Whew insurance, WTF hospitals?
Feb. 1st, 2014 05:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thistlechaserI got my itemized bill from the hospital today. I have insurance (THANKFULLY), so it was sent for my information.
I was in the hospital exactly 14 days.
Total bill? $144,769
I nearly fell over. Just the hospital room and (awful) food cost $84,000 for the 14 days.
My antibiotic, the only one that worked, cost $250/dose when put in by the home nurse. When put in at the hospital? $3,990/dose.
I'd like to have a word with those who claim America has the greatest health care system in the world. The service I received was nearly 100% perfect, I have no complaints at all there, but the prices are just so unreasonable that 'unreasonable' doesn't even describe it.
One shot of nasal spray for a stuffy nose, put in by me, cost $179.
In related news, I'm still on the mend. Getting better every day, but still weak and little energy. Returning to work on Monday, so we'll see how that goes.
I was in the hospital exactly 14 days.
Total bill? $144,769
I nearly fell over. Just the hospital room and (awful) food cost $84,000 for the 14 days.
My antibiotic, the only one that worked, cost $250/dose when put in by the home nurse. When put in at the hospital? $3,990/dose.
I'd like to have a word with those who claim America has the greatest health care system in the world. The service I received was nearly 100% perfect, I have no complaints at all there, but the prices are just so unreasonable that 'unreasonable' doesn't even describe it.
One shot of nasal spray for a stuffy nose, put in by me, cost $179.
In related news, I'm still on the mend. Getting better every day, but still weak and little energy. Returning to work on Monday, so we'll see how that goes.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2014-02-02 02:25 am (UTC)That $1 sharpie they've had for six months and used to mark your chart with? They will charge every patient $3 for. :P
Fight this. Get an itemized bill and start demanding things you KNOW are bullshit be removed. I've heard of people reducing their bill to 1/4th what it was.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:31 am (UTC)
Date: 2014-02-02 02:37 am (UTC)The costs are ridiculous. No doubt about it.
The question is how to fix the system...
Re:
Date: 2014-02-02 05:18 pm (UTC)Just for comparison, here's an anecdote from Canada:
A few years ago, I suffered head trauma. I stumbled to the nearby walk-in clinic, and was seen by a doctor who immediately called 911. I got to ride in an ambulance (but wasn't in any shape to enjoy it, sadly), got CAT scans, examination by specialists, and so on. Later, I went to my personal doctor to get the stitches removed.
At least four doctors examined me, plus various nurses, plus a three-person ambulance crew, plus I took up valuable diagnostic machine time. Plus bandages, needles and sutures, dressings, anesthetic shots, antibiotics, and a tetanus shot. I had been taken to a modern, well-equipped hospital, the same one that my Member of Parliament goes to.
Two weeks later, I got the bill. It was itemized:
ITEM 1: $40.00 - Ambulance ride, 9 kilometers
ITEM 2: $ 5.20 - Harmonized Sales Tax
TOTAL: $45.20
There was an apologetic letter saying they had to charge something to prevent people from using the ambulance as a taxi, but would gladly waive payment if it was a hardship. Just for comparison, the price of a taxi ride for that distance would have been $24 plus tip.
I am glad that the US seems to be moving (slowly) towards a better health care system. Until then, I am very glad that you had insurance.
Re:
Date: 2014-02-03 12:43 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2014-02-03 12:51 am (UTC)Our system is FAR from perfect. There have been recent scandals about overpaying the company that provides helicopter air ambulances to my province, and the online medical records system had huge cost overruns. But it seems to work. And ever since I visited the US in November 2011, I've been grateful that we have it:
http://resonant.livejournal.com/329899.html
*there is currently a huge scandal how we are not providing proper health care coverage to refugees and others who are not Canadian citizens yet.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:55 am (UTC)http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/12/09/ontario_reinstates_basic_health_care_for_refugees.html
The Canadian government canceled free health care for refugee claimants, but the provinces are fighting back and paying for it out of their own funds anyway.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 04:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-04 02:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-04 05:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-04 04:56 pm (UTC)Every time I think about this, I boggle again.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-04 05:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-04 02:54 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2014-02-03 12:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-02 04:01 am (UTC)This is why ACA/Obamacare is so important.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 04:15 pm (UTC)The prices on your bill are also before the insurance company negotiates, so don't look at the percentages I named vs the 140k they're charging you.
