I had to take my wife to the ER the other day

[Demo_Chris]

Background: I am a poor guy. No money, no insurance, etc...

Anyway, we went to the ER. The Doctor breezed in, asked her a few questions, did no tests, looked at nothing, sent her home. Total time investment on his part was about 3 minutes. Total time in the ER was about 20 minutes including waiting.

We just got the bills. $100 for the ER visit. $500 for the doctor's three minute's.


Now, I have no problem paying someone what they are worth. I think a Doctor's training and expertise have value, and he deserves to be compensated for it. I do not, however, believe his time is worth $10,000 per HOUR. I would say his training and what not entitle him to no more than perhaps a few hundred an hour.

And that's the end of my story, other than that I now have to come up with money I do not have. And no, Obamacare does nothing for me other than hammering me with another bill I cannot afford.

The End.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. That is awful, all of it.

I hope that whatever your wife has turns out to be easily treated, and passes soon.

[easychoice]

2. Hi Chris

Did You ask to speak with the Financial aid people? You should.
The Dr. probably got $50.00 of that $500.00. The rest goes to overhead and malpractice insurance.Malpractice Ins. is a huge expense.
Anyway,ask them for help.

[DebJ]

3. But they would likely bill someone WITH insurance only $250 instead of $500.

That's the arbitrary part that really bites me.

[LiberalEsto]

4. My daughter saw a doctor for her sprained ankle

He told her "Stop smoking" and billed the insurance company $35 for "anti-smoking program".

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

5. I was billed $10K for a urinary tract infection

This was about 10 years ago. I was in great pain and I suspected it was a bladder infection. For three days I tried to make an appointment with every doctor I could find in the phone book but none would see me on short notice and wanted to book me at least two weeks from the day I called. It didn't matter how much pain I said I was in. Even the local free clinic turned me down. I had to go to the ER in the middle of the night having unbearable pain. It took about 3 hours before the doctor came by to actually see me. In the meantime, the nurse spoke to the doctor and ordered tests like an MRI and I was given a morphine drip for the extreme pain, apparently procedures that cost money. When the doctor finally saw me, he told me I had a bladder infection and released me with a prescription for antibiotics. The bill for about three hours in the ER blew me away and at the time I had no insurance. What is it with doctors who won't give appointments until two or three weeks into the future, no matter the amount of pain someone is in, forcing people to go to the ER?

My cousin suffered a gunshot wound while cleaning his gun (his wife suddenly came through the door, knocking his arm) and shot himself through his belly fat. The ambulance came to pick him up and took the wrong exit on the freeway, getting lost. The ER gave him every kind of expensive procedure there was during a 4 hour stay. He got a bill for over $20,000, including double the normal ambulance bill although it wasn't his fault the driver got lost and took 45 minutes to find the hospital. He had no insurance, either.

[DebJ]

7. It is not uncommon for doctors to restrict new patients to special time slots, or to

have NO time available for new patients.

Our regular family doctor knows us very well, after a decade and more, and when we call with an
emergency, we get in right away every time.

In fact, the last time this happened a few months ago, our doctor came in an hour before his office
opened so that he could spend an hour with my husband.

Love our doctors!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

9. Maybe it's not uncommon but I find it barbaric

So if you're new to town or simply seldom ill, you can't get in when feeling extreme pain? European doctors are so much more committed to public service and less to their bank accounts than American businessman in white coats. I want to go back to Europe just for the ethical practices of doctors I found there alone.

[DebJ]

11. Ah, Europe. We had a great experience there during a 3 week vacation.

The reason my doctor only takes new patients periodically is because he runs out of hours in the day/week/month.
He's only human. But a darn good one! (Saw him at some political rallies...very chancy thing to do here in Pennsyltuckey).

[NightWatcher]

6. contact them and tell them you are cash pay and ask if they have

a charity writeoff department.

Call the Dr's office as well and ask the same. tell them that you can do a payment plan of no more than 20$ a month.

Drag your feet a little and see where it gets you. It sounds bad but it's how I had to deal with an 8 day hospital stay.

[elleng]

8. Complain to the hospital and the doctor.

[Demo_Chris]

10. Thanks for the great feedback. I plan to do all of the above. nt

[mrmpa]

12. Go to the following website............

healthcarebluebook.com. I just check the fair blue book value for a Doctor's visit "minor" problem in the ER and find the cost to be $71. What you can do is research using the blue book and when you get a bill go into negotiations with the Doctor's accounting department.

Also as you being uninsured, I found this book when researching the cost of an MRI last year.

[Demo_Chris]

13. Thanks! nt