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I'm a Former Surgeon General and I Couldn't Believe My $10k Medical Bill

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Re: I'm a Former Surgeon General and I Couldn't Believe My $10k Medical Bill

#81

Post by PorterBHall »

xtiansimon wrote: post #78
brianwawok wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the obvious case. What is even more shocking is the happy case. You have a week to make an appointment for an outpatient procedure. Call around. No one can even give you a price. Doctor doesn’t know; sends you to some billing department. They don’t know. You will spend a month to find the actual price at 5 places, and it’s not even locked in price. Bill come for another amount? Tough

“No one can even give you a price.” Ha! I needed to visit a sports therapist. Called an office near me and asked the cost to see the doctor. > We can’t say, we don’t know what procedures the doctor might order. I understand, I say. Just tell me how much for the consultation. Walk in the door and see the doctor. > [repeat] Let’s take the most common case. Say the doctor orders cortisone shot, but I decline this care.…

Whoa!

Re: I'm a Former Surgeon General and I Couldn't Believe My $10k Medical Bill

#82

Post by elevatedastalt »

xpl wrote: post #24
elevatedastalt wrote: post #7

$10000 looks like he got off easy given he visited an ER. Some unfortunate ones have to pay close to that amount just for the privilege of sitting in an ER, without getting any meaningful treatment.

How it isn't a scam?

It's nicely itemized for your convenience.

There will be a charge for the facility itself. There will be a charge for the nurse that initially took you in and triaged you by looking at you and deciding you weren't immediately dying.

Then after sitting there for 4 hours, you might have gotten 10 minutes with a doctor who'd have said something like "You are ok, take a tylenol". This is not any run of the mill doctor, this is an ER doctor, so obviously their charges are in the thousands too.

Whenever this gets brought up someone replies with, "Well, it needs medical training to confirm that you are indeed ok", and I completely agree. And I won't be complaining if the whole visit costed a few hundred dollars. But a few thousand?

Re: I'm a Former Surgeon General and I Couldn't Believe My $10k Medical Bill

#83

Post by hnburnsy »

throwup238 wrote: post #23
elevatedastalt wrote: post #7

$10000 looks like he got off easy given he visited an ER. Some unfortunate ones have to pay close to that amount just for the privilege of sitting in an ER, without getting any meaningful treatment.

It's not just some ER, it looks like he went to the Mayo Clinic which is one of the top hospitals in the world. It's the kind of institution that world leaders from around the world travel to for complex treatments.

He also bypassed multiple urgent care centers and went to the Mayo Clinic ER adjacent to North Scottsdale, instead of going to closer Banner University in Downtown Phoenix. He doesn't say if Mayo is in network, but that would be a shocker. Funny there is always a 'rest of the story' in these policy based stories.

Re: I'm a Former Surgeon General and I Couldn't Believe My $10k Medical Bill

#84

Post by QuantumGood »

guyzero wrote: post #30
a_bonobo wrote: post #9

What I find interesting is how in OP's original tweet, more than half of the comments blame him for the cost. Shouldn't have gone to that hospital! (it was the closest one). Should've drunken more water! etc. pp. Like the proverbial crabs in a bucket, only pulling each other down. https://x.com/JeromeAdamsMD/status/1761375417351430595

"Shop around" is a great capitalist mantra, except that medical emergencies are pretty obviously a situation where you're absolutely not going to shop around.

I ended up in the same E.R. several months apart for the same thing. Other than an MRI the first time, identical treatment, prescriptions and length of stay.

First time: Over $11,000

Second time: Under $900

Re: I'm a Former Surgeon General and I Couldn't Believe My $10k Medical Bill

#85

Post by zen928 »

HarryHirsch wrote: post #19
mkoubaa wrote: post #5

The healthcare industry in the US sometimes gets me to seriously consider seeing a shaman next time I get sick

Don a puppy mask, self-identify as a dog and go to the vet.

Following the trend on the level of care provided by overbooked veterinarian offices, an estimated bill greater than 1k would halt any procedure and ask for a signature and immediate upfront payment or to consider euthanasia as a humane alternative to being unable to afford services at your income level before continuing to provide care. If your injury is serious enough and you cant pay, your residency and citizenship will be immediately revoked and you'll be taken in as a ward of the state to then be forcibly euthanized with no representation from your former family or loved ones.

Payment plans are ofcourse intentionally excluded due to 'abuse of the system' for others who can't afford to pay.

Re: I'm a Former Surgeon General and I Couldn't Believe My $10k Medical Bill

#86

Post by DonnieP »

saulpw wrote: post #15
giantg2 wrote: post #8

There are some good points in here. However, it feels disingenuous with the author being a former surgeon general. "the onus of the entire amount still fell on me due to my high-deductible health plan (HDHP)." I mean, yeah, that's how HDHP works. Anyone in healthcare should understand that.

Yeah, and he does. But as he is arguing, the cost is exhorbitant, and if he had known what the cost would be, he would have chosen to do it himself at home. Even if you have an HDHP ( especially if you have an HDHP) this is how it should be.

Highly educated anesthesiologist, former state and federal public health professional, and current employee of Purdue University since 2021, selects HDHP for his insurance plan and then gets upset when he actually has to pay the high deductible for the plan that he himself selected. News at 11:00. And, don't get met started on his assertion that having to pay that deductible prevented him from contributing to his HSA that year. This person is a shining example of what's wrong with US healthcare, not a beacon of light for fixing it.

Re: I'm a Former Surgeon General and I Couldn't Believe My $10k Medical Bill

#87

Post by spants »

Interesting that IV hydration is available for $500 from clinics. I was taken ill in India. Went straight into hospital A&E and out within 90 minutes. I was given drugs for sickness, IV hydration and lots of tests. Total price = £33

It seems to me that the costs for treatment in the USA are actually more than covered by the deductible. The rest is holiday money for the criminals running the system.

Re: I'm a Former Surgeon General and I Couldn't Believe My $10k Medical Bill

#88

Post by monkeyfun »

nradov wrote: post #72
brianwawok wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the obvious case. What is even more shocking is the happy case. You have a week to make an appointment for an outpatient procedure. Call around. No one can even give you a price. Doctor doesn’t know; sends you to some billing department. They don’t know. You will spend a month to find the actual price at 5 places, and it’s not even locked in price. Bill come for another amount? Tough

Some of this has improved under the No Surprises Act. In certain situations the provider may be legally required to give you a "good faith estimate", or at least not send you excessive bills after treatment. https://www.cms.gov/medical-bill-rights/know-your-rights

I've yet to encounter a single clinic or hospital that complied when I tried making requests for an estimate of any sort. (In Texas)

Re: I'm a Former Surgeon General and I Couldn't Believe My $10k Medical Bill

#89

Post by nradov »

monkeyfun wrote: post #88
nradov wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of this has improved under the No Surprises Act. In certain situations the provider may be legally required to give you a "good faith estimate", or at least not send you excessive bills after treatment. https://www.cms.gov/medical-bill-rights/know-your-rights

I've yet to encounter a single clinic or hospital that complied when I tried making requests for an estimate of any sort. (In Texas)

If a provider organization is out of regulatory compliance, then you should file an official complain with CMS. I understand that this is a hassle but it's the only way to improve the situation.
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