Expensive Snakebite

[GoneFission]

How much should it cost to treat a snake bite?

It’s hard to know given the lack of transparency in hospital pricing and billing today. But Laura and Eric Ferguson, both 54, of Mooresville, believe they were overcharged for his trip to the emergency room last year.

Eric Ferguson was taking out the trash one evening in August when he felt what he thought was a bee sting. When he looked down at his foot, he was surprised to see fang marks. He drove himself to Lake Norman Regional Medical Center about 15 miles from his home, where he received anti-venom medicine for the snake bite.

For an 18-hour hospital stay, he got a bill for $89,227. More than $81,000 was for the four-vial dose of anti-venom, or about $20,000 per vial.

Shocked at the amount, the Fergusons went on the Internet and found retail prices for the medicine ranging from $750 to $12,000 per vial.

Medicare, the federal health program for seniors, typically reimburses for drugs by paying the average sales price plus 6 percent. For a 1-gram vial of the snake bite medicine, that is $2,365. Medicare would pay $9,460 for the four-vial dose.

Eric Ferguson’s treatment was covered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. With Blue Cross’ contractual discount, Lake Norman Regional reduced his total bill to $20,227. Of that, the couple paid about $5,400 to cover their deductible and co-pays.

The medical care was “beyond phenomenal,” Eric Ferguson said. “It was just the sticker shock.” What made him and his wife angry was that the hospital charged so much initially and, even with the Blue Cross discount, wound up collecting about twice what Medicare would have paid.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/0 ... ufJyTYo6po#storylink=cpy

[wingtime]

So basically the hospital has to discount the bills for government and insurance companies....  so they just jack the bill up sky high so they can get what they want which is still more than they really need.  Along comes a self pay person and they make them pay the inflated prices.  Of course I'm not even going to get into the illegal immigrant problems...   uggg

[FJStretch]

This is part of what is broken in today's health care. The patient pays hefty premiums but basically is paying the amount the service costs (or at least a big part of it) by paying the deductible. Basically, the insurance company and the medical provider walk away with a windfall. No different from the monthly "insurance" premiums that organized crime used to or still charge for "protection" but without a couple of bent-nosed guys threatening to bust you or your business up if you don't pay.

No need for those guys anymore. Your fear of catastrophic illness has replaced them.

[gran398]

Shameful.

Had the working man been indigent...or illegal....no problem.

[RickK]

This is part of what is broken in today's health care. The patient pays hefty premiums but basically is paying the amount the service costs (or at least a big part of it) by paying the deductible. Basically, the insurance company and the medical provider walk away with a windfall. No different from the monthly "insurance" premiums that organized crime used to or still charge for "protection" but without a couple of bent-nosed guys threatening to bust you or your business up if you don't pay.

No need for those guys anymore. Your fear of catastrophic illness has replaced them.

Spot on!! How come no one sees this but the public  

[gran398]

They see it fine. They see the lobbyists' better....$$$$$$$$$.

An age-old scourge....Politricks.

The honest politician is the one who hasn't been caught.

[pigbike]

I guess price gouging doesn't apply to hospitals, insurance companies etc. If you have enough money it's ok to do. It's just like some courts, if you have enough money your not guilty. Ask OJ.

[icemanbryan]

I guess price gouging doesn't apply to hospitals, insurance companies etc. If you have enough money it's ok to do. It's just like some courts, if you have enough money your not guilty. Ask OJ.

I would disagree, the DA did not prove the case. I wont even speak about the police misconduct that was brought to attention.
Reasonable doubt was all the jury needed, it was very clear that there was a reasonable doubt.
Years later, the DA even admitted how poorly they presented the case.
However, OJ was found guilty in a Civil Case and thanks to another charge is where he belongs.

Back to the Snakebite.

I read the original newspaper story, they were out of pocket what they expected and after their deductible they only paid about 5k.
My daughter played club soccer, it gets fairly competitive.
She had a bad sprain and we thought it may have been a break,( lucky, or not it was a sprain).
Anyway, we have good insurance. I always ask the cash price. There have been times that the cash price was less then the copay and or deductible,  go figure.