[irisheyzs]

I don't know how the health care industry gets away with it. She could have flown to Mexico and got the anti venom for $100.00!

There is a link to a follow up at the bottom of the article


Scorpion sting leaves Arizona woman with huge bill including $40,000 anti-venom dose | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

[topaz420]

Can we buy anti-venom ahead of time and just take it with us to the ER?

[lvoc]

Pass the grain of salt. This is an outcome of our present system where outrageous fees are listed though never actually collected unless you are one of the very unlucky.

And one would expect to normally survive a bark scorpion sting with little more than some heavy discomfort.

She might consider charging the physician involved with malpractice for failing to explain fully the treatments cost.

My monthly infusion cost is a nominal $20,000. But medicade pays $3,000 and my secondary $1,000.

I do keep the bills though. Staying healthy costs me a nominal quarter million a year...

[irisheyzs]

It has been going on forever. I remember my mother complaining 40 years ago that the hospital she worked at charged $30.00 for an aspirin. $20 grand for a monthly infusion doesn't sound to outrageous compared to some hospital charges. I'm sure you are worth more than a quarter million! Her Dr. charged $1300.00! Bet he didn't tell her what his fee was! It's a crime!

[T-Rob123]

Originally Posted by lvoc

And one would expect to normally survive a bark scorpion sting with little more than some heavy discomfort.

So I gotta be honest, all the talk on the board today about scorpions has got me (and my wife) a little freaked.
Being from the Northwest and currently residing in NC, we haven't had any experience with scorpions, ever.
We always assumed scorpions were like black widow spiders in Washington, we know they are there but neither of us have ever seen one, but I just read that bark scorpions are becoming more and more common in LV.

We have two cats and one dog. I keep reading about how cats due to the thickness of their fir and skin are pretty safe with scorpions. But what about dogs?

Also, I keep reading that the bark scorpion is the most dangerous scorpion in the LV area, but I'm guessing from what I've previously read and what you just said here that they are not fatally dangerous?

I'd imagine my paranoia might come off as silly to everyone here, and in all honesty I hope that it does, but again we have never lived anywhere where scorpions reside.

[irisheyzs]

T-Rob...we are in the same boat. We live in Eastern PA and are thinking about moving to LV next year. All the talk about scorpions has me extremely freaked out! I will be on the first plane back to PA if I see one! Some people say it's the palm trees and pools...those were the two "must have's" for me. Now...maybe not! Other people say they have palm trees and pools and have never seen one. Who to believe? I figure, if it was really that bad, nobody would live there...right?

[lvoc]

[quote=T-Rob123;25964928][quote=lvoc;25963849]
And one would expect to normally survive a bark scorpion sting with little more than some heavy discomfort.

So I gotta be honest, all the talk on the board today about scorpions has got me (and my wife) a little freaked.
Being from the Northwest and currently residing in NC, we haven't had any experience with scorpions, ever.
We always assumed scorpions were like black widow spiders in Washington, we know they are there but neither of us have ever seen one, but I just read that bark scorpions are becoming more and more common in LV.

We have two cats and one dog. I keep reading about how cats due to the thickness of their fir and skin are pretty safe with scorpions. But what about dogs?

Also, I keep reading that the bark scorpion is the most dangerous scorpion in the LV area, but I'm guessing from what I've previously read and what you just said here that they are not fatally dangerous?

I'd imagine my paranoia might come off as silly to everyone here, and in all honesty I hope that it does, but again we have never lived anywhere where scorpions reside.

Lead with a quote...

According to the University of Arizona" in the past 20 years there have been no reported fatalities in the U.S. due to scorpion stings."

The danger is pretty much the same as a bee sting. If you are one of that unfortunate few that has an allergic reaction to a bee sting you can die from it anywhere in the US. See peanut reaction and similar.

Now further scorpions are rare in Las Vegas. I have been in a few thousand homes in the last ten years and I have seen them in only three...and in only one where I thought the had actually infested the house and advised the client not to buy it.

The bark scorpion does not do well here. And when you find them it is in relatively small local areas. And even then they are easily contained.

Cats often like scorpions. They are more fun than a roach. Dogs are above all that and I don't know of a dog being bitten. I suppose it could happen but I would not worry about it.

If they are around your place you should take reasonable precautions. Particularly calk every crack so they don't get in. Then get a black light and go hunt every so often. They don't reproduce real fast so if you kill most of them off they may well die out.

Black widows are everywhere. We name ours. Priscilla is the one in the electric box, Pamela lives in the corner of the pool. You get the idea. Don't put your hands in dark places and they won't bother you.

[observer53]

The woman in question had a severe and unusual allergic reaction. She didn't have time to run off to Mexico. And, to update, the hospital is working with her on the out of network charges on her bill, which is the part her insurance did not pay. Hopefully they will just make that go away.


If Vegas is like Phoenix, and this is one of the areas in which I think it is, there's thousands of people there who have never seen a scorpion in their home or yard. The only one I've seen was many years ago, and it was dying.

[Kaiminani]

Ironically, she might have had a much smaller bill if she had not used health insurance at all.

This recent article reports finding 80%+ cash discounts for some common medical procedures - making it cheaper to completely skip the insurance and all of its overhead.

Many hospitals, doctors offer cash discount for medical bills - Los Angeles Times

[observer53]

Let's try to keep this about scorpion stings, which keeps it somewhat related to Vegas. Health care costs generally are for one of the other forums.