'Simple procedure' costs student $2,782 in medical bills at Philly emergency room

[Xandrigity]

Yea, Obamacare has high deductibles. It sucks. Sounds like a good idea to find something that works better.

[Extremity]

Wow, what wonderful inside information you have there.

Doesn't totally sound like you are speaking out of your ass or anything. Luckily this poor guy only has to pay $3000 for a cut finger on the brilliant care plan set up by the Democrats.

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Well yeah, he had 8 years to fix it after promising on 2 campaign trails that he would and did sweet FUCK all.

It's going to take a lot more than the President working against constant GOP opposition to fix our healthcare. It's going to take bipartisan support and a lot of compromise. Acting like he was working under ideal conditions and simply failed to deliver, as if he had every opportunity to succeed and simply didn't, is ridiculous. And, even so, he contributed more towards this goal than anyone I can name.

Yea, Obamacare has high deductibles. It sucks. Sounds like a good idea to find something that works better.

I don't really know much about it, but I got healthcare through it and have no deductible.

[Symphonic]

I never understand people who go to the emergency room for little things. Even an insta-care is a better option. If you can only get to the hospital in an ambulance, then is it emergency-room worthy.

[Kujako]

Emergency rooms are not for simple procedures. You are paying for the emergency triage.

[Silver Forte]

Sorry for rapidly posting twice, but implying at all that this has anything to do with Obama or that it wasn't an issue before his Presidency is ridiculous. You seriously think Obama's policies are responsible for this? You don't think this happened while Bush or any other President was in office?

I was billed hundreds to thousands of dollars for things as simple as an inhaler for Hay Fever or a cup with pain meds in them way before Obama.

[Septik]

So it was 10PM on a saturday and I'm diabetic. It was either goto the ER or possibly bleed to death. There were no urgent cares available to me.

well, you lived, so $600 aint that bad. compared to death that is.

[Tyrianth]

Your manufactured outrage is pretty hilarious, Trennisace.

This "situation" can be remedied by, one, universal healthcare, or two, by people not taking every stupid reason to rush to the emergency room. I mean, really? You want to go to the hospital over a cut finger? An acute care center or a single damn band-aid isn't enough?

People overuse emergency rooms, especially people with no insurance/no way to pay and everyone else gets stuck with the bill.



This has 0 to do with Obama. Ridiculous emergency room costs have been a staple of our healthcare since before Bush Two.

If a bandage would have been sufficient then why did the doctors give him stitches?

[Darsithis]

If a bandage would have been sufficient then why did the doctors give him stitches?

Liquid "stitches". You can buy them for $4 at Wal-mart.

[Tyrianth]

Liquid "stitches". You can buy them for $4 at Wal-mart.

Ah opps, my bad, misread. Didn't see the "liquid".

[the game]

well, you lived, so $600 aint that bad. compared to death that is.

I mean I would've welcomed death in exchange for that 600 that I don't exactly have.

[Tennis]

Emergency rooms are not for simple procedures. You are paying for the emergency triage.

Why not? I've gone to the emergency room several times and never had to pay. This is how it should be. Once I was worried I had a stress fracture in my foot so I figured the best thing to do was see a doctor and then right away if necessary, get xrays. The doctors and nurses were friendly and didn't mind one bit.

[Jonnusthegreat]

Healthcare is the second largest joke in the current economy.

Military is the first.

[Noogai131]

Why not? I've gone to the emergency room several times and never had to pay. This is how it should be. Once I was worried I had a stress fracture in my foot so I figured the best thing to do was see a doctor and then right away if necessary, get xrays. The doctors and nurses were friendly and didn't mind one bit.

I don't know how the system works in canada, but here in Australia the Emergency wards are full of idiots thinking they have something horribly wrong when all they have is a headache or a sprain. As such, I saw a guy who had his wrist bone poking out of the skin wait thirty minutes to see a doctor. Sure, that's anecdotal, but just as anecdotal as your story.

People need to understand the ER is for EMERGENCIES. Cut your hand? Wrap it in a bandage, go to your GP. He'll stitch you up and kick you out the door in minutes.

[belfpala]

Unbelievable. This simply cannot be tolerated. Will the new healthplan from the Republicans remedy this sad situation?

Hook, line, sinker?

No, until we get rid of for-profit insurance and hospitals, no plan will fix that. Last time I was in the ER, a line item on my bill was $70 for 800mg of ibuprofen. That's four tabs. I can walk into Walgreens or CVS or whatever and get a couple thousand tabs for less than that.

[skitzin]

That's ridiculous really. Shouldn't be billing per day but rather on the time taken to treat a person.

But then the few Americans (at least two are actual RNs) who raid with us on Frostmourne have explained to me just how fucked US medical costs are.

[zhero]

http://www.phillyvoice.com/how-simpl...mergency-room/



Unbelievable. This simply cannot be tolerated. Will the new healthplan from the Republicans remedy this sad situation?

hospital prices were absurd for a lot longer than obama's stay in the white house. they are charging absurd prices because they've been able to get away with it and hide behind their years in medical school to justify it.

[Zan15]

it cost a lot of money to run a medical center 24 hours a day, you are talking about 3 shifts of doctors and overnight pay.

also this is not standard billing, most insurance companies would deny the second day billing as inclusive to the first since it is a continuous stay.
he should call his insurance company, i bet they would love to take a look at this facilities billing practice.

its also against medicare billing rules since it was a continuous stay, they would be fined by medicare for billing like this.

lots of these health insurance systems auto process these claims and if they bill it the right way it would not be flagged.

shame there is no way to get in touch with this dude...

[dvaz]

Lol ER for a finger cut. Kids these days.

[Darsithis]

To anyone claiming this had nothing to do with Barry, are you not aware the ACA fucked up premiums AND deductibles? Or are we still playing the game where Obama didn't spend in 8 years what it took the previous 43 presidents 233 years? That's his legacy.

Amount isn't important. Percent is. He spent less, far less, than most.

At any rate, that's off-topic. This isn't related to the ACA. Emergency room costs have always been stupidly high, through a combination of for-profit healthcare, trivial reasons to visit, and litigation.

[Xandrigity]

Unless your inerds are falling out, your finger is falling off or your losing consciousness due to blood loss, don't go to the ER for a,finger cut at midnight. Wait til an urgent care is open. Any wound that could be closed with liquid skin adhesive didn't need an E R visit.