OP has 2 issues here; first, illegal getting health care though ER. Second, it is in the best interest of hospitals/doctors to rack up more fees though legitimate patience to cove expenses of caring illegal, ER care can be expensive, but real treatment can cost even more. I hope I'm getting everything straight here.
My LLC pays $1000 per month for our family PPO, and the premium is set to rise in January. I am so glad to know that by breaking the law, others can get the same quality of care merely by claiming indigent status while continuing to break the law. Makes me proud to be a capitalist.
In NY they sloan kettering has a pay scale if you have no insurance. Try to contact American cancer society. Phil
If you have no insurance but have the means to pay a doctor, SOP is to offer them half the bill [whatever they would bill insurance] and make payments... the beauty of going that route is that the insurance company is removed from the very dead center of your situation, they fuck up medical decisions... Also check on doctor's lawsuit history, a small percentage of them are absolutely horrid practitioners and they rack up the majority, the large majority, of lawsuits... suing one of those is a service you owe the public, eventually they can't practice at all........
That works, just be sure to deal with the Doc IN ADVANCE of service. After, you won't have any luck talking them down in price. They've gotcha.
Turnabout is fair play How about a nice little drive to Canada - little chilly this time of year. Fall down in a mall - voila - "Oh, by the way doctor, while you are looking at that twisted ankle, would you mind having a look at..." -g P.S. Do I really have to write that I am kidding?
What to hear something Crazy. My Dog went to A cardiologist specialist Vet. Got a Full Echocardiogram and internal view of the heart,arteries etc.. with this high end GE Vivid 7 system, the whole works to drain out fluid from the abdomen etc.. about 2 hours. Consultation the whole works. 580 bucks. For a Human that same procedure would cost 25K+ Something is wrong with healthcare why are procedures 43x more expensive for humans?