So, as I shared on the Mundane Thread, I had a three hour trip to the ER for a skin infection. My (first?) bill arrived today - having done US healthcare before I know there may be more, as various doctors can bill through different things.
On this bill I have:
IV Therapy
Laboratory
Lab/Chemistry
Lab/Hematology
Lab/Bact-Micro
Lab/Urology
Emerg Room
Drugs/Detail Code
EKG/ECG
Insurance Adjustments
So - I know I had fluids, painkillers and antibiotics through IV. EKG, blood work and urine testing. If I hadn't gone I would have been more sick and risked blood infection (I had gone to an Urgent Care first which is cheaper).
What do you reckon was the list price and how much discount did Insurance get vs an uninsured person?
By way of guidance, the average billed price for an uneventful birth and stay in a hospital is $10,000. Based on levels of Insurance the amount the person will owe is around $4,500.
**
As a footnote, I am very lucky to be in a position to be incredibly well insured and my out of pocket is minimal (though I pay a pretty heavy hit every pay check). That is the cost of being a risk manager and having kids who are one heartbeat away from an expensive medical bill.
There are many I work with who are younger and choose high deductible plans with less generous coverage at a lower cost. The risk for them is an event like this can be financially painful. There are tax-free savings accounts to help cover for such events, but some of these disappear in unused each year. You do, to an extent, have to gamble with your health based on what you can afford.
On this bill I have:
IV Therapy
Laboratory
Lab/Chemistry
Lab/Hematology
Lab/Bact-Micro
Lab/Urology
Emerg Room
Drugs/Detail Code
EKG/ECG
Insurance Adjustments
So - I know I had fluids, painkillers and antibiotics through IV. EKG, blood work and urine testing. If I hadn't gone I would have been more sick and risked blood infection (I had gone to an Urgent Care first which is cheaper).
What do you reckon was the list price and how much discount did Insurance get vs an uninsured person?
By way of guidance, the average billed price for an uneventful birth and stay in a hospital is $10,000. Based on levels of Insurance the amount the person will owe is around $4,500.
**
As a footnote, I am very lucky to be in a position to be incredibly well insured and my out of pocket is minimal (though I pay a pretty heavy hit every pay check). That is the cost of being a risk manager and having kids who are one heartbeat away from an expensive medical bill.
There are many I work with who are younger and choose high deductible plans with less generous coverage at a lower cost. The risk for them is an event like this can be financially painful. There are tax-free savings accounts to help cover for such events, but some of these disappear in unused each year. You do, to an extent, have to gamble with your health based on what you can afford.
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