Courier098
154676
1946
70
Here's the link:
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/woman-billed-700-after-sitting-in-er-waiting-room-for-7-hours-leaving-without-treatment
SumptuousMeat
Billed for existing... Fuuuuuck I hate this place.
tinytyrant
politics is everything.
betathanlife
America is a dystopian hell
pw9001
Stories like these really make me think I'll see the USA collapse in my lifetime
CaptainNemo10
Laughing in European
freshage
Laughs even louder in European. Lived in America for several years, aside from the people (good ones). Its a shit hole.
Crowlands
Reminder: Lack of access to healthcare was already killing more Americans every month than died on 9/11, Before Covid came along.
icouldntthinkofabetterusername2
See, China virus is a hoax, no more dangerous than any other disease!1!! /s
LeYuno
7 hours can be deadly if it's an actual emergency. US be fucked up
Hammsammiches
You are right. Most of the time people don't go to the ER for emergencies though.
MaxlRose
I had this same thing happen, luckily my heath insurance that I pay $600 a month for, covered $100 dollars of the bill.
SankariSuomi
This must be the 'best healthcare system in the world' I keep hearing about.
Fernackerpan
Best healthcare. Worst system!
SnossedAndLost
100% thought this was an onion article at first lol. I'm still not surprised I guess but..wtf guys.
Ghlargh
The Onion is turning into what Mad Magazine was in the 60's, a prediction machine...
IllegalDuckling
Still not convinced that it's not one
hollanderpolder
The US of A is a hell hole.
jargonmon
A head injury no less.
GreatOdinsTaint
Fox will run a stories like these and then actively sabotage any chance of a better healthcare system.
LeftistCoastalElite
They'll blame communism for this.
dillanb
Most local fox stations are very different from the national Fox “News.”
illtakehisasstoredlobster
Okay… cauliflower crusted ass?
Iaddnothing
It may be interesting...
theAught
Peak late stage
jimmac91
In other words, they will not do anything, & they will send the bill to collections immediately to make sure they are paid for doing nothing
IrrationalNumber
This is what you get when you leave healthcare to the private sector.
ProfessorAssBlast2020
no it's not. It's when you have a fucked corrupt system where healthcare companies can buy politicians, bye
MaxweIIhaus
I'm pretty sure that's what they said.
DarnItSimon
Weird how I don't have this problem here in Germany. Definitely 100% non-corrupt politicians, not just a better system
ReaperCDN
Lmfao. So private companies bribing politicians to back them. So which part isn't the private company fucking you again?
archercartridge
you just described capitalism perfectly
udmurt
Well that just sounds like "leave healthcare to the private sector" with extra steps
FierceAndAdorable
*When you allow healthcare for profit.
kadaeux
If you allow the private sector to handle it, it’s only ever for profit.
lronMaiden
No, if you set AND enforce limits & rules for the care they have to provide they will work fine. I live in country that has private sector.
lemmesmashplease
Agreed. Unregulated private sector monopolies are the problem.
FierceAndAdorable
Medicine for profit was authorized under Nixon, medicine should never be for profit.
FierceAndAdorable
There are private sector nonprofits.
ThrockmortonTheSkateboarder
The real atrocity is that apparently you normally don't notice $700 added to your total bill. 700 freakin' dollars!!!
LuciusNeedful
Insurance contracts make the hospital remove or grossly reduce such fees, but if you leave, insurance does not cover, so it's all you see.
Sprucelake
Mind boggling. Current maximum payment per YEAR in Finland is 683€, above that almost everything is free, incl. surgery or intensive care.
MostlyJeffGoldblum
That's like 1,400 greasy tacos from jack in the box
PenanceArkana
Did two one-week stints in the hospital last year. I wouldn't have noticed $700 in the midst of the $9K and $12K bills either.
PenanceArkana
And that was bed, meds, food, and CT scans - no surgery.
ThrockmortonTheSkateboarder
Oof.
PhailRaptor
It would appear to be less than that, but increased because the payment was late. #3
ScrippyChan
This is why so many general/nurse practitioners push patients to be more serious about prevention. Every single one of us is one bad day¹
ScrippyChan
away from financial ruin. Prevention costs NOTHING compared to treatment in the US.²
UneventfulLover
I can never bring myself to comment on these posts. You should try social democracy.
BklynPunisher
But you just did comment.
