General Discussion

Glitterati

(3,182 posts)

26. LOL, these are NOTHING

Thu Dec 5, 2013, 12:26 PM

Dec 2013

My ER bill last November was $15,000.00

I was in the middle of a thyroid storm with congestive heart failure.

They knew within 30 minutes that I had to be admitted, yet they took 5 hours to find me a room. Guess why......

Because they charge for the ER bed in 4 hour increments, so at 5 hours, I was charged for the bed ALONE for 8 hours. This is a large rural hospital 35 miles north of Atlanta. And, I was charged outrageously for a bed I had no control over how long I occupied, while my poor family waited for 5 hours worried sick.

Here's the corker - I asked the nurses how many patients they had on the floor. They had 3 patients (it was Thanksgiving weekend). So some one clue me in why it took 5 hours to find a bed?

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

40 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Hospital Price-Gouging Widespread [View all] unhappycamper Dec 2013 OP

This matches up with JimDandy Dec 2013 #1

Weird hospital pricing is a product of our payment system. 95% of US hospitals are not-for-profit. Scuba Dec 2013 #2

when they charge $10 ea for tampons like they did to my wife, they're gouging. hobbit709 Dec 2013 #3

They're doing it to cover for the free care they are required to give in the ER .... Scuba Dec 2013 #4

Hospital executives are being paid up to 7 figure salaries. The money may not go to share holders R Merm Dec 2013 #11

I agree that some hospital execs are overpayed. Most are underpaid ... Scuba Dec 2013 #13

non profit hospitlas spent 2% or less on charity care rdking647 Dec 2013 #7

Apples and oranges. That unpaid ER visit isn't categorized as charity, it's a straight loss. Scuba Dec 2013 #14

Do you have any backup for your assertions? Paolo123 Dec 2013 #18

30+ years as a hospital administrator Scuba Dec 2013 #23

OK thanks Paolo123 Dec 2013 #36

There's a concerted effort being made to confuse the public about healthcare costs. Scuba Dec 2013 #37

no it is not maindawg Dec 2013 #21

Wrong. If the patient has Medicaid, that's an insurance payment. Scuba Dec 2013 #24

Not for profit? Define what that means, please. erronis Dec 2013 #28

Certainly employees, which sometimes include physicians, get paid, but there are no owners that do. Scuba Dec 2013 #30

exactly. thank you. magical thyme Dec 2013 #31

Amazing how many people still don't get this. Scuba Dec 2013 #32

I would like a simple reform... sendero Dec 2013 #5

while I'm sure price gouging does occur here and there greenman3610 Dec 2013 #6

the hospital in the story has 28 execs making 1m a year rdking647 Dec 2013 #8

And there you have it. freebrew Dec 2013 #9

No, they don't "just give themselves a raise". Scuba Dec 2013 #15

American medical personnel work five times as hard as those in other developed countries? Fumesucker Dec 2013 #19

Well said. erronis Dec 2013 #29

do those other countries have some kind of single payer system? magical thyme Dec 2013 #33

You have to have insurance to get the insurer's negotiated rates. FarCenter Dec 2013 #10

And once again R Merm Dec 2013 #12

Of course, if I had the described cut or gash, I wouldn't go to a hospital emergency room. FarCenter Dec 2013 #16

This summer R Merm Dec 2013 #22

The local ones are open until 6 pm on the weekends FarCenter Dec 2013 #27

k/r solarhydrocan Dec 2013 #17

My kid needed stitches for a gash on his head AllyCat Dec 2013 #20

This message was self-deleted by its author maindawg Dec 2013 #25

LOL, these are NOTHING Glitterati Dec 2013 #26

I have a pretty good idea pediatricmedic Dec 2013 #34

So it took 5 HOURS to call in an on call nurse? Glitterati Dec 2013 #38

Not to worry, the capitalists are in charge. Take your case and extrapolate... Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #35

Oh, that was just the ER Glitterati Dec 2013 #39

But we mustn't upset the industry, else they will take their toys and go home. Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #40