RIPOFF: My wife's $7500 ER bill for pneumonia diagnosis - Single-Payer Medicare for all a must

[egbertowillies]

Once again my family's encounter with an Emergency Room zaps our pocket book, our personal economy. Americans must stop believing the crap politicians say. They must know that their inflated medical bills are ultimately legalized theft. This is our new ER event that is sure to await you as well if it has not already.

https://egbertowillies.com/2017/05/30/7500-er-bill-pneumonia-diagnosis/

[Ilsa]

1. $7500 for a chest x-ray and a blood panel?

Ridiculous, isn't it?

[Warpy]

6. There was a hell of a lot more than an Xray and CMP

When someone over 50 comes in for suspected pneumonia, they cover all the cardiac bases, too. That's the reason for the bedside EKG, clotting studies, IV placement, and troponin. I didn't really see anything out of line in that regard, MI is a frequent companion to a bad respiratory illness.

The "dream billing" on the left is actually billed to few patients these days. We always get a "discount" if we're self pay, usually 3 times what an insurance company is expected to pay for the same services but far lower than the fantasy charge so we think we're getting a bargain.

However, yes, we need single payer and we need hospitals to start honest billing.

[Ilsa]

7. I hope it was done for them.

I didn't mean to exclude the ECG, etc, but it seemed like a lot, initially. I wasn't sure they'd order troponin levels. Yeah, with lots of labs, it could easily climb.

I think hospitals need to be restricted to charging a smaller multiple of what they'd pay insurance, maybe 1.5x etc.

[luvMIdog]

2. I feel your pain. I can't afford the co- pays so I don't go get tests. Last ER was$600.00

just to sit in that room 2 hours.

[maryellen99]

3. That's outrageous

My husband's bill after insurance for his robotic cancer surgery and overnight was a little under 4K.

[JenniferJuniper]

4. My second cousin died last December

48 years old. Went to urgent care feeling unwell and they took his vitals and recommended he go to the ER and get more thoroughly checked out. We'll never know exactly why he didn't go because he died of a heart attack at home that night without telling anyone why, but his mother is convinced he avoided the ER because his insurance was so bad he likely didn't think he could afford the visit, never mind an extended hospital stay. He was a working stiff with very limited benefits.

People are dying all the time because they are afraid to go to the hospital. My own half-way decent insurer has now added a condition that if you go to the ER instead of urgent care, they reserve the right not to pay the hospital if they deem it a non-emergency. So you are basically forced to go to urgent care first so they can decide if it's an emergency or not. Hopefully you have the time.

[Demsrule86]

5. Well I spent money last year...it is called a deductible...and we will be lucky to save the ACA...I

have an $8000.00 out of pocket ...$6000.00 before they pick up anything at at all...Sadly, no single payer until Democrats start voting for the person with the 'D' next to their name. It has cost me $16,000 in the last three years...not counting premiums.

[still_one]

10. Not just Democrats need to vote Demsrule. Not surprisingly, Texas is also one of the

states which have a relatively high number of doctors that refuse to accept Medicare.

They were also one of the 19 or so states that refused to expand Medicaid, and did their damnedest to undermine the ACA.

There is no doubt unless the voting public wakes up, things are going to get worse. The problem is most people won't act unless they are personally affected, and by that time, it is usually to late.

[Horse with no Name]

11. Most Texas docs accept Medicare

They don't accept some of the ManagedCare plans.

[still_one]

14. From 2010 this Houston Chronicle was saying a good number of Texas physicans are

dropping out of either accepting new Medicare patients, or opting out of Medicare altogether:

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Texas-doctors-fleeing-Medicare-in-droves-1718866.php

As far as I understand that dynamic hasn't changed, and even more are refusing to accept Medicaid.

While I would agree that most physicians in Texas do accept some form of Medicare, and I have to believe the major Texas medical centers would not only take Medicare, but Medicare assignment as payment in full, most of what I have come across indicate that on a relative basis, a good number of physicians in private practice in Texas do opt out of Medicare, and even more opt out of Medicaid

[Demsrule86]

13. When we get back into power, we can address the

Health care issue until...them smoke in the wind...and Texas pretty much has very little medicaid (people literally die in the street) and pays providers nothing.

[drmeow]

8. My husband ended up in the ER

twice last month for kidney stones included admission and surgery the second time. With my not working, it is a good damn thing that he is a state employee with EXCELLENT benefits. We still have not gotten the bill but at the second hospital I asked every single person if they were in network (to the apparent annoyance of some - I guess this particular hospital does not use contract surgical staff and if the hospital is in network, they all are in network) which should save our bacon. We may only have to pay the copays (I think about $500). We are AMAZINGLY lucky that his medical benefits are so good (and that I can be on them, too).

EVERY SINGLE PERSON in this country should get medical, vision, and dental benefits as good as what state and/or federal employees get! I will HAPPILY pay higher taxes to make that happen.

[CurtEastPoint]

9. Amen to your last statement.

[colsohlibgal]

12. For Profit Health Care Is Just Wrong

We need single payer no profit healthcare. We are killing people and/or bankrupting them. It is an abomination.

Just another thing that changed with Reagan.

[bresue]

15. Bad Credit and Garnishment

if you object to the inflated bills!!!

Which in some job employments, having a good credit report is mandatory.

[leftyladyfrommo]

16. I was in hospital over night for heart tests.

About 22 hours. Bill was $14 000 something. It is about $1,000 an hour. Medicare paid all but $119.