ThrockmortonTheSkateboarder
Oh, I don't live in the US, thank God.
UneventfulLover
Ah, OK. I should have noticed there was a chance of that but ESL. But now I know. *takes notes* I would not want to live there either.
ThrockmortonTheSkateboarder
I used to live in Norway, though. ;)
UneventfulLover
I'm glad I do. I'm 52, so it wasn't all that great when I was a kid. Unfortunately the oil that gave us what we have, also makes us pricey
Noksus
Yes! I never understood why someone would *dream* to live in the US. Sounds like a horrible place to go, just exists to exploit the people.
UneventfulLover
I had arguments with a buddy over this ever since the 80s. "Too much taxes here in Norway, no freedom" etc. He doesn't say that anymore.
TheGiantTater
I can vouch for this. I was in a bad car accident last year, and they took me by ambulance to the ER. (Cont.)
TheGiantTater
I waited in APU for 12 hours just to be told by a doctor to go home and take some ibuprofen. next morning I woke up unable to breathe (cont)
TheGiantTater
My girlfriend rushed me back to the ER where I waited in the waiting room for 16 hours. In pain. Unable to breathe. (Cont.)
TheGiantTater
Finally, got to triage, and into the actual ER room where I waited another 10 hours. Doctor comes in. Tells me to take ibuprofen... (cont)
TheGiantTater
I went to my GP that next day and was referred to an orthopedic surgeon who informed me I had cracked and fractured ribs, (cont)
TheGiantTater
Bruising and confusions on my lungs and heart, and a torn rotator cuff and ACL, as well as skull fracturing. The US medical system is fucked
backrideup9
It will cost >$700 for them to take her to collections. Just dont pay it.
ReallyNotSure
must be this tickling down economics i hear about so much. better cut more taxes for the rich
GuitargrinderDude
Imagine dying whilst waiting the ER and your relatives have to pay for your waiting time and possibly body disposal. Condolences from Europe
idekwut
If you're waiting in the ER, it means you're not dying. It means people who ARE dying are being treated first. This is universal.
sleepinggreenidea
This assumes reasonably and functional triage procedures, which are absolutely not universal.
LuciusNeedful
They will try to revive you. If/when they fail, bill is 10s of thousand. If revived, you go to ICU, still eventually die, then 100s of Ks.
mllecamill3
This is just so ridiculous.. And US people even think this is normal. It is not. The rest of the world is different.
Cornchip2000
We don't. But the psychopaths that have risen to the top here do.
TheManWithTheVan
Same thing happened to me. I had vitals taken, and an x ray. Then 4 hrs of waiting before I had to leave. Massive bill later.
TheManWithTheVan
All because someone rear ended me. Totaled my car, rode in ambulance, and got X-ray. B/c of “no fault” law, I’m responsible for my med bills
HisBubbliness
No, no, please tell me once again, you flag-waving, book-burning 'intellectuals', how America is the greatest country on Earth.
darkestkale
The entirety of the american consciousness is based on 'I'm ok, so why should I care?' - they're on the golden path, why should they care?
darkestkale
-> ... and then, something happens. An injury, unemployment, an accident. Oops, you fell off the golden path. Now you're fucked.
darkestkale
... and the rest carry on down the so-called Golden Path, ignoring the fallen because 'but why should I pay for someone else?'
tcdriver
Same in Tennessee..sat in empty E.R. 3 hours after filling out paper work billed 395.00....left after 3...
icouldntthinkofabetterusername2
I like the part about ”normally this 700 is included in the total so you don’t really notice it”. What is the total if 700 is unnoticeable?!
Fairemont
Got a bill from the clinic the other day for $535 for a less than five minute phone call. I was billed as if it was a 45 minute
Fairemont
Clinic visit with a severity of 4 out of 5 for testing or some such. Absolutrly ridiculous
Gorgrim
I'm guessing the $700 also normally gets charged to the insurance, but in this case there is no cover cos nothing was done.
Gorgrim
US health care is a scam. I can't think how it is anything else.
BklynPunisher
Considering that an MRI is $12,0000 and that’s just a quick imaging, major surgery or hospital stays can run in the 100’s of thousands so…..
