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1/30: $3,000 remaining balance from Urgent Care

posted 8 years ago by pvd295
14 replies | jump to latest

On the episode with the travelling nurse, another thing which shocked me (though it probably shouldn't) was the $9,000+ bill for a rabies shot from Urgent Care. It shocked JJ as well - and the nurse's insurance paid $6,000 leaving her with a balance of $3,000 - which she sued the woman who owned the cat.

JJ said the bill was 'outrageous'. Yes, it was. So she should have first asked Byrd to look up the cost of a rabies shot in the Kelly Blue Book: Medical Edition. He would have said, "Given in an emergency room, $150....plus labor, $250."

She should have then called the Urgent Care, tell them she had this case in front of her, and she's 'writing an order' to have the $3,000 dismissed from her account.

"You already got $6,000 from the insurance company for her rabies shot which has a value of $250, which includes labor. This is outrageous - you made enough money off of her already."

Both litigants would have left happy, and JJ would have saved her production company $3,000.

"Splodey heads keep splodin' " - Sarah Palin, 7-1-16 

[–] hack-stone 8 years ago

$9000? Thanks, Obamacare.

[–] pvd295 8 years ago

These over-inflated prices at ERs have been in place long before Obamacare was even a thought. Their reasoning was that so many millions of Americans were uninsured and using their facilities, they had to make up the shortage somewhere - so they started with these ridiculous prices - which is why those with insurance paid exorbitant rates (again, way before Obamacare). It has always been 'profit before patients'.

"Splodey heads keep splodin' " - Sarah Palin, 7-1-16 

[–] hack-stone 8 years ago

Some people consider profits to be evil. These corporations are not the federal government, they cannot continually operate at a loss and stay in business. I see plenty of people on FaceBook botching about the obscene profits made by medical insurance companies. If these savvy people on FaceBook with zero business experience think that insurance companies should operate at a loss, there is nothing stopping them from starting their own healthcare insurance companies.

[–] pvd295 8 years ago

I see plenty of people on FaceBook botching about the obscene profits made by medical insurance companies. If these savvy people on FaceBook with zero business experience think that insurance companies should operate at a loss, there is nothing stopping them from starting their own healthcare insurance companies.

I guess you mean me, though I have 25 years of business experience.

I don't think these insurance companies should operate at a loss, but I don't think they should enjoy 'obscene profits' (as you yourself say), while their customers declare bankruptcy and lose their homes over a medical issue. They should operate at a fair profit, and put patients first - after all, that is their mission isn't it?

If they want to operate at obscene profits, maybe these CEOs should give up health insurance (since they are not currently working on behalf of their customers) and go into the legal profession.

"What matters is the size of your heart and your character" - Herman Munster

[–] Syn84 8 years ago

These over-inflated prices at ERs have been in place long before Obamacare was even a thought. Their reasoning was that so many millions of Americans were uninsured and using their facilities, they had to make up the shortage somewhere - so they started with these ridiculous prices - which is why those with insurance paid exorbitant rates (again, way before Obamacare). It has always been 'profit before patients'.

And then people say that Communism is bad ... :)

===
When I die, I want to be buried face down. That way whoever doesn't like me can kiss my ass.

[–] deem_bastille 8 years ago

exactly! before OBAMACARE my copay to a regular doctor was 15 dollars. urgent care was 15. ER services was 50. specialists were 20.

now... regular is free, urgent care is 50. ER is 150 and specialists are 30.

all because the lazy 'need' medical coverage too. thanksobamacare

#loserlivesmatter

Oh God. Fortune vomits on my eiderdown once more.

[–] mcolby-125-523976 8 years ago

I used to only have to pay $15 at urgent care (same as my regular doctor) but now it's $100, according to my card, but apparently my insurance doesn't want me to go there at all. A few months ago my doctors office called me because my insurance called them and told them they had to tell I need to check with them before going to urgent care. Apparently, going to urgent care twice in 15 months is too many times according to my insurance. Both of those times I went was on a Saturday night and both times I had pneumonia and could barely breathe. I guess my insurance company would rather have me die then resort to using urgent care when my doctors office is closed.

[–] pvd295 8 years ago

Then there are people (like my 61 year old coworker) who does not 'believe' in physicals, so has no primary doctor to give him his annual, and runs to urgent care every time he gets sick. That's not what urgent care is for, but there are many people who use it that way rather than get an annual check-up.

