *could* have killed me (or, at the very least, the delay in treatment could have cost me a limb).

Mead posted...

We might pay more for things in the US and things are still terrible,

But they're less terrible than other nations. Well, unless you're a veteran relying on government care. Or, in some cases, an elderly person relying on government care. Or, to a lesser extent, a poor person relying on government care.
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wolfy42 posted...

Think it was American ambulance response or something like that. Guess I could look it up. I know a few people who had 20-30k worth of ambulance bills from them (and they got them all before they recieved the first bill and saw how much it would be).

AMR? Use to work for them.
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LinkPizza posted...

Far-Queue posted...

LinkPizza posted...

McSame_as_Bush posted...

This was like two years ago. It was dark and I was taking my dog for a walk. Some guy was riding his bike on the sidewalk, which is a no-no but anyways... some stupid kid had left his little bike in the middle of the sidewalk, and this guy plowed into it at full speed and just went flying. He was wincing in pain, could barely walk, had blood dripping of his face and was slurring his words. He told me not to call 911 and that he was just going to walk it off.

What the fuck. I called once I was out of earshot.

But what if he couldn't pay? I guess they can't really force him in the ambulance...

I once got hit by a car while riding my bike. Messed me up pretty good but I was ambulatory. Bike was trashed, but I was prepared to carry it home. Someone must've called 911 because they showed up a moment later. I was able to refuse going to the hospital, but the medics did check me out before I left. They never caught the guy that hit me.

Yeah. I mean, I figured they would probably check whoever out before just letting them walk around. Because it could lead to death if not checked out. But I guess they can't really force you to ride in the ambulance if you're not like internally bleeding or like about to die or something...

I was an EMT for years, you can't provide medical services to someone conscious and of the right state of mind without their consent. If their arm is bent the wrong way and they refuse care all you can do is get them to sign a refusal.

what if both their arms are bent so they can't sign the refusal
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Miroku_of_Nite1 posted...

wolfy42 posted...

Think it was American ambulance response or something like that. Guess I could look it up. I know a few people who had 20-30k worth of ambulance bills from them (and they got them all before they recieved the first bill and saw how much it would be).

AMR? Use to work for them.

Yeah man, sorry, I checked but I'm pretty sure it was them. Can't find the old news reports, it was actually on the nightly news in the bay area like 5 years ago or so...but I did find an article about them charging 4k for a 4 mile ride and 8k for a trip from one hospital to another etc. I'll post the link. Could have been a different company but that is the name that jumped out at me, and it's one of the main ones in the bay area.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ambulance-surprise-charges-20171129-story.html
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Jen0125 posted...

that's really sad and pathetic. american health care is idiotic.

You don't have to answer but I'm curious if rehab was covered at all by insurance. I have a friend who is a social worker for a large insurance provider and almost everyday she has to tell people that the healthcare plan their company picked for its employees is shit.
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McSame_as_Bush posted...

You don't have to answer but I'm curious if rehab was covered at all by insurance. I have a friend who is a social worker for a large insurance provider and almost everyday she has to tell people that the healthcare plan their company picked for its employees is shit.

mine only had two that were in network because i have a HMO but my case manager got a one time permission from mine to go to a dual diagnosis facility that was out of network so i was able to go to that one instead. the other two were substance abuse only and not mental health/substance abuse.

but i had to pay 20% coinsurance. i only have a $2k out of pocket max. i paid $1,500 when i got there because i paid a $500 deductible to the behavioral health hospital i was at before i went there.
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to be fair, ambulances aren't free in Canada either, you need a special plan for that to be covered.
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Sahuagin posted...

to be fair, ambulances aren't free in Canada either, you need a special plan for that to be covered.

how much are they though?

in the us they can be up to $5k i've heard in some places
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If you have a heart attack its like 150,000 dollars, that's enough to send me into cardiac arrest.

America sucking at something the rest of the 1st world is and still making excuses when factually proven to be BS? How expected...
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Jen0125 posted...

how much are they though?

About $150 around here, and there are options for people with low incomes to have that waived or substantially reduced.
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Jen0125 posted...

in the us they can be up to $5k i've heard in some places

yeah k, it's not that much (why would it be $5k? what exactly are you paying for with a price like that?)

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/blog/map-ambulance-fees

How much an ambulance costs [in Canada]:
British Columbia $50 if treated on scene; $80 if transported to hospital
Alberta $250 if treated on scene; $385 if transported to hospital
Saskatchewan Depending on the health region, $245 or $325 + $2.30/km
Manitoba Depending on where you are in the province, the cost ranges from $270 + $3/km to $530
Ontario $45 if medically necessary, $240 if not medically necessary
Quebec $125 + $1.75/km
New Brunswick In New Brunswick those without private insurance don't pay ambulance fees.
UPDATE: In April, 2015, the province reinstated ambulance fees. Now, for those without insurance, the cost for an ambulance is $130
Nova Scotia $142.30
Newfoundland and Labrador $115
Prince Edward Island $150
Yukon No out-of-pocket charge to patients
Northwest Territories Varies by location
Nunavut Varies by location

I just remember as a kid after breaking my leg skiiing, my parents complaining about the ambulance bill. I do remember it was around $300, which sounded like a lot at the time.
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Sahuagin posted...

yeah k, it's not that much (why would it be $5k? what exactly are you paying for with a price like that?)