BklynPunisher
… it seems possible people would miss a few hundred.
zagibu
You do realize the most frequent reason why people file private bankruptcy in the USA is medical debts?
icouldntthinkofabetterusername2
Not to sound rude but as a Finn I tend to forget what a shitshow your health care system is in the US.
zagibu
I'm not from the US, but I think they wouldn't mind.
TheUsernameFormerlyKnownAs
"We'll follow up with the individual", not "we'll fix our billing practices". The'll give back the $700 and make it up with the next sucker.
JoeT85
Yeah, the bad press is worth way more than the $700 they were going to soak out of her.
playingdead2022
Not when its 10 dollars for a bit of liquid tylenol
CptRobotNinja
Lol they won't give anything back
sleepinggreenidea
Most likely outcome is they'll forgive *this* case since it's bad PR and has already attracted press attention, but will keep the policy
thatiswhyyoushoulddoityourself
Give back? Just don’t pay them. No service was performed.
kindpanda
Their argument: you used our space, which could've been used for someone else, for seven hours
mike13815
Yeah then it goes to collections, wrecks your credit for years, you get threatening calls/letters...
gablestout
This was posted yesterday and a billing specialist said it was an automatic billing triggered by the ER nurse triage. They absolutely do ⇲
gablestout
⇱ not have to pay the bill, but I that's not an excuse. It should not have been sent in the first place
gablestout
⇱ note: the billing specialist was an Imgurian. They stated these happen (but shouldn't happen) but there will be no expectation to pay
SawhorseJackson
They’ve already got your info, so if you don’t pay it goes to a collection agency and can impact your financial records, even credit report
BigSausagePizzaa
Yeah I’ve directly not paid BS charges like this and nothing has happened. Credit score still almost at 800. don’t pay money you don’t owe.
Zanano
Falls off after seven years, if you have prior good credit history already it's fine, hit wont be worldending
TheUsernameFormerlyKnownAs
Just because the credit hit seems trivial to you doesn't meant you should get hit at all. That's just corporate callousness.
Skizzlesnap
Even if they do “hit” your credit it’ll only be a few points. If it’s a state run hospital though, they’ll garnish your state tax returns
Eville00
Right. Imagine being charged by Walmart to enter and look at the food. What a fucking scam.
IrrationalNumber
A more apt comparison would be queueing to a restaurant, but getting tired of waiting and getting hit with a service fee.
Lichelf
Except she probably wasn't in an actual que with a set order.
lotsofpun
Reminds me of my hometown McDonalds. They had both an in-restaurant fee and a to-go fee. $.75 for either. 'Course, that was years ago...
IrrationalNumber
Wtf, the whole purpose of the in-restaurant fee is to pay for the cleaning.
SkaerKrowe
That kind of shit should be illegal.
RPT89
Its not when capitalists get to decide
rlrobles5
It is fraud.
Ghlargh
It probably is in most places...
MLGsamantha
The whole corrupt healthcare 'industry' here in the US needs to be torn down. Healthcare is a human right, not an industry!
PooPculture
The entire US insurance/medical billing system is literally just legal racketeering.
Beezlebubble
I don't even pay for work on my house or vehicles until the job is fucking done - not paying for my health work until it's done either
Aaronb1138
It's mail fraud and it's a felony. Notably most mail fraud goes unprosecuted because our DAs won't do their jobs. My most alt-right argument
Aaronb1138
for socialized medicine is enslaving the industry as punishment for the rampant billing / mail fraud they collude to perform.
Shineupordown
yeah dont tell me she has to pay... Also shoudn't hosptial then be telling prices before charging ?
captainswoopty
MAN9000
Unrestricted capitalism. Get what's mine. F*** everybody else.
rlrobles5
Not unrestricted. Unregulated so that obvious fraud goes unpunished. Always get a line item bill and go through it.
dillanb
Should, but don’t. Almost ever
BREED09
My doctors office told me they charge more if I have insurance. It was more out of pocket with insurance than the entire visit without.
syntaxxor
CORRECT! I work for insurance and usually advise people to ask about billing practices. It's really fuckin weird, especially baby genetics!
syntaxxor
Natera and other similar places will charge direct pay about 250$. Through the insurance? They send us a $3000+ bill that hits deductibles.
perfeksion
Nope. American healthcare is do whatever you want, bill insurance for 20x the amount, and charge patient on top too. #1 cause of 1/
perfeksion
Bankruptcy in America is medical debt
ButTheyWereAllBad
And how many of those end up committing suicide? It is such a shame American healthcare is profit-driven.