"What matters is the size of your heart and your character" - Herman Munster

[–] mcolby-125-523976 8 years ago

I have a former friend who used the emergency room like that. For her and her three kids, even though they had a doctor. I swear she would take them to the er for every little cut or bruise. I would say all the time to her why don't you just wait till tomorrow and call their doctor, it will be cheaper. Of course she didn't care, unlike me, who has a $150 hospital co-pay, they all had Medicaid so it didn't cost her anything. I would still try and tell her urgent care over the er and she would still go er. I never understood why she would rather sit around the hospital all day for something that literally didn't even need a doctor for, let alone a hospital, then go to urgent care that was much quicker. I think she liked the attention when she could "check in" on fb at the hospital and everyone asking what was wrong.
I remember one weekend I was so mad, she once again went to the hospital for something stupid, actually I remember this time what it was for, her son told her for months he sometimes sees spots in his eyes. This kid has worn glasses almost his whole life, and she runs to the hospital because he tells her something has been going on for months and only sometimes. What does she think the hospital is going to be able to do? They don't have that equipment there and I told her that. I told her all they will do is tell her to see an eye doctor next week. She didn't listen and sure enough that's exactly what they told her.
The reason I reminder that particular visit is because that Sunday night my daughter got a fever and was complaining of her ear hurting. She kept waking up crying, and I felt so bad. I was able to get her fever down but we were just hours away from her doctors being opened and my husband and I kept debating if we should bring her or not. Unlike, my friend it would cost us to bring her and what would they do? Tell us she had an ear infection and give us a prescription we couldn't till the next morning anyway. So it made no sense for us to bring her. We would either have to wait for the pharmacy to open to treat her or wait till her doctors open and bring her in. It's just an example of how frustrating it is, that my kid had to suffer all night, but she can bring hers whenever she wants, for any stupid reason she wants.

[–] pvd295 8 years ago

I have a former friend who used the emergency room like that. For her and her three kids, even though they had a doctor. I swear she would take them to the er for every little cut or bruise. I would say all the time to her why don't you just wait till tomorrow and call their doctor, it will be cheaper. Of course she didn't care, unlike me, who has a $150 hospital co-pay, they all had Medicaid so it didn't cost her anything. I would still try and tell her urgent care over the er and she would still go er. I never understood why she would rather sit around the hospital all day for something that literally didn't even need a doctor for, let alone a hospital, then go to urgent care that was much quicker. I think she liked the attention when she could "check in" on fb at the hospital and everyone asking what was wrong.

Before Obamacare, there were millions of Americans without health coverage, so they could not go to a physician to see a doctor. The only choice available was 'urgent care' or 'ER' - which (allegedly - according to the health insurance industry) is what drove up the costs of going there; including those with insurance.

Once Obamacare started covering the uninsured a few years ago, it was supposed to cut down on the UC and ER visits - as people now could visit a doctor. Yet, for some reason these people kept visiting the ER and UC, instead of signing up with a doctor, which is why the rates are still so high.

So I personally don't blame Obamacare (as some are quick to do) - I blame people like my coworker who is a Part Timer and has Obamacare...but won't use it properly and is abusing the system. (Up until he a few years ago, he was FT and had full benefits - but never bought into health insurance since he never went to doctors.)

"What matters is the size of your heart and your character" - Herman Munster

[–] mcolby-125-523976 8 years ago

I agree with you. I understand if you don't have insurance and have no options, but like my former friend, she did have options, she had a doctor and her kids had a pediatrician but she still used the er like a doctor's office.
I avoid the er as much as I can. I have better things to do then sit for hours over something that can wait. My pediatrician has walk-in times in the morning and afternoon and are open on Saturday mornings for sick visits. My doctors office opened up an after hours place about a few years ago that covers for all the facilities owned by them. It's in another town but not that far away and you can make an appointment online so you don't have to wait. I've only used that twice, once because my doctor sent me there and once on the weekend when I had strep throat. Beats urgent care and the hospital any day.

[–] Alexandra_Shulgin 8 years ago

This case outraged me. I read somewhere if you have access to the animal in question, you can test them for rabies first, and if they come up dry, you'd only need a vaccine, which is usually around $125-200. I mean, the bite itself was more akin to a mosquito bite!

I don't know who I'm more angry at... the plaintiff for possibly being fishy as he!!, or that the ER would actually charge this much for a simple life-saving shot.

ATTN: Please check out 4chan for the most intelligent conversations on cinema, TV, & thespians!

[–] pvd295 8 years ago

I don't think she had access to the animal right away. She said she was bitten by the 'black cat' and then she saw it run across the street and into the defendant's driveway. She didn't find out who the cat belonged to until 4 days after.

"What matters is the size of your heart and your character" - Herman Munster

[–] mcolby-125-523976 8 years ago

Don't they have to kill the animal to check for rabies?