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Got a Bill from ER Visit

April 9th, 2015 at 02:37 am

I got a bill from my ER visit a few weeks ago - just the ER stuff, not the doctors. $3,572. Gulp. This is thankfully *before* insurance kicks in. I'm not sure why they're sending me the bill before they file it with my insurance ... Get this - the two Tylenol they gave me? $72! Ridiculous.

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The event my boss and I worked today was pretty much a bust. The weather was wet, cold and windy. There were only five other booths there. We had maybe a dozen or so people come by ... in 4 hours (we left early.)

I did get to go into the Student Union which I'd never been in. Wow, SO different than the Student Unions at the colleges I went to.

My boss and a co-worker got coffee at a Starbucks clone - I got hot chocolate. (It was really cold, otherwise I would've stuck with water.)

All of us had packed lunches. I'm glad I did, because there was a Subway in the Union. I would've maybe been tempted ...

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Not much else I can think of, so I'll go off to read up on ya'll. Smile

Posted in General, Work Related, Financial | 7 Comments »

7 Responses to “Got a Bill from ER Visit”

  1. DecisiveParadox Says:
    April 9th, 2015 at 05:18 am 1428556689
    1428556689

    $72.00 for two Tylenol???????

    I am in the wrong business!!!!!

    how do they justify charging inflated prices for a service people could do themselves? This isn't the government o wait, yes it is.

    DecisiveParadox for president 2015

  2. VS_ozgirl Says:
    April 9th, 2015 at 08:02 am 1428566537
    1428566537

    Thank goodness for insurance! Yikes that's expensive!

  3. snafu Says:
    April 9th, 2015 at 09:51 am 1428573103
    1428573103

    Now that you're feeling better, I suggest you look for ways to manage health care problems that crop up. It's always hard to imagine issues as they come without warning and often get to crisis stage late at night, on a weekend or holiday when regular service isn't available. 1st line of action, write out symptoms and check on line for possible/probable diagnosis. Try the least evasive treatment.

    I don't think people use all the services available from their pharmacist. Check where you generally get OTC or RX meds to see what they suggest/offer. Not a technician, the well education, knowledgeable pharmacist! They can make suggestions to help before it gets to crisis stage. Most important, they make sure that one med doesn't conflict with another.

    Do you have a primary care {GP] doctor? Is there a Clinic with extended hours nearby that your insurance will cover to some extent? It helps to review your last 3 years of medical services for repetition. Don't wait until you're so sick you only have ER. It's important to have a full on physical at least annually as preventative.

    Hospitals are so expensive to operate with ghastly expensive equipment that lies idle a lot, layer and layers of services your problem does require and specialized staff with more education and training than your problem just then, might require. So many people end up using ER care without paying, Tylenol and everything else is hiked to spread costs to actual payers, insurance, people, government who ever can be forced to pony up.

    Just my 2 cents, to try to avoid ER crazy costs.



  4. Amber Says:
    April 9th, 2015 at 10:57 am 1428577074
    1428577074

    $72 for Tylenol? I could buy at least 10 bottles with that. Glad you're feeling better

  5. creditcardfree Says:
    April 9th, 2015 at 01:23 pm 1428585795
    1428585795

    I wonder if insurance wasn't involved at all what a hospital would actually charge. It seems they could get a wholesale discount (which I'm sure they do). It would probably be $0.10! Sometimes I'm so irritated with the whole health system...too many hands in the pot IMO.

    That union has changed quite a bit since I went there. Sorry the event was a bust.

  6. FrugalTexan75 Says:
    April 9th, 2015 at 11:13 pm 1428621198
    1428621198

    DP - When they were giving it to me I almost asked how much they'd be, but my head hurt too much to care just then.

    VS - Yes, I'm SO glad for insurance!

    Snafu - I went to the ER on the advice of my doctor's office, and also after calling the local urgent care place to see if they could do what I needed - being checked out after having fainted and hitting my head. Only the second time in my life ever being a patient in the ER.

    Thanks Amber.

    CCF - It sure would be interesting to see the costs if there was no insurance ...

    Thanks Smile It was good to be away from the phones for a few hours at any rate. Smile

  7. Buendia Says:
    April 10th, 2015 at 12:05 am 1428624312
    1428624312

    Medical costs are crazy! I remember my mother having a surgery and they charged her for a blanket, like $150 or something. She said "I refused the blanket when they offered it to me!" and they took it off her bill. I think insurance was covering it anyway, but she said it was the principal that counted. Anyway, this is what drives up our insurance bills, but it works the other way, too, I guess.

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