Health care cost, UNREAL!

by Falcon7 Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:44 pm

My 16 year old lacerated his spleen playing HS baseball. He spent 3 days in the hospital, no surgery was required. Bills are starting to come in! Ambulance bill to transport him from one hospital to the another one (5 miles down the road) alone was $4,100.00!!!!!!!! The total cost that I have already been billed is over $35,000 (And more is coming CT scan, Ultrasounds, Lab work 1st hospital bills ect.), they made me pay the $4K deductible before he was released. One Dr. paid a 30 second visit (and 20 secs. of that was me asking a question as he was leaving the room) his bill for that one visit $279. UN F'N believable!

by **Jobless_in_Ma** Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:51 pm

This is exactly why we need healthcare reform. This is absurd. So what if you didn't have the 4k? Were they planning on holding your son hostage?
Top this all off with companies now not even offering Health care coverage, or if they do its a horrible plan. No one should be denied healthcare coverage or treatments when needed. Are we not the USA, supposed best country in the world... Frustrated

by Falcon7 Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:23 am

Yea, and I overheard a Dr. talking to a Nurse, "what is he doing here?" (The 1st Hospital) could have monitored him and if his condition got worse then move him".

by Falcon7 Wed Apr 27, 2011 12:56 am

Bump.

by lendmeflight2 Wed Apr 27, 2011 1:50 am

The doctor's comment sounded like he thought that the other hospital shipped you guys to his hospital so they didn't get stuck with the bill. Know you don't have insurance he probably assumes you won't pay.

If we had national healthcare this wouldn't be an issue. How many people die because they can't go to the hospital? I wonder.

by Sunrise Wed Apr 27, 2011 2:33 am

lendmeflight2 wrote:The doctor's comment sounded like he thought that the other hospital shipped you guys to his hospital so they didn't get stuck with the bill. Know you don't have insurance he probably assumes you won't pay.

If we had national healthcare this wouldn't be an issue. How many people die because they can't go to the hospital? I wonder.

How many could have been saved if they got preventative care?

by Sad American Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:10 am

On Sunday, April 17, my friend Mark Shepherd, a former area Democratic Party chairman, died, possibly of heart failure. Mark had quit working for Congressman Joe Baca because of Mr. Baca's "yellow dog Democrat" positions, and he'd yet to acquire another health plan. When friends urged Mark to go to the hospital because he wasn't feeling well, Mark waved them off, citing his lack of insurance, and the long waits in the emergency room. Tragically, and ironically it seems, in light of Mark's commitment to universal health care, Mark was more than likely another casualty of our country's callous lack of health coverage for all people.

by Guest Wed Apr 27, 2011 7:39 am

Sad American wrote:On Sunday, April 17, my friend Mark Shepherd, a former area Democratic Party chairman, died, possibly of heart failure. Mark had quit working for Congressman Joe Baca because of Mr. Baca's "yellow dog Democrat" positions, and he'd yet to acquire another health plan. When friends urged Mark to go to the hospital because he wasn't feeling well, Mark waved them off, citing his lack of insurance, and the long waits in the emergency room. Tragically, and ironically it seems, in light of Mark's commitment to universal health care, Mark was more than likely another casualty of our country's callous lack of health coverage for all people.

I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. It is a disgrace that people in this country go without preventative and lifesaving medical care in this country because of the lack of health insurance, and for the lucky who do have, the high co-pays and deductibes deter them from getting help.