4 ms·
I paid $5500 last year for an unnecessary emergency room visit (doctor sent me down to get a scan). They wired me up to machines and made me wait 5 hours for t
by paulsutter 9y ago
I paid $5500 last year for an unnecessary emergency room visit (doctor sent me down to get a scan).
They wired me up to machines and made me wait 5 hours for the scan, then 3 hours to get discharged. They wouldn’t let me leave until the doctor on duty wrote up her treatment recommendation. Even though I was just there for a scan.
No insurance last year so after my “35% cash payer discount” it came out to $5500 after the many parties in the ER sent me separate bills. Scan was $2000 of that, but I could have paid $600 across town.
Don’t go to the ER unless you’re unconscious. It’s that rare case where you are paying AND you are the product.
- wccrawford 9y agoI recently had an appendectomy. The doctors said that if you are having abdomen problems, you absolutely should go to the ER as there's too high a chance it's life threatening. They said that limbs and such weren't as ER-necessary and urgent care might suffice, depending on severity. But for the stomach, just go to the ER. I initially stopped at an urgent care facility, but they told me to sit and wait before even asking my symptoms. I'm not afraid of many medical things, but my appendix has always made me extra nervous. So we left and went to the ER, where they asked a few questions and rushed me into a room, and then a scan shortly after. We had caught it very early.
- softawre 9y agoI think the concept of not going to an emergency room unless it is an actual emergency is well known?
- paulsutter 9y agoThe doctor sent me there. Gave me a slip of paper and said “give this to the ER desk to get a scan”. So I did what he said.