the core of the healthcare problem

tedkennedy · 08-31-2009, 03:29 PM

just got hospital bill in the mail:

-600$ for 11 mile ambulance ride
-50$ for oxygen mask i didnt want or need
-200$ for "drugs" - one dose of oral steroids which a bottle would cost no more than 10$ in a pharmacy
-200$ for "emergency room services" i assume this is just the priveledge of sitting in an emergency room cot for a couple hours while they watch me to make sure the oral steroids dont kill me
-200$ personal fee from the doctor, who had to look at me for a minute, prescribe the medicine and then go sit in the coffee room and chat about his kids to the other staff on night shift duty.

this is all for a mild alergic reaction while i was on a bike trip, i woke up having an arllergic reaction and my lips were swollen, i found a cop and asked where the nearest hospital was and said i was having an allergic reaction. he calls ambulance, 10 emts roll up on me as if i am dieing, i say i am gonna need a benadryl or something and they say they cant give me medicine unless i go to hospital. i tell them i cant risk massive hospital bills and say that its getting better and i can just wait. they keep making threatening statements like i might die in my sleep and should go to the hospital just to be safe, so i go and spend the night in the hospital. they lie to me and tell me i can take a taxi back to my campsite and i find out at 5 in the morning that no taxis go through the town and im stranded in bumblefuck vermont and uknownst to me im going to be raped by bills in 3 months.

anyway, this is a personal story why the health care system is fucked.

Waves · 08-31-2009, 03:31 PM

so its going to cost you more to pay for your little visit than it will probably cost me to replace an entire car i just totaled.

yeah our priorities arent fucked in this country.

wonder how much all that would have cost in europe...probably free

tedkennedy · 08-31-2009, 03:36 PM

i think my insurance found out i am not taking classes this semester and just dropped my ass, i am going to try and appeal and maybe they will cover it based on the fact that i was in classes last spring and am technically still working towards a degree.

either way its just really stressful thinking that any trip to the doctor you could find yourself down a 1000$ for some bullshit and you dont know till the last minute if insurance will even cover your ass.

_tyranT · 08-31-2009, 03:40 PM

mine was about 800$. i'm not paying for it. so whatever. free

verklingen · 08-31-2009, 03:40 PM

its your fault for getting sick. call a church and they'll pass a plate around or something -- that's generously more than you're entitled to

try better next time ya bitch

Waves · 08-31-2009, 03:50 PM

^speaks profoundly for the health-care industry

osirus2020 · 08-31-2009, 03:51 PM

^^??

Regardless, I would talk to your insurance company, the hospital that billed you and explain everything you told us. I would tell them they can go fuck themselves and that you aren't paying until they agree to lower your bill for the bullshit you had to go through. I have no idea if it's going to work, but it's probably worth a try as most people land in the hospital probably just assume shit's expensive or insurance will cover it.

Where abouts in Vermont are you staying?

Waves · 08-31-2009, 03:55 PM

i just mean hes right, in fancy world talkage-speak

my_scatterheart · 08-31-2009, 04:11 PM

cmon man, be smart. should always have benadryl on trips

~1~ · 08-31-2009, 04:23 PM

^^^^ No shit there, I have my Benadryl, my Simbacort and my Albuterol with me when I'm gonna be away for a bit.

But whatever...

Wanna bring the health care bills down?

Fire your insurance provider. For every one person who needs care, there are two dozen paper pushers doing nothing but, well, pushing paper.

This may sound hard to believe, but in America at least, you can negotiate the cost of your care if you're paying cash. Some folks will even extend credit just so they don't have to be beholden to the insurance companies. ALOT of Drs and private practitioners are even going so far as to not accept insurance. They feel it is better for them if you handle the claims and get reimbursed for the cash so they don't have to jump through the hoops to get paid.

