Another Medical Cost Post

[Drake3287]

Always interesting to get a print out of medical charges from a hospital/doctor. I was recently seen in the ER for my first and hopefully last Kidney Stone (small 3mm stone). Spent about 3 hours in the ER including one CT Scan and when I got the bill today the total cost was $10,000 and that doesn't include my followup appointment which I had a week later. Luckily for me my only out of pocket cost was $35.00 because it was an ER visit. The CT Scan alone was $3,950.

Certainly makes you appreciate having good medical coverage. I can only imagine what others must go through.

[disneysteve]

Wait till you get the EOB from your insurance company and see how much the hospital was actually paid.

[Gailete]

I have learned at this point to not even bother with the ER when passing a kidney stone since the last time I went in for one which the doctor kept insisting was diverticulosis until the CT scan was back. The nurse came in with discharge paperwork while I was actively puking. When I was a student nurse and as an RN we would have never discharged anyone from the hospital that was vomiting until sure that they had gotten past that and weren't going to be dehydrated, etc. especially if they had over 20 miles to drive home. My husband and I have my kidney stone protocol down pat at this point, although I know that if certain events don't stop like it or not I will need to head in. My son was born with only one kidney that we didn't know about until he was 21. It was only a few years later that he had his first kidney stone and of course he has to go to the hospital. They had to fish part of that one out.

We have had some really bad experiences in our hospital, but kidney stones are the worst. One of the things we learned about them when I was a student is that usually, patients are in a non-stop writhing situation because of the pain. I fool them at the hospital as for me to 'writhe' around on the bed just makes all my arthritic joints hurt even worse, so I lay pretty still. I can just hear the conversation that must occur at the nurse's station where they all agree I am faking how bad the pain is.

My MAY Remicade IV was billed at $10900. Medicare approved $5996 and paid $4710 and my MC supplement paid $1199. Unbelievable but I do understand part of the expense since it is a biologic medicine. I get one every 6 weeks. But it sure helps.

[james.hendrickson]

I have learned at this point to not even bother with the ER when passing a kidney stone since the last time I went in for one which the doctor kept insisting was diverticulosis until the CT scan was back. The nurse came in with discharge paperwork while I was actively puking. When I was a student nurse and as an RN we would have never discharged anyone from the hospital that was vomiting until sure that they had gotten past that and weren't going to be dehydrated, etc. especially if they had over 20 miles to drive home. My husband and I have my kidney stone protocol down pat at this point, although I know that if certain events don't stop like it or not I will need to head in. My son was born with only one kidney that we didn't know about until he was 21. It was only a few years later that he had his first kidney stone and of course he has to go to the hospital. They had to fish part of that one out.

We have had some really bad experiences in our hospital, but kidney stones are the worst. One of the things we learned about them when I was a student is that usually, patients are in a non-stop writhing situation because of the pain. I fool them at the hospital as for me to 'writhe' around on the bed just makes all my arthritic joints hurt even worse, so I lay pretty still. I can just hear the conversation that must occur at the nurse's station where they all agree I am faking how bad the pain is.

My MAY Remicade IV was billed at $10900. Medicare approved $5996 and paid $4710 and my MC supplement paid $1199. Unbelievable but I do understand part of the expense since it is a biologic medicine. I get one every 6 weeks. But it sure helps.

Wait, how much does this treatment cost you?

[Gailete]

Wait, how much does this treatment cost you?

Zero! I get the IV at the doctors so it is all covered. One of the medicines, Humira, that she wanted to try me on would have had a co-pay of $1600 (that was back a bout 5-6 years ago, I don't have a clue what it is running now) that I would have had to pay. That is all the money I get in during the course of the month, which would mean no food, no mortgage payment, no ____________ fill in the blank. Humira is something a patient gives themselves at home. A med given at the doctor's goes on MC and MC supplement.

[msomnipotent]

I switched from Humira to Orencia about 6 months ago. Humira, Enbrel, and Orencia are all about the same price and it is listed as over $4,000 per month on my EOB. It is insane. I started Humira when it first came out, which you would think would be the most expensive time, and it was $900 per month. Another expense is the Sharps container. I used to get a large one for free and our old trash company picked it up for free as long as we followed their protocols. Now I get a tiny one and the new trash company wants $40 per pick up to take it.

We have excellent coverage now so I only have to pay a $40 copay, but I had to go without medication when we lost our coverage and had to go on the state's insurance pool all those years ago.

[Gailete]

We use my husbands used Folgers coffee cans for my weekly injection at home and then I think he burns them with the rest of our garbage. No reason that your company should charge so much for disposal. How is the Orencia working out for you? The Remicade was what finally stabilized me to the point I can make plans. Nothing though stops the onward march of my body being destroyed though!

[msomnipotent]

It is ok. It is pretty much the same as Humira and Enbrel for me and they all seem to cost the same the last time I compared. I would rather take a pill, but my Rheumatologist won't change my Rx. I still have to take Prednisone occasionally, so I don't think the benefits outweigh the price and risks, but I can't change it if my Dr won't let me. I have started taking Frankincense oil and powder recently and was really surprised at how much it has helped.

[Gailete]

I am blessed with a great group of arthritis docs. Been going to them for almost 16 years now. My family medicine doc that I had before them was just ignoring all my symptoms, same as a few years earlier until I got up and the end of an apt. and my Left knee did an impression of the Snap Crackle Pop so at that point he sent me into to an ortho doc and I already needed a knee replaced and I was only 37!