This Is One of the Reasons Why I Don't Go to a Doctor Unless Absolutely Necessary

[amileegirl]

So...about a month and a half ago I got contact dermatitis (an allergic reaction) on my face and my lip and right eye were swollen quite baddly.   My lip wasn't a big deal, but my eye was a worry.  My husband convinced me to go to the ER and I begrugingly agreed.   I was ugly but not ill, and at the most I really just wanted to know if my eye was getting infected.

I go in and at check-in tell the receptionist I have contact dermatitis and need my eye looked at.  We hang around for an hour and a half playing cards.    We get called to a room to fill in paper work.  We are sent another room and wait for 15 minutes before the doctor arrives.       I get diagnosed with contact dermatitis...(my thought:   No sh*t really!?  I had no idea.)   My inspection took 3 minutes including the prescription writing...if that.         I get prescribed benedryl and prednisone.  I wasn't going to take the prednisone but my husband gave me the "worried" face and  the "why won't you let me take care of you" look, and I caved.   Let me tell you I will NEVER take prednisone again.   I was nauseated, loopy, exhausted, and utterly sless for three days!    I'm never letting that "face" take hold of my good sense again.

Anyway, to make a long story longer, I got the bill today:

Dephenhydramine (Benedryl) 25mg.........$0.22 cents
Prednisone 20mg........................................$0.66 cents
ER Level 3 visit.............................................$919.00 dollars

My husband's insuranced covered all but 50 dollars.  But that's not the point.

The hospital charged $919.00 for a 3 minute visit!!  I'm still reeling.  That's $300 a minute!    The prescribed medication total was 88 cents.    What are they justifying with a 919 dollar charge?  The air I breathed?  The pen ink?  The space I took up in the waiting room?!  The blood pressure machine?  The thermometer?

Prior to getting married, I didn't have insurance so I would NEVER have gone to the ER unless my eye was oozing.  I would have just sucked it up and let my body heal itself.    When  burned my foot I didn't go to the ER.  It was a 2nd degree burn with a small blistered spot or two of a 3rd degree burn.  I washed it, and bandaged it when I went to work.  When i got home I put on more burn cream and let it air out.   It was ugly when it was healing and hurt like hell, but I don't even have a scar.  It cost $10 in ointment and bandages supplies.

[Mrs_Lidwell]

Jul. 1, 2008 at 12:30 PM

LOL I totally hear ya hun! I hate going to doctors... but going to the hospital is the WORST! When I broke my back a few years ago, i got a few thousand dollars bill from the hospital, plus a few hundred dollar bill from the ambulance dept. THEN they told me to go to the chiropractor.... WITH NO INSURANCE! Needless to say, I applied for welfare medical benefits then, let them take care of those bills, but never did go to the chiropractor. My back has arthritis in it now, but that was going to happen whether i went to the chiropractor or not, and I am taking some really good NON PRESCRIPTION all natural pills for it where my arthritis doesnt bother me at all now!

Hospitals can be such rip-offs!

[Rayray1976]

Jul. 1, 2008 at 12:32 PM

I was charged $175.00 from the emergency room for them to tell me there was nothing wrong w/my son's belly button when, in fact, there was. Grrr. Never ignore mother's intuition...  I should have charged them for misinformation.

[trepsica]

Jul. 1, 2008 at 7:10 PM i feel you! i hate the ER! the US has the highest costing medical care and is in the loew 3rd for quality! WTF?

[SandraRh]

Jul. 1, 2008 at 7:21 PM

the hospitals and insurance companies are all a scam.  They charge you for everything.  You take one tylenol they charge you for the whole bottle. 

You could always ask for an itemized bill? 

When you go in for a baby they charge you for the pillow in your room, the sheets, pillow cases, EVERYTHING.  The thermometer etc... (my sister works as a clerk in an insurance company)...  She was saying that they charge you for the towels and all the baby blankets.  That is RIGHT they charge you for this stuff but yet you can't take it home with you.  Seems real fair doesn't it!

[SxdUpAngel]

Jul. 2, 2008 at 10:14 AM bull shite and I totally feel you