As someone who spent a lot of his youth in hospitals and now is immune to most everything and a tolerance for pain that makes nurses squeamish -- our healthcare system has changed a lot in 20 years, and not for the better.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 05:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 06:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 08:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-02 04:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-02 04:08 am (UTC)I'm glad you are recovering.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-02 06:38 am (UTC)Glad to hear you are getting better, woohoo!
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-02 07:10 am (UTC)those prices are downright scary. when i traveled to america, i was advised to take out the highest level of travel insurance i could possibly get just because i was going to america. never before have i had that advice to any other country i've traveled to. i don't understand how the costs can be justified.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-02 07:55 am (UTC)Glad you're continuing to feel better! And hope work Monday goes OK.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-02 11:16 am (UTC)That's good!
That nasal spray must have been of gold.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-02 01:01 pm (UTC)So glad to hear you are getting better every day.
*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-02 04:02 pm (UTC)That's absurd, America has one of the worst health care systems in the civilized world that I've ever heard of!
That bill is outrageous - I can't fathom how they'd ever justify such a cost.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-02 11:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 12:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 01:56 am (UTC)As part of the vast American uninsured (yeah, we're running late), I honestly would apply my own tourniquet and drive myself to an open hospital (preferably our local clinic) before calling 911. If I had to have some joint replaced, I'd go to Mexico.
As for the US being the "best," pshaw! My cousin had treatments in the eighties that weren't being offered here. Sweden kept Lief alive decades past any of the estimates he'd have gotten here. Lief had a heart transplant, an extra kidney piggybacked onto his failing ones, tons of surgeries, etc.... Because Sweden gave a damn about the quality of life of its people, that's why.
Anyway, before I burst a blood vessel grumbling about the US' medical morass, it is so GOOD to see you post again. Take care and get well.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 05:31 pm (UTC)Hope you're able to find a plan you like soon, and that it's dirt cheap! :)
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 09:44 am (UTC)Hokay, another point of comparison: I am Australian. My husband and I have needed to go to hospital for a few things in the last couple of years. He has private health insurance. I do not.
Him:
- Kidney stone. ER visit (driven by me), lots of morphine, ultrasound, MRI, intravenous antibiotics, equivalent of an overnight stay, more antibiotics to take at home.
- Cut in the palm of his dominant hand. After-hours clinic visit (driven by me), local anaesthetic, buncha stitches, antibiotic.
Me:
- Miscarriage. ER visit (driven by him), overnight stay, ultrasound, more ultrasounds, follow-up visits every couple of days for a week, about three more visits a week apart each, loooooads more ultrasounds, assorted medication.
- Infected cyst-thingy. ER visit (referred by doctor and driven by him), what turned into effectively an overnight stay, minor surgery, intravenous antibiotics, more antibiotics to take at home.
Prices charged by the hospital? Cost to the Medicare system?
No freakin' idea. We did not get given a bill, or even an accounting of stuff we did not have to pay, because we did not have to pay one cent. There are things that Medicare doesn't pay for, or doesn't pay for fully, but ye gods I'm glad I live here.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 05:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 05:15 pm (UTC)*hug* Good luck back at work, and be sure to be kind to yourself. You sound like you're still recovering.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 05:34 pm (UTC)I hope you don't have personal reason to be happy for insurance this week? You okay?
no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-02-03 05:51 pm (UTC)Being able to get checked without worrying about the cost is SUCH a good thing -- there's enough to worry about just getting well!