BifurcatedDickShaft
After I attempted suicide I got a $6k ambulance bill in the mail and my first thought was "I wish I had fucking died"
INeverReadTheTOS
But I thought only Canada had wait times in the ER???
armagetz
Literally no one claimed that. References to wait times were over non life threatening procedures that still severely impacted QoL
DaveTheScientist
Guess you haven't spoken to many Republicans. I have personally heard people make that argument to me many times.
EllenVanThom
german here: waited two hours with a broken arm and one hour with a concussion
valkyrie117
Took a friend with suspected broken collar bone took maybe 2 hours to be seen
Noevilgifs
Hi I had to get a decortication took them 8 hours to get me a patient room, then 4 hours later transferred me to another hospital forsurgery
ImAGrower
The "wait" thing in Canada is blown out of proportion. The U.S has just as long a waits and so on. Maybe worse in emergencies.
arp271
I had a friend mention "terrible socialized medicine" yesterday. Bitch, I've had to wait 4 mo for an appt here and still had to pay for it.
youreathing
If the ER is busy, then yes. Last time I went, someone saw me within the hour. Easy peasy. AND NO $700 BILL.
cantthinkofaclevernameatm
As a canadian, that was my first thought. "BUt wAiTiNg fOr FrEe iS CoMmUnIsM !" - Some republicunt
Hiboredimdad
Yup we do. I was at ER for a minor issue Saturday. Waited 25 minutes. Bullshit.
CharlesMontgomeryBurns
Took my daughter a couple times, waited 15 minutes at most and that was in Toronto, Canada's largest city.
graehall
The propaganda about Canada's healthcare system was created by one particular chap in the US paid to spread disinformation to Americans.
ImSorryIfYouGotOffended
Depends on what ur situation is. ER is not a fast lane first come first serve or whatnot. U r queued up based on priority. I've waited 4 hr
jridley
I live near Univ of Mich's much-vaunted hospital and have a friend with high med needs. Wait times there can be 12+ hours. 4 not unusual. 1/
lucindamarie18
Go Blue is now more like Go Dough...
jridley
Earlier this year I took her in with chest pains. 3 hours later she was still in a wheelchair in the hallway.
makem9999
You get triaged immediately in Canada, if it really serious you tend to get seen immediately
wipethatfaceoffyourheadbitch
That’s… what triage is lol
makem9999
They probably meant that you may still wait after triage in smaller hospitals even if you are quit ill.
ReaperCDN
Experience varies based on hospital.
makem9999
No doubt
nebulousned
I’m Canadian. My family have been to the ER lots. Never waited more than an hour.
theduckening
I'm Canadian, once spent 24hours in ER. No one ever saw me until the fever got worse and I started puking.
mountiedan
I waited 6 hours at a hospital for dislocated shoulder while working at said hospital. They gave me a Tylenol and told me to go home.
hwatL4bloopy
I imagine free preventative care really lowers the number of emergency visits
SociallyInept1
Ottawa.My mom just broke her elbow & hip earlier this month waited 10 hours+ & finally got a temp bed in a hallway.
SociallyInept1
Moved to a proper room the next day but that just shows how overwhelmed the system is. Similar story when she had a stroke when I was 8
sozensloth
Waiting times can also depend on region. My hometown has the 2 worst hospitals in the province. I've waited 12 hours there
Outforalark
2 hours in the waiting room. But I also had a minor injury so it made sense they're take the kid with a broken bone in before me.
xdeepsearch
I've definitely had to wait in the ER but that just meant i wasnt dying so it was cool
CreepyFreak
I've also never paid once for going to the ER other than non-covered prescriptions but even then it was like 25 bucks
TrippyTurtle69
$25?!?!?! That's socialism you commie
CreepyFreak
Maybe but I will never need to file for bankruptcy at 23 because of medical debt and I don't know a single person who has locally.
iamtheotherstig
Lucky. My wife's last visit to the ER was a 12 hour nightmare. And this was before the pandemic.
wipethatfaceoffyourheadbitch
It definitely varies by region, time of day, specific day, and triage. A bladder infection in Barrie on a Wednesday afternoon could be 1/2
wipethatfaceoffyourheadbitch
faster than a stabbing or broken arm in Toronto on a Saturday night. Honestly a crap shoot. 2/2
critausy
Sounds more like a 'needs more hospital rooms and staff' issue than a healthcare issue though. More people willing to go to the--
HighSorcerer
No, no, that's wait times because of -socialism-. Wait times because of -capitalism- are fine and we can just ignore them.
