http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2095896.html The story is about the insurance only paying 3k of that, but i find it interesting that they charged $73,000 dollars for treatment. These prices have got way out of control. What could these doctors do that would merit giving someone a bill that would take 20 years+ to pay off at payments of $300 per month?(without interest too!)
yeah, I thought my bill of $1300 for stitches was crazy. We have about the most inefficient medical system possible.
$73k + Antivenom = alive the day after A good bit of money....but cheap in the grand scale of things.
Snake antivenoms are very expensive,but if you give wrong anti-venom ,pt might die ,so risk is great for doctors/hospitals.I think your life is worth more than $73K.
My cousin was bitten by copperhead less than 2 mos ago. 15,000.00 for the the Antivenom, hospital stay... 3 days. was all in all over 50K. jez
A few years ago I had a ruptured appendix... 6 days in the hospital (surgery + anti-infection treatment for peritonitis) cost $99,000.
That is why some form of free healthcare would be so nice for an average middle and lower class American. If some sensible person with connections has good funding, they can start a Walmart brand of healthcare and put the private hospitals charging $73K for snake bite.............totally out of business.
it takes what say 7 years of studies before the doc knows which anti-venom to prescribe and there is not enough snake bite patients to spread out the costs !!