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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 19, 2013 - 02:37pm PT
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I broke my shoulder in a motorcycle crash back in January. I spent about one hour in the hospital in Las Vegas. It's a brand new place, St. Rose Dominican-San Martin, and I was the only one in emergency. I got 6 x-rays, 5 minutes (or less, he really did nothing, his part was $2000.00)of a doctors time, a cloth shoulder sling (they can't cast a clavicle break) and one pain pill. This cost a total of about $8000.00. This was only that one hour and doesn't include the two doctors, x-rays, drugs and physical therapy I've had since.
I know the costs of health care are high but is this normal, a competitive price?
Thank god I had good insurance and out of pocket was less than 1/2 that.
You doctors out there, feel free to chime in.
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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May 19, 2013 - 02:42pm PT
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I just racked up $370,000.00 for a diverticulitis surgery. About a month in the hospital all told.
And I've got no insurance, so I get to pay the whole thing. (well, as much as I can before I die.)
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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May 19, 2013 - 02:45pm PT
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$8,000?
That's enough to pay for a boob job, nose job, tummy tuck and lasik eye surgery all put together.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
Panorama City, California & living in Seattle
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May 19, 2013 - 02:48pm PT
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They are taking you for a ride. There's no ambulance in there?
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Capt.
climber
some eastside hovel
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May 19, 2013 - 03:04pm PT
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Only goes to prove-If yer going to get hurt,might as well get REALLY hurt.
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Hoser
climber
vancouver
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May 19, 2013 - 03:06pm PT
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$8,000?
That's enough to pay for a boob job, nose job, tummy tuck and lasik eye surgery all put together.
Thats enough to pay for 11.1 years of 100% health care coverage in BC
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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May 19, 2013 - 03:12pm PT
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I think it's strange how the whole thing works.
They take you end and just do what they choose to you without you having any idea what it's going to cost and no discussion about costs: how many x-rays, etc.
I remember in the ER finishing up for a couple of lacerations. I was about done and the nurse says "hey let me try this new glue we just got in on that minor cut..... That glue cost me $250. Totally wasn't necessary.
Sorry your being hit with these ridiculous bills.
We can do better (and Obama didn't get it right either... I wish he did, but he missed it too).
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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May 19, 2013 - 03:13pm PT
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Thank god I had good insurance and out of pocket was less than 1/2 that.
Can we imagine our reactions if our auto insurance covered only half the cost of a fender bender???
Or if we got in an accident and the insurance refused to cover due to a pre-existing condition - "Sir, we see that you had a parking ticket five years ago. Due to your previous condition, we won't be paying the damage incurred when that drunk driver backed into your car in the parking lot. After all, your previous condition WAS parking-related...."
We'd be up in arms. Why does health insurance get away with taking money for a service and then refusing to provide that service?????????????
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Ricky D
Trad climber
Sierra Westside
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May 19, 2013 - 03:19pm PT
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Try $86,000 for my wife's Breast cancer surgery...and that was with insurance!
Which is why we had to leave the mountains and go back to work.
I like this quote from the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild - "My daddy says if he gets too sick to drink beer and catch catfish, I should stick him in a boat and set it on fire so they don't plug him into the wall. "
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Jingy
climber
Somewhere out there
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May 19, 2013 - 03:20pm PT
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Yeah, you can dispute the charges.
Ask them to provide justifications for all charges listed (if in a list form) and point out what occurred and how long this entire visit took.
You'd be surprised at how little you'll end up paying.
P.S. Don't make it a plea of any kind, just stick to the facts, keeping to a timeline if possible, making sure to follow all details to their conclusions of this visit.
It's not exactly a work of fiction, but rather, a possible over-provision of facts as they are know to you.
If you can spell out this break/hospital visit close to how a prosecutor may provide an opening statement to a jury.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 19, 2013 - 03:22pm PT
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You got off cheap. You do know the Mob has pulled out of Vegas - too much scrutiny.
They're into medical care now - you get to make up the bill as it suits you,
the provider, and there's no scrutiny other than the odd congressperson who
is looking to get re-elected.
A friend had surgery recently. Her surgeon hired, or sub-contracted if you will,
another surgeon 'friend' to 'assist'. The primary surgeon's bill was $8000
which isn't out of line, at least comparatively speaking. The 'assistant's'
bill was $33,000!!!!!!!! Now try and figure that shiz out. I guess he
needed a new Mercedes.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Topic Author's Reply - May 19, 2013 - 03:26pm PT
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McHale's Navy, a cop flagged down a guy with a truck and he took me to Vegas from Searchlight. I turned down the Searchlight volunteer fire guy because I could see the dollar signs flashing in his eyes.
My emt/fireman friend who was with me said the ambulance ride would have been at least $5000.
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Michelle Gill
climber
Redding, CA
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May 19, 2013 - 03:27pm PT
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Sad, but it's kind of like the old days of selling used cars. Asking price $8950....offer $3000 out the door....done deal! But yeah, never pay what they ask, dicker like the old days.
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weezy
climber
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May 19, 2013 - 03:30pm PT
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moab medical beta:
if you get jacked up climbing on the choss around the moab area, go to the Moab Immediate Care and X-Ray on main street across from the Wendy's. they use a sliding scale for payment. way cheaper than an ER visit to Moab Regional. open til 8pm every day.
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Nohea
Trad climber
Living Outside the Statist Quo
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May 19, 2013 - 03:38pm PT
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Because the whole premise of American capitalism is to extract as much money as possible for the least amount of goods and service.
Glad you said "American capitalism" because it is now barely even a facade of capitalism. Lets free the markets and cage the leviathan.
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monolith
climber
SF bay area
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May 19, 2013 - 04:00pm PT
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I was the only one in emergency....
That's the problem, someone has to pay to keep the lights on.
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Ricky D
Trad climber
Sierra Westside
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May 19, 2013 - 04:21pm PT
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How much of health care costs are due to the medical version of penis envy?
It seems that as soon as Our Lady of Perpetual Motion Hospital gets a machine that goes ping, then Mercy Me Medical has a hissy fit until they get a machine that goes ping too. Can't be having your Director be ridiculed at the Country Club because of a ping machine gap.
Of course, no one appears to ever ask if a ping machine was needed. But now we have one - we have to pay for it so here sicko, have another two hundred dollar aspirin.
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hagerty
Social climber
A Sandy Area South of a Salty Lake
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May 19, 2013 - 04:25pm PT
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My appendectomy: $17,500
My wife's double knee replacement: $42,000 per knee
My mom's last ambulance ride (2.5 miles): $875
Hospital charge for acetaminophen (Tylenol): $1.50 per tablet
Local supermarket for generic acetaminophen: $1.75 for a 100 tablet bottle.
This is a great long article:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2136864,00.html
(Perhaps the more enterprising can find and access the full article without a Time subscription. I was unable to do so.)
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Topic Author's Reply - May 19, 2013 - 04:50pm PT
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Tad, the recovery is going great. I just discontinued Phys. ther. I still do the exercises just don't need the therapists help.
I need to pick that babe up!
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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May 19, 2013 - 05:11pm PT
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My open heart surgery was a total of $142k with helicopter flight from Taos to Alb.
Feels like a got a pretty good deal. :-)
My out of pocket was less than 5 percent of the total bill.
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