Ruhig
It's just the system being efficient! Providing medical care is one of the most significant expenses in a hospital, and it's just smart -
Ruhig
- business practice to eliminate them. (Besides, where else are they going to go?)
JimmyWalkerTexasRanger
TIL that wait times are a fine.
HighSorcerer
Btw I'll be sending you a $700 bill for replying to my comment.
ToxicIndigoKittyGold
This job'd be great if there were no patients!
JimmyWalkerTexasRanger
Lol. My grid is so far off I'm like Texas in winter.
StepOnTheSun
DiningKruger
That's fine I charge $850 for reading yours. You can just send me the difference.
5Toner
I'll handle the transaction for 20%
GrandPubabofMoldistan
To be fair, waiting in the ER means you are not sick sick. Getting billed for not being scene is different
dillanb
https://thisishowyoudoit.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/how-to-be-scene-1200x675.jpg
curmudgeon91
Lol the day I literally had to be carried I'm because I was dehydrated to the point where I was unconscious from vomiting, I was in the>
curmudgeon91
>waiting room for over an hour according to the guy that carried me in. It took zofran and 2 saline bags to bring me to.
curmudgeon91
Anyway, I would say I was pretty sick given that I was vomiting for hours and there was blood in it and I was unconscious from it all. USA!
GrandPubabofMoldistan
You were probably a yellow tagged triage. That would be about how long I would expect.
curmudgeon91
in* damn auto"correct"
kadaeux
Sorry dipshit. Waiting in the ER does not mean you aren’t sick sick. This is in the US where people literally die in the waiting room.
GrandPubabofMoldistan
Sick sick means the patient is going to die in the next hour based on presentation at triage. No sick might means they are sick but they 1/2
GrandPubabofMoldistan
Are not going to die in the next hour. 2/2
hungmung
Yes but in general if you walk into triage and are literally on the brink of death they will take you in sooner than if you are just hurt
airen
Dude I once sprained my foot, went to ER and waited 3 hours, the girl next to me had a yeast infection, she got seen while my foot was
kadaeux
If by in general you include the rest of the world sure. But too many people die in the ER in the US without even seeing triage.
OriginalSyn
Canada has the opposite problem wait times for non-life threatening procedures are often excessively long.
Heisanevilgenius
Canada's healthcare system has gone downhill but it's still far ahead of American healthcare
vannie001
I tore the ligament in my shoulder and sat in the ER for about 7hrs in ON, in excruciating pain :(
sixtynine420
I live in a big city and waited 5 hours total for my broken thumb. I didn't wait 7 hours without being seen
OriginalSyn
So? Hospitals have busy periods and lulls without knowing the situation at both hospitals your comparing apples and oranges
sixtynine420
I didn't say it was an "always" situation. I pointed out a possibility.
JahHonky
It depends where you are, in Ontario I had torn my ACL, since it was non urgent I was on a waiting list for better part of 3 years ended 1/2
JahHonky
Ended up tearing my MCL too, 6 years later tore it again this time in Alberta, had the same surgery again only waited 3 months
OriginalSyn
Which is better imo but waiting years for a hip replacement is also pretty shitty and we should strive for low wait times universally
Darrions
Yup was one waiting for 7 hours with a broken finger, people with way much more serious problems came, I could wait they couldn't, logic.
DavidBrooker
My grandmother had a hip replacement after a fall. She waited about 36 hours, but that was because they said the surgeon on call could 1/2
DavidBrooker
do it then, or they could wait until Monday for the guy who basically only did hips to finish his weekend. 2/2
hawkingshickingboots
I had to have my appendix removed. 8 am They told I would wait for the night shift surgery team (team for car accidents and the like), 1/2
hawkingshickingboots
One hour later, there was a bad accident. on call team on the way. They prep me and I was out of surgery by noon.
NaughtButOne
Depends on why. If you shatter your hip, yeah, you need it done right away. They'll do it right away. If it's just causing a bit of pain >
NaughtButOne
>or something that can be handled with medication, the wait is longer. It's this latter group that does 97% of the complaining.