Wednesday, April 01, 2009

The Cost of Fainting

What it will cost after you faint in a public space? Kirk Nielsen, of Miller-McCune.com, explains:
"I was afraid, I thought I might be dying, I was thinking about my deductible. The number '$2,500' flashed through my mind. Or was that my maximum 'out of pocket'?

I knew for sure that I was enrolled in a $129-per-month emergency and hospitalization plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida. Like everyone, I'd heard that a trip to an emergency room could cost several grand.

'I can't afford that,' I muttered.

'Now isn't the time to worry about money,' my sister responded, slightly scolding.

Then my eyes rolled upward into my skull as I blacked out again, my chin dropping to the top of my chest and the rest of me still just sitting there."
How much did the workup "cost?" How much did the insurer pay? How much did the patient end up paying for the ambulance ride and the care he received?

Read on.

-Wes

2 comments:

Keith Sarpolis said...

If they are smart enough to wait till the folowing day and get seen in the primary care docs office, it's an office visit plus an EKG for a total cost of about 100-120 dollars. It never ceases to amaze me how hog wild the ER is in it's evaluation of problems that evoke an entirely different approach when seen in the office setting. Too many readily availible and very expensive tests result in a need to exclude every possibility and make use of every arrow in the quiver.

Anonymous said...

Similar experience - only my recent vasovagal syncope trip to the ER landed me in the hospital for 3+ days, no answers and bills yet to be determined! The best medical answer I got was "It's complex..."