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

[Tennis]

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

Most people know getting sick doesn't pay, but a college student learned that lesson the hard way when he received a hospital bill after seeking treatment for a cut finger in Philadelphia.

According to Vox, Matt Anderson was a 19-year-old student at a local college last summer when he reportedly racked up $2,782 worth of services at the Chestnut Hill Hospital emergency room. A steep price to pay for what the hospital classified as a "simple procedure" and he claimed consisted of some liquid stitches and a bandage.

So, how did this happen? A sink full of dirty dishes and bad timing. Anderson sliced his finger on a knife and arrived at the emergency room around 11 p.m. Per the report:

"One reason the fees were so high? Because the clock ticked past midnight as Anderson waited to see a doctor, Tri-County Emergency Physicians (the doctor group that appears to staff the emergency room) billed his insurance for two days rather than one. The rest of the bill came from Chestnut Hill Hospital, which owns the emergency department."

Sure enough, the bills provided by Anderson show that he was charged $332 for a "simple procedure." However, doctors tacked on fees for being in the medical facility on two separate days. Anderson claims the visit lasted a total of 20 minutes but admits it occurred when the clock struck midnight.

His family hasn't had any luck appealing to the medical provider's common sense. More from Vox:

"The hospital bill has gone into collection, as Matt’s father, Todd Anderson, attempts to negotiate for a lower price. Their insurance plan has a $4,000-per-person deductible, which means the family is responsible for the entire thing."

Neither provider opted to discuss the matter to the outlet but unwittingly offered a reminder to absent-minded college kids and rest of the mistake-prone world: Take extra care and avoid an emergency-room visit at all costs.

Read the full account over at Vox.

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

[Wyrt]

Neither the Republicans or Trump have a new health plan.

[Grimbold21]

Poor bait.

You should try and improve.

....wait, don't.

[Extremity]

The "ticked past midnight" policy is ridiculous. With technology these days there's no excuse to operate like that; they can track the second they begin treatment and the second it ends, there is no reason why it shouldn't be based on actual time. Even if they based it on 12 hour intervals rather than 24 it would be an improvement. If anything, I'd be fighting the two days worth of charges. There is no way that should stand; that being hospital policy doesn't mean it's law.

A woman ran a red light in front of my neighborhood last year and hit me on my motorcycle. I now have over half a million dollars in medical debt, in collection, and will have it for the rest of my life. She was at fault, she ran the red light, she received a ticket for it. Her insurance would pay a maximum of 15 thousand. No lawyers would touch it as she had no personal assets, or they were hidden. Half a million dollars in debt for life, will never have credit, because another person ran a red light. I feel this dude's pain, believe me.

[primalmatter]

Obama's great legacy lives on..

[Sanguiris]

If anything, under trump it'll get worst lol

[Bathory]

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?

Ahahaha, the republican healthplan. That's a good one. They have NO plan.

[Extremity]

Obama's great legacy lives on..

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?

[Super Kami Dende]

Neither the Republicans or Trump have a new health plan.

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.

- - - Updated - - -

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?

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

[the game]

Last summer I had to pay $1200 for an ER visit to get 2 stitches in my finger. $600 of that was the ER doctor bill who did nothing but taking two steps into the room and saying "we'll fix you right up." I'm still paying that 600 off. The bill from the hospital was taken care of by the VA

[Kaeth]

He'll probably have to take them to court for fraudulent medical billing. Sitting in an ER waiting room doesn't count as being admitted to the hospital for a day.

[Darsithis]

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

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.

Obama's great legacy lives on..

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

[Tennis]

Last summer I had to pay $1200 for an ER visit to get 2 stitches in my finger. $600 of that was the ER doctor bill who did nothing but taking two steps into the room and saying "we'll fix you right up." I'm still paying that 600 off. The bill from the hospital was taken care of by the VA

Sounds like you got ripped off. Should have just gotten it done somewhere more affordable. Couldn't you get a friend who knew first aid to help out?

$300 per stitch is highway robbery.

[the game]

Sounds like you got ripped off. Should have just gotten it done somewhere more affordable.

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.

[Wyrt]

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.

Trump himself said he doesn't have a plan and that he won't have one until next year and the plan the Republicans presented to congress wasn't a plan.

Don't need inside information when they says stuff themselves.

[Independent voter]

A UC San Diego exchange student who is facing a $143,989 hospital bill for treatment after he was bitten by a rattlesnake spoke with 10News on Tuesday.