Lmao literally just transport to the hospital and whatever services rendered inside. You have to pay per mile too so if you're rural forget about it.
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In America you basically pay what they can get away with....at least in most cases.

In some places Ambulance companies have a monopoly in the area, and have drastically taken advantage of this. I know Gilroy was like that, and I have read about other situations like that as well.

It's for profit medical in the US, Education, and even to some degree, the prison system.

If that seems barbaric to you, then you must be sane.
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Sahuagin posted...

Jen0125 posted...

in the us they can be up to $5k i've heard in some places

yeah k, it's not that much (why would it be $5k? what exactly are you paying for with a price like that?)

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/blog/map-ambulance-fees

How much an ambulance costs [in Canada]:
British Columbia $50 if treated on scene; $80 if transported to hospital
Alberta $250 if treated on scene; $385 if transported to hospital
Saskatchewan Depending on the health region, $245 or $325 + $2.30/km
Manitoba Depending on where you are in the province, the cost ranges from $270 + $3/km to $530
Ontario $45 if medically necessary, $240 if not medically necessary
Quebec $125 + $1.75/km
New Brunswick In New Brunswick those without private insurance don't pay ambulance fees.
UPDATE: In April, 2015, the province reinstated ambulance fees. Now, for those without insurance, the cost for an ambulance is $130
Nova Scotia $142.30
Newfoundland and Labrador $115
Prince Edward Island $150
Yukon No out-of-pocket charge to patients
Northwest Territories Varies by location
Nunavut Varies by location

I just remember as a kid after breaking my leg skiiing, my parents complaining about the ambulance bill. I do remember it was around $300, which sounded like a lot at the time.

That's in Canada. It's way cheaper in Canada. I dealt with a 2k ambulance bill in Nevada in 2007? Something like that. The insurance paid most but still hundreds out of pocket. It wasn't a long drive and it would have been shorter if every hospital could take every kind of insurance.

My sister in Alberta had to get an ambulance and a 40 minute ride to a city and it was 500, about 16 years ago.
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Jen0125 posted...

McSame_as_Bush posted...

You don't have to answer but I'm curious if rehab was covered at all by insurance. I have a friend who is a social worker for a large insurance provider and almost everyday she has to tell people that the healthcare plan their company picked for its employees is shit.

mine only had two that were in network because i have a HMO but my case manager got a one time permission from mine to go to a dual diagnosis facility that was out of network so i was able to go to that one instead. the other two were substance abuse only and not mental health/substance abuse.

but i had to pay 20% coinsurance. i only have a $2k out of pocket max. i paid $1,500 when i got there because i paid a $500 deductible to the behavioral health hospital i was at before i went there.

Thanks for answering. $2000 is definitely worth it if it helps someone get and stay sober, but idk why insurance doesn't just cover it fully -- not one of those one of those treatment centers where you get to ride horses and get served caviar, but just a basic one. Not because they are nice ppl but because it could save them money in the long run with that person.

Idk. I'm sick of this country.
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wolfy42 posted...

In America you basically pay what they can get away with....at least in most cases.

The main problem is that health care providers and drug companies know insurance exists as a safety net, which allows them to radically overcharge. If you're a hospital and you know the patient isn't going to pay their own bill anyway, you can charge $400 for a Tylenol and get away with it (with the intent of using the extra to pay for the $47 million piece of medical equipment you bought for specialized surgeries that you only use four times a year). If you're a pharmaceutical company, you can rely on patent rights to allow you to charge $100+ for a life-saving medication knowing that the patient's insurance will cover it.

Of course, this overpricing does absolutely screw anyone who hasn't bought in to the pyramid scheme and doesn't have insurance to offset your bullfuckery. But who cares about them?

Pushing mandatory health care in the US arguably made the problem worse, not better - because now they have even more justification to exploit the system (because hey, everyone's supposed to have health care, right? Raise prices!) and victimize those who either opt out or who still lack insurance for whatever reason.

The real solution is for a massive overhaul and pricing regulation of the industry itself, which will never happen because lobbyists exist and throw massive amounts of money at politicians on both sides of the political aisle. Democrats are no more likely to push for real worthwhile change than Republicans are, regardless of whatever ideals either side claims to support.


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I had to be transferred from one hospital to another for surgery, and since I was on an IV, I had to take an ambulance.

$1500 to go about 5 or 6 miles!

They didn't give me any drugs, they didn't have to do anything except load me in, drive me over, and drop me off.

$1500!

I feel. Medical costs are high enough to have second thoughts about getting care.
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Retroxgamer0 posted...

If you have a heart attack its like 150,000 dollars, that's enough to send me into cardiac arrest.

Lolz!! Your post killed me. No pun intended :D