Medical insurance providers are not in the business of keeping you healthy, on the contrary, if you've been paying in for a few years and get sick, they would prefer you die. Then you're the life insurance providers problem, not theirs.

tedkennedy · 08-31-2009, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my_scatterheart

cmon man, be smart. should always have benadryl on trips

i wish i had brought some medicine... but i was basically stuck in middle of nowhere at 2 am in the morning sleeping behind some elementary school with no car so i had to do what i had to do in case it got worse and i had no way of getting help.

i guess the point of my thread though is that it should never cost 1000$ just to see a doctor and get a simple medication. if i knew it would have been such a raping and that my insurance wouldn't cover it i would have refused treatment but you dont even know what you owe until you get a bill in the mail.

Being · 08-31-2009, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by №1

^^^^ No shit there, I have my Benadryl, my Simbacort and my Albuterol with me when I'm gonna be away for a bit.

But whatever...

Wanna bring the health care bills down?

Fire your insurance provider. For every one person who needs care, there are two dozen paper pushers doing nothing but, well, pushing paper.

This may sound hard to believe, but in America at least, you can negotiate the cost of your care if you're paying cash. Some folks will even extend credit just so they don't have to be beholden to the insurance companies. ALOT of Drs and private practitioners are even going so far as to not accept insurance. They feel it is better for them if you handle the claims and get reimbursed for the cash so they don't have to jump through the hoops to get paid.

Medical insurance providers are not in the business of keeping you healthy, on the contrary, if you've been paying in for a few years and get sick, they would prefer you die. Then you're the life insurance providers problem, not theirs.

thanks button

my_scatterheart · 08-31-2009, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by №1

^^^^ No shit there, I have my Benadryl, my Simbacort and my Albuterol with me when I'm gonna be away for a bit.

Mikey · 08-31-2009, 06:43 PM

This dude I know had a boulder get projectile whipped him by a boulder here on the island.

The island doctor gets there within minute before the ambulance even to inject morphine in his butt and treat him for shock.

Then the ambulance drives him to the air strip for a heli-vac helicopter ride to the hospital in Victoria BC, the big island and within an hour of getting hurt he was in the hospital having surgery to fix his arm.

And then did months of rehab for his arm and stuff at rehabilitation clinics.

And all he had to pay for 30$ for the ambulance ride 'cause thats just the way it is on our small island, if your in the big city you don't pay squat.

Canada's health care's pretty good like that.

Roach · 08-31-2009, 07:17 PM

11 mile ambulance ride -600$
oxygen mask i didnt want or need -50$
one dose of "drugs" (oral steroids) which a bottle would cost no more than 10$ in a pharmacy -200$
"emergency room services" i assume this is just the priveledge of sitting in an emergency room cot for a couple hours while they watch me to make sure the oral steroids dont kill me -200$
personal fee from the doctor, who had to look at me for a minute, prescribe the medicine and then go sit in the coffee room and chat about his kids to the other staff on night shift duty.-200$

a drug store that sells otc benadryl/national healthcare...pricele ss

Waves · 08-31-2009, 07:44 PM

lol roach made a funny

Dr. Nick Nasty · 08-31-2009, 08:12 PM

where are the HMO defender's on this one? Facts suck don't they?

Peace seeker · 09-01-2009, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mookie

11 mile ambulance ride -600$
oxygen mask i didnt want or need -50$
one dose of "drugs" (oral steroids) which a bottle would cost no more than 10$ in a pharmacy -200$
"emergency room services" i assume this is just the priveledge of sitting in an emergency room cot for a couple hours while they watch me to make sure the oral steroids dont kill me -200$
personal fee from the doctor, who had to look at me for a minute, prescribe the medicine and then go sit in the coffee room and chat about his kids to the other staff on night shift duty.-200$

a drug store that sells otc benadryl/national healthcare...pricele ss

lol

John F. Kerry · 09-01-2009, 11:07 AM

tedkeney if we had insurance reform that changed the way private insureres could drop or not drop people then u would be fine right?