"My jaw was dropping down," said Dag-Are Trydal, as he described his reaction to the medical bill for treatment after he was bitten by a rattlesnake.
Trydal's bill made headlines in Norway, where his insurance provider was quoted as saying the charges from Scripps La Jolla Hospital were the highest they had ever seen.
Trydal, an exchange student studying cybernetics at UCSD, was walking to his car on April 26 when he felt a sharp pain in his foot.
"I stepped two steps back just immediately and I was seeing that a snake was sitting right between my flip flops," he told 10News reporter Allison Ash. "I was really scared, because I don't know much about the snakes here and how dangerous they are,"
When a passerby told him Scripps Hospital was right across the street, he decided to walk there.
"As I was walking over, my heart started thumping and I could feel a tingling in my body and a metallic taste in my mouth," he said.
Trydal was admitted to the hospital and given four doses of antivenom over a 24-hour period. He was thrilled that the treatment worked and he could get back to his studies, until he heard from his insurance company.
That was when Trydal learned what his visit to the hospital cost: $143,989. He was shocked.
"I thought maybe $10,000," he said, noting that if he'd had the same treatment back home in Norway "it would have been free."
Trydal agreed to let the hospital release a copy of the bill to 10News. In it there are two separate charges for antivenin croatalidfab. The first charge is for $102,440 and the second is for $25,610. That is a total of $128,050.
"This is way too much, at least for a person that doesn't have good insurance," he said.
Trydal admitted he was glad he bought an insurance policy to cover him during his six months in the United States. When asked what would happen if he had not, Trydal responded, "That would be very, very bad. I try not to think about that."
A spokesperson for Scripps told 10News the antivenom is expensive and issued this statement:
"First and most importantly, we are grateful for Mr. Trydal’s recovery. We have reviewed our billing practices in this case and find all charges to be accurate and appropriate.
The largest portion of the charges was for antivenom, a very costly life-saving drug manufactured from snake venom. The patient required 10 units of the antivenom and a night in the Intensive Care Unit, which provides around-the-clock direct nursing supervision.
Scripps has standardized charges for all of our services and, like other health care organizations, we are reimbursed differently by each insurance provider or government payer based on our contracts.
It is important to understand that these charges are not reflective of what Scripps will be paid. At this time, the patient’s insurance company has not yet paid the bill, and Scripps is in negotiations with the company for the final amount. The patient will not be billed by Scripps."
Although Trydal said he believes the healthcare system in the US is "wrong," he declined to be too critical, saying his treatment at Scripps La Jolla was "excellent."

[Noogai131]

Neither the Republicans or Trump have a new health plan.

I've spoken to a whole bunch of people I raid with as I'm from Australia, but apparently this kind of stuff happened all the time under Obamacare. It seems the US has ALWAYS had a history of awful healthcare systems.

[the game]

A UC San Diego exchange student who is facing a $143,989 hospital bill for treatment after he was bitten by a rattlesnake spoke with 10News on Tuesday.


"My jaw was dropping down," said Dag-Are Trydal, as he described his reaction to the medical bill for treatment after he was bitten by a rattlesnake.
Trydal's bill made headlines in Norway, where his insurance provider was quoted as saying the charges from Scripps La Jolla Hospital were the highest they had ever seen.
Trydal, an exchange student studying cybernetics at UCSD, was walking to his car on April 26 when he felt a sharp pain in his foot.
"I stepped two steps back just immediately and I was seeing that a snake was sitting right between my flip flops," he told 10News reporter Allison Ash. "I was really scared, because I don't know much about the snakes here and how dangerous they are,"
When a passerby told him Scripps Hospital was right across the street, he decided to walk there.
"As I was walking over, my heart started thumping and I could feel a tingling in my body and a metallic taste in my mouth," he said.
Trydal was admitted to the hospital and given four doses of antivenom over a 24-hour period. He was thrilled that the treatment worked and he could get back to his studies, until he heard from his insurance company.
That was when Trydal learned what his visit to the hospital cost: $143,989. He was shocked.
"I thought maybe $10,000," he said, noting that if he'd had the same treatment back home in Norway "it would have been free."
Trydal agreed to let the hospital release a copy of the bill to 10News. In it there are two separate charges for antivenin croatalidfab. The first charge is for $102,440 and the second is for $25,610. That is a total of $128,050.
"This is way too much, at least for a person that doesn't have good insurance," he said.
Trydal admitted he was glad he bought an insurance policy to cover him during his six months in the United States. When asked what would happen if he had not, Trydal responded, "That would be very, very bad. I try not to think about that."
A spokesperson for Scripps told 10News the antivenom is expensive and issued this statement:
"First and most importantly, we are grateful for Mr. Trydal’s recovery. We have reviewed our billing practices in this case and find all charges to be accurate and appropriate.
The largest portion of the charges was for antivenom, a very costly life-saving drug manufactured from snake venom. The patient required 10 units of the antivenom and a night in the Intensive Care Unit, which provides around-the-clock direct nursing supervision.
Scripps has standardized charges for all of our services and, like other health care organizations, we are reimbursed differently by each insurance provider or government payer based on our contracts.
It is important to understand that these charges are not reflective of what Scripps will be paid. At this time, the patient’s insurance company has not yet paid the bill, and Scripps is in negotiations with the company for the final amount. The patient will not be billed by Scripps."
Although Trydal said he believes the healthcare system in the US is "wrong," he declined to be too critical, saying his treatment at Scripps La Jolla was "excellent."

You sure love blocks of text.

[Wyrt]

I've spoken to a whole bunch of people I raid with as I'm from Australia, but apparently this kind of stuff happened all the time under Obamacare. It seems the US has ALWAYS had a history of awful healthcare systems.

Yes, Obamacare just got people insurance, it did fuck all to bring down the cost of medication and procedures. But we can't reduce drug prices because reasons.

[schwank05]

This shit is why for something as simple as that I dont even go to the doctor just grab some super glue and glue that shit back together myself. If I aint bleeding out or unconscious and get brought against my will I refuse to go. The local doctors wont even come to me to get their vehicles serviced because they know good and well I would charge them $500.00 to change their oil to get back at them for their BS charges, for seeing me for 20 seconds after I waited 2 hours to see them.