Victim of Snake Bite Gets Hospital Bill of $55,000

Nope, thats what obama and pals are doing.

I posted links on how a group of doctors are slashing the cost of health care and creating a bidding war for hospital services. a bidding war that obama and pals have made illegal. Theyve even made creating new groups of doctors, like the ones in Oklahoma, illegal as well.

If you want lower costs, hospitals are going to have to compete for patients, prices should be online.

theres no excuse for obama and pals.

Theres only one party to blame, and its time to admit who is responsible for the destruction of the America, and the American dream.

Suck failure, commies.

 

No, it is completely relevant. If you have an operation, and it saves your life, is it, or is it not worth $55,000?

 

NON-EMERGENCY care....exactly.

BTW-CroFab, Antivipmyn, the most common, new generation pit viper antivenin, is about $2000-$3000 per vial, depending on availability, as a rule.

 

BAHAHAHAHA today I'm a right wing puppet. LOL

 

It could be worse:

"A UC San Diego exchange student who is facing a $143,989 hospital bill for treatment after he was bitten by a rattlesnake spoke with 10News on Tuesday.


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"My jaw was dropping down," said Dag-Are Trydal, as he described his reaction to the medical bill for treatment after he was bitten by a rattlesnake.

Trydal's bill made headlines in Norway, where his insurance provider was quoted as saying the charges from Scripps La Jolla Hospital were the highest they had ever seen.

Trydal, an exchange student studying cybernetics at UCSD, was walking to his car on April 26 when he felt a sharp pain in his foot.

"I stepped two steps back just immediately and I was seeing that a snake was sitting right between my flip flops," he told 10News reporter Allison Ash. "I was really scared, because I don't know much about the snakes here and how dangerous they are,"

When a passerby told him Scripps Hospital was right across the street, he decided to walk there.

"As I was walking over, my heart started thumping and I could feel a tingling in my body and a metallic taste in my mouth," he said.

Trydal was admitted to the hospital and given four doses of antivenom over a 24-hour period. He was thrilled that the treatment worked and he could get back to his studies, until he heard from his insurance company.

That was when Trydal learned what his visit to the hospital cost: $143,989. He was shocked.

"I thought maybe $10,000," he said, noting that if he'd had the same treatment back home in Norway "it would have been free."

Trydal agreed to let the hospital release a copy of the bill to 10News. In it there are two separate charges for antivenin croatalidfab. The first charge is for $102,440 and the second is for $25,610. That is a total of $128,050.

"This is way too much, at least for a person that doesn't have good insurance," he said.

Trydal admitted he was glad he bought an insurance policy to cover him during his six months in the United States. When asked what would happen if he had not, Trydal responded, "That would be very, very bad. I try not to think about that."

A spokesperson for Scripps told 10News the antivenom is expensive and issued this statement:

"First and most importantly, we are grateful for Mr. Trydal’s recovery. We have reviewed our billing practices in this case and find all charges to be accurate and appropriate.

The largest portion of the charges was for antivenom, a very costly life-saving drug manufactured from snake venom. The patient required 10 units of the antivenom and a night in the Intensive Care Unit, which provides around-the-clock direct nursing supervision.

Scripps has standardized charges for all of our services and, like other health care organizations, we are reimbursed differently by each insurance provider or government payer based on our contracts.

It is important to understand that these charges are not reflective of what Scripps will be paid. At this time, the patient’s insurance company has not yet paid the bill, and Scripps is in negotiations with the company for the final amount. The patient will not be billed by Scripps."

Although Trydal said he believes the healthcare system in the US is "wrong," he declined to be too critical, saying his treatment at Scripps La Jolla was "excellent."
http://www.10news.com/news/-143k-hospital-bill-shocks-snake-bite-victim

 

I think right wingers dislike the current system as much as liberals, they just don't see Obamacare as a good fix. In fact, it appears Obama doesn't either since he keeps delaying key provisions of it. And, even the bills authors don't like it since they ask for and got a exemption. Now, if only the LEFTWINGERS in general who'll get hammered by this POS law would just wake up, maybe we could actually have an intellectual conversation on how best to improve the HC system instead of just clinging to WH talking points and throwing around childish accusations.

 

Well stated. TOO MUCH COLLUSION/CORRUPTION, between the government (usually in the form of the FDA) , and the pharm industry, is a LARGE PART of the PROBLEM.

