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He didn't really get a satisfactory answer. This should be looked into further. No way the bill should be that high. I would think the ambulance would be closer to the $600-800 range, one way.
They are mostly all privatized now, they can charge whatever they want. My mother owed $500 to take her from her assisted living facility directly across the street to the hospital. I could have wheeled her across in her wheelchair.
Often in this kind of situation you are not given any choice. For example the PD comes over to check the situation and they call the "rig".
I know someone who had the PD call the "rig" just to check someone out, they checked out fine and didn't need to go anywhere, They STILL got a bill for the ambulance to come out for what they billed as a "refusal".
I read an article before that said those helicopter ambulances (which are private mostly) will go to accident scenes are try to take people to the hospital. If you go you might be hit with a bill over $20,000.00.
probably a result of so many people suing the ambulance companies for stupid things and juries given out huge paychecks because "the company can afford it"
Our entire medical system in this country is broken. When my wife went into the hospital for pre-term labor 8 years ago, the 4 hours (yes, 4 hours) spent at (a very local, to me) hospital before she was transferred somewhere else better equipped was billed at $17K. We obviously didn't pay it, insurance covered it (or at least covered it above our out-of-pocket max). But it sure felt like insurance fraud to me. I should note that this particular hospital is notorious for it and the town has gone so far as to try to use eminent domain to shut it down.
So this headline is not a surprise unfortunately. Imagine needing to "negotiate" medical costs as if it were buying a used car.
Our entire medical system in this country is broken. When my wife went into the hospital for pre-term labor 8 years ago, the 4 hours (yes, 4 hours) spent at (a very local, to me) hospital before she was transferred somewhere else better equipped was billed at $17K. We obviously didn't pay it, insurance covered it (or at least covered it above our out-of-pocket max). But it sure felt like insurance fraud to me. I should note that this particular hospital is notorious for it and the town has gone so far as to try to use eminent domain to shut it down.
So this headline is not a surprise unfortunately. Imagine needing to "negotiate" medical costs as if it were buying a used car.
The more government involvement the more expensive everything gets and the more effed up. Haven't we noticed the pattern?
probably a result of so many people suing the ambulance companies for stupid things and juries given out huge paychecks because "the company can afford it"
I have no problem with Medical Companies or Med Individuals paying for their mistakes and stupidity.
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