Lloydy · 09-01-2009, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mookie

11 mile ambulance ride -600$
oxygen mask i didnt want or need -50$
one dose of "drugs" (oral steroids) which a bottle would cost no more than 10$ in a pharmacy -200$
"emergency room services" i assume this is just the priveledge of sitting in an emergency room cot for a couple hours while they watch me to make sure the oral steroids dont kill me -200$
personal fee from the doctor, who had to look at me for a minute, prescribe the medicine and then go sit in the coffee room and chat about his kids to the other staff on night shift duty.-200$

a drug store that sells otc benadryl/national healthcare...pricele ss

08-31-2009, 03:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
tedkennedy now 14% blacker Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,247 Thanks: 69 Thanked 572 Times in 360 Posts	the core of the healthcare problem just got hospital bill in the mail: -600$ for 11 mile ambulance ride -50$ for oxygen mask i didnt want or need -200$ for "drugs" - one dose of oral steroids which a bottle would cost no more than 10$ in a pharmacy -200$ for "emergency room services" i assume this is just the priveledge of sitting in an emergency room cot for a couple hours while they watch me to make sure the oral steroids dont kill me -200$ personal fee from the doctor, who had to look at me for a minute, prescribe the medicine and then go sit in the coffee room and chat about his kids to the other staff on night shift duty. this is all for a mild alergic reaction while i was on a bike trip, i woke up having an arllergic reaction and my lips were swollen, i found a cop and asked where the nearest hospital was and said i was having an allergic reaction. he calls ambulance, 10 emts roll up on me as if i am dieing, i say i am gonna need a benadryl or something and they say they cant give me medicine unless i go to hospital. i tell them i cant risk massive hospital bills and say that its getting better and i can just wait. they keep making threatening statements like i might die in my sleep and should go to the hospital just to be safe, so i go and spend the night in the hospital. they lie to me and tell me i can take a taxi back to my campsite and i find out at 5 in the morning that no taxis go through the town and im stranded in bumblefuck vermont and uknownst to me im going to be raped by bills in 3 months. anyway, this is a personal story why the health care system is fucked. __________________ matthew munari Last edited by tedkennedy; 08-31-2009 at 03:33 PM.

08-31-2009, 03:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
tedkennedy now 14% blacker Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,247 Thanks: 69 Thanked 572 Times in 360 Posts	i think my insurance found out i am not taking classes this semester and just dropped my ass, i am going to try and appeal and maybe they will cover it based on the fact that i was in classes last spring and am technically still working towards a degree. either way its just really stressful thinking that any trip to the doctor you could find yourself down a 1000$ for some bullshit and you dont know till the last minute if insurance will even cover your ass. __________________ matthew munari

08-31-2009, 03:40 PM	#5 (permalink)
verklingen Radical Dreamer Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: texas Posts: 8,031 Thanks: 795 Thanked 1,470 Times in 940 Posts	its your fault for getting sick. call a church and they'll pass a plate around or something -- that's generously more than you're entitled to try better next time ya bitch __________________ “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” rip matt

08-31-2009, 04:11 PM	#9 (permalink)
my_scatterheart Today, I am alive. Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 4,063 Thanks: 1,300 Thanked 2,713 Times in 1,579 Posts	cmon man, be smart. should always have benadryl on trips __________________ Be mindful even if your mind is full. -J. De La Vega

08-31-2009, 04:23 PM	#10 (permalink)
~1~ Successful Failure Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: where 'they' can't see. Posts: 10,905 Thanks: 443 Thanked 1,514 Times in 889 Posts	^^^^ No shit there, I have my Benadryl, my Simbacort and my Albuterol with me when I'm gonna be away for a bit. But whatever... Wanna bring the health care bills down? Fire your insurance provider. For every one person who needs care, there are two dozen paper pushers doing nothing but, well, pushing paper. This may sound hard to believe, but in America at least, you can negotiate the cost of your care if you're paying cash. Some folks will even extend credit just so they don't have to be beholden to the insurance companies. ALOT of Drs and private practitioners are even going so far as to not accept insurance. They feel it is better for them if you handle the claims and get reimbursed for the cash so they don't have to jump through the hoops to get paid. Medical insurance providers are not in the business of keeping you healthy, on the contrary, if you've been paying in for a few years and get sick, they would prefer you die. Then you're the life insurance providers problem, not theirs. __________________ "And those who are successful, be always on your guard. Success walks hand in hand with failure, along Hollywood Boulevard" Ray Davies --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Click Here Asshole

