4 ms·

I went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack, and it turned out there was nothing wrong. The doctor who saw me afterwards thought it might have been in

I went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack, and it turned out there was nothing wrong. The doctor who saw me afterwards thought it might have been intestinal spams. I got to pay $6,000 for that bit of entertainment.

exodus_de 8y ago
Let me guess - your deductible is 6000$?
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- ddoolin 8y ago
  Is that really relevant though? That should never cost anywhere near that much.
  - jimbokun 8y ago
    It's relevant because the doctor probably charged EVEN MORE than $6,000, and mikeash only saw $6,000 of that because it was his entire deductible.
kradroy 8y ago
Did you pay the bill outright without negotiating?
- mikeash 8y ago
  Yes. I couldn’t find an angle to negotiate with. I could afford to pay, so trying to use hardship as a lever to bring down the bill wouldn’t have been honest.
  - tathougies 8y ago
    Normally you just call and say youd like to lower the bill
    - dboreham 8y ago
      In my experience that doesn't work.
      - kradroy 8y ago
        If you're willing to risk your credit score for a bit, just don't pay the bill. Eventually some entity down the line will accept less. If you don't want to do that, then you have to eat it; immediately or in installments.
    - mikeash 8y ago
      Why would they respond with anything besides “fuck you, pay me”? When I did ask, their response was basically a more nicely worded version of that.
    - rhexs 8y ago
      Not so easy if you’re google-able and clearly work in tech. They won’t squeeze blood from a stone, but if they smell money, they aren’t going to negotiate. The advice frequently found on reddit about negotiating is good, but keep in mind it’s targeted at individuals with, best case, 0 net worth and worst case hundreds of thousands in debt. Your mileage will vary depending on the bill collector, hospital system, staff etc., but keep in mind someone has to be paying the bills. American, work in tech, post on Hackernews? It’s probably going to be you. Always worth a shot though. Worst case they’ll usually let you go on a 0% APR payment plan for years and years.
splintercell 8y ago
I really don't understand this 'labor theory of value' thinking. Just because there wasn't anything wrong doesn't mean you don't have to pay a person for their services.
- mikeash 8y ago
  That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m saying that the cost was way too high. How much does an ER visit like that cost in a sane country? I mean the actual cost, not the “free” that the patient might see from a socialized system. It’s nowhere near that high.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]

exodus_de 8y ago

Let me guess - your deductible is 6000$?

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
ddoolin 8y ago
Is that really relevant though? That should never cost anywhere near that much.
- jimbokun 8y ago
  It's relevant because the doctor probably charged EVEN MORE than $6,000, and mikeash only saw $6,000 of that because it was his entire deductible.

kradroy 8y ago

Did you pay the bill outright without negotiating?

mikeash 8y ago
Yes. I couldn’t find an angle to negotiate with. I could afford to pay, so trying to use hardship as a lever to bring down the bill wouldn’t have been honest.
- tathougies 8y ago
  Normally you just call and say youd like to lower the bill
  - dboreham 8y ago
    In my experience that doesn't work.
    - kradroy 8y ago
      If you're willing to risk your credit score for a bit, just don't pay the bill. Eventually some entity down the line will accept less. If you don't want to do that, then you have to eat it; immediately or in installments.
  - mikeash 8y ago
    Why would they respond with anything besides “fuck you, pay me”? When I did ask, their response was basically a more nicely worded version of that.
  - rhexs 8y ago
    Not so easy if you’re google-able and clearly work in tech. They won’t squeeze blood from a stone, but if they smell money, they aren’t going to negotiate. The advice frequently found on reddit about negotiating is good, but keep in mind it’s targeted at individuals with, best case, 0 net worth and worst case hundreds of thousands in debt. Your mileage will vary depending on the bill collector, hospital system, staff etc., but keep in mind someone has to be paying the bills. American, work in tech, post on Hackernews? It’s probably going to be you. Always worth a shot though. Worst case they’ll usually let you go on a 0% APR payment plan for years and years.

splintercell 8y ago

I really don't understand this 'labor theory of value' thinking. Just because there wasn't anything wrong doesn't mean you don't have to pay a person for their services.

mikeash 8y ago
That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m saying that the cost was way too high. How much does an ER visit like that cost in a sane country? I mean the actual cost, not the “free” that the patient might see from a socialized system. It’s nowhere near that high.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]