Spent 8 hours at the E.R. yesterday. Hit with a crazy bill at the end.

[2manyGuitars]

Had some CRAZY WICKED abdominal pain along with the feeling that someone had hit me in the left nut with a bat. It’s the second time it happened in a week.

For various reasons, I wound up going to the emergency room around 7:30 am yesterday. It was a little busy but by around 10:30am, I’d had my blood drawn and urine taken. About 30 minutes later, I was sent to one of the ER bays to wait for the doctor. After waiting about a half-hour for the results of my blood/urine, she came and checked a couple things and said that there was a bit of blood in my urine and she suspected a kidney stone. Within about 45 minutes, I was having a CT scan done and was sent back to the ER waiting room. Sign said CT results take about 2 hours and sure enough, around 2:30, the doctor came back and confirmed I have a 5mm kidney stone. Got prescribed some meds and sent on my way. On my way out, I got hit with and almost $16 PARKING FEE!!!

Good think the daily maximum is capped or at $3.50 per half-hour, it would have been almost 60 bucks.

 

[TheX]

Paying for parking sucks, but...hope you get better quickly.

 

[Malikon]

ER is no joke. The doctor fee is usually $1,000 just to talk to the Doctor on duty, and that's not even counting the ER fees, that's literally JUST TO TALK TO THE DOCTOR!

I just finished paying off my hospital bill from January this month. I got separate bills from the hospital and then other bills from the Doctor.

The medical industry is no joke in this country. They really rape your wallet.

 

[Olds442]

you got off easy, on both.

stay healthy.

 

[2manyGuitars]

I can’t even wrap my head around the system you guys have. In Canada, when something is up, I go to the doctor and I’ll never see a bill. I couldn’t imagine having something relatively simple like a kidney stone and not being able to get it checked out because I couldn’t afford it.

 

[Bytor1958]

ER is no joke. The doctor fee is usually $1,000 just to talk to the Doctor on duty, and that's not even counting the ER fees, that's literally JUST TO TALK TO THE DOCTOR!

I just finished paying off my hospital bill from January this month. I got separate bills from the hospital and then other bills from the Doctor.

The medical industry is no joke in this country. They really rape your wallet.

ER visits suck ass. They have some just ERs here. They are linked to the hospitals but closer to home. They are cheaper than the Hospital. But still not cheap.

 

[Howard2k]

Kidney stone?

Urine trouble, but it'll pass.

Seriously - good luck. A buddy at work had one. My boss has one right now. They both said it's ridiculously painful. Even worse than the parking fees!

 

[bilbarstow]

You don't want to hear the words I used with the "lady" from the Collection Agency that the Hospital turned over my bill to, that I didn't even know that I owed ! Seems that they sent the Bill to my other address, because my idiot insurance rejected it. And I wasn't even "sick" - it was a re-check after Surgery, and I was convinced that ALL my bills related to that surgery had been taken care of.

They don't really have any compassion for you while you are actually sick, but owe them a few bucks and see what they turn into.

p.s. I paid them immediately. As I would have if they had communicated with me correctly earlier.

 

[Freddy G]

... I go to the doctor and I’ll never see a bill....

A $16 parking fee!? That's outrageous....We should have free health care AND free parking.

 

[lpfan1980]

Had some CRAZY WICKED abdominal pain along with the feeling that someone had hit me in the left nut with a bat. It’s the second time it happened in a week.

For various reasons, I wound up going to the emergency room around 7:30 am yesterday. It was a little busy but by around 10:30am, I’d had my blood drawn and urine taken. About 30 minutes later, I was sent to one of the ER bays to wait for the doctor. After waiting about a half-hour for the results of my blood/urine, she came and checked a couple things and said that there was a bit of blood in my urine and she suspected a kidney stone. Within about 45 minutes, I was having a CT scan done and was sent back to the ER waiting room. Sign said CT results take about 2 hours and sure enough, around 2:30, the doctor came back and confirmed I have a 5mm kidney stone. Got prescribed some meds and sent on my way. On my way out, I got hit with and almost $16 PARKING FEE!!!

Good think the daily maximum is capped or at $3.50 per half-hour, it would have been almost 60 bucks.

Hospital parking is a rip-off spent 2 days in the ER with gut problems myself feeling fine now just tired-Get well soon.

 

[Bytor1958]

A $16 parking fee!? That's outrageous....We should have free health care AND free parking.

It's not free when you pay more in taxes.

 

[Freddy G]

It's not free when you pay more in taxes.

shhhhh! Don't spoil it!

 

[KSG_Standard]

I can’t even wrap my head around the system you guys have. In Canada, when something is up, I go to the doctor and I’ll never see a bill. I couldn’t imagine having something relatively simple like a kidney stone and not being able to get it checked out because I couldn’t afford it.

You're mistaken about how it works here. Whether or not you have insurance, you can get checked out by a doctor in an ER...PERIOD. They will ask if you have insurance, assets a job, etc., because if you do, they'll try to collect something from you for the service they provide. Your health care and access to doctors has a cost too in Canukistan or Europe or wherever you are. You simply aren't charged at the point of service, rather you and/or the rich pay for the service ahead of time via taxes.

 

[TheX]

It's not free when you pay more in taxes.

Troof

 

[Brians Evil Twin]

$16?

I'll take that all day long.

I had a $50 Co-Pay today and I don't even have the prescription filled.

 

[nauc]

nothings free. someone always pays for it

 

[redcoats1976]

glad to be off civilian insurance and hospitals.the VA system has so far been the best medical care a person could want and copays have been reasonable.

 

[Tim Plains]

I've been in Canada my whole life and think the same of the US medical system, it's nuts. A co-worker went to Hawaii with his wife and inlaws, and the old man had a heart attack there spending four days in a hospital. Luckily, they paid for coverage but the hospital screwed up and mailed them a bill for $150,something US, which they just handed over to the insurance company. I will gladly pay a few grand every year in taxes than have something like that happen to me.

 

[2manyGuitars]

My other guitar player had one a few weeks ago. I think it was 10mm and they had to go in and blast it apart. Then he needed a catheter for the next week. He says I’m lucky that mine is “passable”.

 

[LP121]

$16?

I'll take that all day long.

I had a $50 Co-Pay today and I don't even have the prescription filled out.

With my plan I pay $100 co-pay unless you're admitted.

Then there's a $3000 deductible, after which it's covered at 80%.