 

yet , we're supposed to feel sympathy when these hospitals get stiffed LOL

 

I think that the only thing that pays better is working for the mafia, or being a corporate CEO. 5K an hour? Shame on other people for not wanting to work for minimum wage huh? ROFL!!

 

You do understand that 5 k isn't going to one person ... Right ? That 5k is paying doctors , janitors , nurses , security guards , and other general employees .

 

Yeah...I know. Everybody gets their "cut". That's how the mafia, I mean "corporate" America operates. That nearly one minute doctors spend with their patients certainly warrants 5K alone probably huh? Plus there's an endless stream of "executive management" that needs to be paid off as well. Great gig though.

 

And like Neverland, a free market that operates in this manner is pure fantasy. In a free market, there is absolutely positively nothing to prevent large corporations from stamping out the competition. Hell, with the laws we already have, this still happens quite frequently, which just goes to show we need more anti-monopoly laws and better and more consistent enforcement. The free market theory only works when everyone is on roughly the same level. That is simply not the case in today's world.

 

I guess many people's lives here on PF aren't worth 55k? I would have to agree. Anyway, this woman needs to stop complaining. She's the doofus who walked into an area where poisonous snakes are without paying a lick of attention to where she was walking and was completely unprepared. Not only was she careless at just about every level possible, she even let her insurance lapse just prior to this. This is ALL her OWN fault!

 

why wasn't this bidding war happening before Obamacare came along ? if the free market was the best way to run health care, where was the competition between doctors, between insurance companies, and between hospitals that were lowering costs ?

it's actually BECAUSE Obamacare got passed that doctors are now playing damage and PR control by actually lowering costs. but it's too little too late for them to apologize now for the decades of corruption in running the private health care/insurance scam.

the wicked must pay for what they've done and Single Payer will make sure that doctors will never again make mountains of money for doing nothing.

 

I think the point here is clear: we should all quit our jobs and go milk snakes.

 

The prices aren't really out of control. The problem I have with this is that the article does not provide a lot of information. Also keep in mind that Obamacare is not yet fully implemented with individual insurance.

To make anti venom, you need the venom, several ounces per does, to extract from the actual animal itself. There are very few people that do this in this country and very few pharmaceutical companies that produce such products used in a very limited time. In short, it can get very expensive very quickly.

Depending on her insurance will affect the final bill. First off, this type of incident may not be covered by insurance. Second, if it is covered by insurance, it is probably under catastrophic insurance. That means high deductibles and low plan allowances. In the end, she will probably settle with the hospital on an amount with the remaining balance forgiven.

 

I do. Our local hospital has indicated that they do not carry it because of the cost and even if they did they likely would not administer it because of the danger. Antivenin is dangerous all on its own.

 

Then dump it and sign up for something cheaper. Use that "free" market.

 

OK, so what have we learned from this story?

1. There are dangerous snakes in Maryland. When walking outside one of the creatures can bite you. If that happens be prepared to fork over at least $55,000 to save your hide.

2. Don't let your health care policy lapse. If you do then don't get bitten by snakes or have any accidents.

3. Know the price of various medical procedures. Is it cheaper to chop off your foot than it is to be treated for snake bite? Always have a machete handy in case you have to chop off a body part.

4. Just because it's the year 2013 the world is still dangerous. It's not Disneyland so always be aware of potential danger from nasty creatures and humans.

5. Is your life worth $55,000 to you? If so don't whine about the cost of medical treatment that saved you from immediate death. Blame yourself for thinking that you are in Disneyland instead of realizing that you are in a very dangerous world.

 

Is there an antivenin monopoly ?
A failure of competition to "milk toxic critters" for a product with a short shelf life.
Prescott Pharmaceuticals should set up a center in Kentucky. I hear they love handling snakes.
Or might government regulation limit manufacture to a "monopoly"?
Just asking.

Moi


Ref.: Prescott Pharmaceuticals an oft mentioned pharmaceutical company on the Colbert Report

 

If banks can get billions in bailout money for business failings and shady deals, this guy deserves Single Payer health care. I doubt knuckle dragging right wingers will ever grasp this concept as hey tend to be weak minded fools applauding and excusing the rich like a wife defending her abusive husband.

 

Research the topic. Antivenin is not easily made, and it is a lot more involved than just "milking" snakes.

Plus, there is VERY LITTLE DEMAND FOR IT,which also drives the price up.

It runs from $2000-$5000 per vial, as a rule. It can be MUCH MORE, of an extremely exotic snake nails you....

 

she should have not been using her obama phone and she would have seen the snake before he bit her