08-31-2009, 03:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
Waves Duderino Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: chiburbs Posts: 15,475 Thanks: 991 Thanked 4,021 Times in 2,219 Posts	so its going to cost you more to pay for your little visit than it will probably cost me to replace an entire car i just totaled. yeah our priorities arent fucked in this country. wonder how much all that would have cost in europe...probably free

08-31-2009, 03:40 PM	#4 (permalink)
_tyranT Old School Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: ohio Posts: 1,574 Thanks: 12 Thanked 41 Times in 29 Posts	mine was about 800$. i'm not paying for it. so whatever. free

08-31-2009, 03:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
Waves Duderino Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: chiburbs Posts: 15,475 Thanks: 991 Thanked 4,021 Times in 2,219 Posts	^speaks profoundly for the health-care industry

08-31-2009, 03:55 PM	#8 (permalink)
Waves Duderino Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: chiburbs Posts: 15,475 Thanks: 991 Thanked 4,021 Times in 2,219 Posts	i just mean hes right, in fancy world talkage-speak

08-31-2009, 06:43 PM	#14 (permalink)
Mikey Seasoned YaHookan Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: gulf islands bc Posts: 7,294 Thanks: 1,080 Thanked 2,013 Times in 1,344 Posts	This dude I know had a boulder get projectile whipped him by a boulder here on the island. The island doctor gets there within minute before the ambulance even to inject morphine in his butt and treat him for shock. Then the ambulance drives him to the air strip for a heli-vac helicopter ride to the hospital in Victoria BC, the big island and within an hour of getting hurt he was in the hospital having surgery to fix his arm. And then did months of rehab for his arm and stuff at rehabilitation clinics. And all he had to pay for 30$ for the ambulance ride 'cause thats just the way it is on our small island, if your in the big city you don't pay squat. Canada's health care's pretty good like that. __________________ RIP Gov

08-31-2009, 07:17 PM	#15 (permalink)
Roach Victoria Aut Mors Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 6,771 Thanks: 2,116 Thanked 1,721 Times in 1,333 Posts	11 mile ambulance ride -600$ oxygen mask i didnt want or need -50$ one dose of "drugs" (oral steroids) which a bottle would cost no more than 10$ in a pharmacy -200$ "emergency room services" i assume this is just the priveledge of sitting in an emergency room cot for a couple hours while they watch me to make sure the oral steroids dont kill me -200$ personal fee from the doctor, who had to look at me for a minute, prescribe the medicine and then go sit in the coffee room and chat about his kids to the other staff on night shift duty.-200$ a drug store that sells otc benadryl/national healthcare...pricele ss

08-31-2009, 07:44 PM	#16 (permalink)
Waves Duderino Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: chiburbs Posts: 15,475 Thanks: 991 Thanked 4,021 Times in 2,219 Posts	lol roach made a funny __________________ On this life that we call home The years go fast and the days go so slow

08-31-2009, 08:12 PM	#17 (permalink)
Dr. Nick Nasty A PhD in Anarchy Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New York/New Jersey Metro Wasteland Posts: 1,095 Blog Entries: 5 Thanks: 576 Thanked 347 Times in 219 Posts	where are the HMO defender's on this one? Facts suck don't they? __________________ The true [classical] liberal, in pursuit of fixed principles, must never have fixed political alliances. They must change based on the ruling rationale of the moment.- Lew Rockwell

09-01-2009, 11:07 AM	#19 (permalink)
John F. Kerry Weiner-stache Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3,643 Thanks: 1,772 Thanked 454 Times in 328 Posts	tedkeney if we had insurance reform that changed the way private insureres could drop or not drop people then u would be fine right?

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