FFS

sunandsand

Remember when I posted that I took DD to the Childrens ER 2 months ago? She had a tick on her lower eyelid. I couldn't get it off, but they did...with tweezers. 

No meds, no labs, just tweezer removal.

ALMOST $500 DOLLARS!

This shiit is crazy. It makes me never ever want to take my kids to the ER, and I shouldn't be scared to take them in.

We do not have $500. DH just had an appendectomy that we werent expecting and I fully expect to get a bill of about 2k for that...but that was surgery.

They'll both be getting about $10/mo for the next 10 years...try to screw me and see how quickly you get paid... 

[Deleted User]

Or you could talk to the finance dept at the hospital to see what you can do to reduce the bill.  They often have help or you can make an arrangement without screwing up your credit. 

[Deleted User]

Oh, and that does suck. 

shannonmur

Amazing. Did you at least get to keep the tweezers? My mother broke her ankle a few years ago. Badly. There were pins and a 5 days hospital stay as well as a bill for over 60k. Her insurance initially denied the claim as a preex condition. I remember her on the phone with them saying, yes I will admit to having an ankle before I got insurance but no it wasn't broken when I got it. I love my mother. Insurance companies, not so much.

Eta: to finish post

Mrs.Rose

When DS#2 was in the NICU, they somehow coded him as "outpatient" and began billing us as out of network.  It was a nightmare to fix.  On the bright side, we did negotiate a settlement amount for a large bill.  We got 25% off because we paid it all at once (put on a CC).

 

Good luck.  Insurance stuff sucks. 

MandaPanda518

Sofa and mbenit are wise. Try these first.

Also, your insurance may have a program that helps with bills if you fall within a certain income range. The finance department or the member services department hopefully can help.

I'm sorry you have to deal with this!  

jessicaclare

DH had heat exhaustion a few summers ago and 2 hours, 2 bags of fluid and a gatorade cost $1500. It's insane.

mamaZbo

I got a bill like that once for my husband. He had some kind of parasite and had a flair up so we brought him to an urgent care place.  The urgent care people had no idea what it was and referred him to an infectious disease person without so much as touching him. I got a bill for almost $1000. I wrote a letter and told them that I would reimburse them for the Kleenex he used and the a paper they pulled over the table, but I wasn't paying them for medical care we didn't receive. I never paid and I never heard a thing back from them. It might be worth putting up a stink and seeing if they will lower your bill.

RondackHiker

My insurance denied my anesthesia for my csection. They said that the anesthesia was unnecessary.

RondackHiker

Brandi Bee:

RondackHiker:

My insurance denied my anesthesia for my csection. They said that the anesthesia was unnecessary.

WHAT?!

Yup. I should have bit down on a wooden stick or something.

Oh, and the hospital was in network, but the NICU was not. I did not know that before giving birth, even though I called my insurance to make sure it was all covered. They wouldn't cover the NICU. He was full term but couldn't breath, we didnt have much choice. That bill came the day after we got home. I don't know if I have ever cried harder.

It took us two years to pay for his short, four day stay and all the tests. The hospital picked up the tab for anesthesia, which I am grateful for. I felt terrible but we didn't have the money and when I asked for a payment plan billing said they'd cover it. Insurance was a big reason I went back to work. Our last one didnt cover well baby visits or vaccines and would deny coverage for ear infections.

acesup

RondackHiker:

My insurance denied my anesthesia for my csection. They said that the anesthesia was unnecessary.

you didn't want to feel them cut you open???

that's absurd. i love what they think is unnecessary.  

Littledeer84

Fark....i went to the er last week. That bill will suck. Just as we are finishing paying off a different hospital bill too.

LuckyDad

The ER is freaking expensive. You probably should have gone to urgent care. Sucks though.

Call them and try to negotiate. Sometimes there's a sticker price and a "real" price, especially if you have cash to settle upfront.

LuckyDad

RondackHiker:

My insurance denied my anesthesia for my csection. They said that the anesthesia was unnecessary.

General or local?

Local is necessary, general is not.