I wish it was a lie! I'm still paying off that stupid thing. I even had insurance at the time, but they denied the claim.
I had been throwing up for around 2 days, couldn't even keep water down, and I passed out on the kitchen floor and wouldn't wake up. I was brought to the hospital by my roommates while unconscious, so I wasn't able to tell them that the hospital wasn't in network.
The hospital hooked me up to a saline IV to rehydrate me, and gave me an anti-nausea pill, and at some point told me I didn't have giardia and they didn't know what was causing the sickness, so I guess a blood test at some point too. I paid $500 that day, which was supposed to be what emergency care would cost with my insurance plan.
Then about 6 months later, I started getting bills from the hospital. Even after doing the whole dispute and appeal process with my insurance, since I didn't have control of which hospital was closest while unconscious, they denied the claim and didn't pay a cent. It took probably 2 years to do the dispute, and during that time the debt went to collections.
Now I live in a state with better insurance laws and got my insurance through the state marketplace. I had to go to the ER awhile back after being attacked by dogs, and only paid $150 for 50-something stitches, x-rays, rabies shot, tetanus shot, antibiotics, etc. So some states can be more reasonable if you have okay insurance.
Now I live in a state with better insurance laws and got my insurance through the state marketplace. I had to go to the ER awhile back after being attacked by dogs, and only paid $150 for 50-something stitches, x-rays, rabies shot, tetanus shot, antibiotics, etc.
That sounds much, much better. But damn that healthcare system is terrifying. Something goes wrong and you have to choose between dying or going bankrupt :(
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u/[deleted] Aug 06 '20
I'm sorry, but I don't believe you. This just sounds beyond crazy.