In late March I drove a friend to the local ER because she was not feeling well in some way. I don't know what was wrong. While sitting in the waiting room I began to feel nauseus. I asked the person at the desk if I could be seen by the doctor in hope that I would be given something to setle my stomach. Before I could be seen I started to vomit. I was taken in and spent the entire night in an examining room. They started an IV and drew blood. By the time I left I wasn't really feeling any better despite all the tests and X-rays and CAT. I received a statement from the hospital last week. For my stomach ache they billed Medicare and my insurance over $6,000. I was billed a $60 co-pay. Had I been home I would have heated up some chicken broth and gone to sleep. The cure was enough to make me sick again. How can we control such abuse and still get the care we need?
In late March I drove a friend to the local ER because she was not feeling well in some way. I don't know what was wrong. While sitting in the waiting room I began to feel nauseus. I asked the person at the desk if I could be seen by the doctor in hope that I would be given something to setle my stomach. Before I could be seen I started to vomit. I was taken in and spent the entire night in an examining room. They started an IV and drew blood. By the time I left I wasn't really feeling any better despite all the tests and X-rays and CAT. I received a statement from the hospital last week. For my stomach ache they billed Medicare and my insurance over $6,000. I was billed a $60 co-pay. Had I been home I would have heated up some chicken broth and gone to sleep. The cure was enough to make me sick again. How can we control such abuse and still get the care we need?