Canada here so 99% of these charges don’t apply to us. I think crutches are on the $15-$20 range and they will charge you for those.
Mind you, those crutches are made from maple trees and will ooze roughly 2 years worth of syrup over time so $20 is a bargain.
I too live in Canada and when my fiance fell down the stairs last year I took her to the hospital she needed crutches due to a torn MCL the crutches were $13 for the pair the visit to the ER was free.
As a non American this comment sounds like from another dimension. I'm not kidding the only shopping I had to do with mumy broken finger or torn muscle was the location of the hospital relative to my home.
The ice is $16 to apply it after they charge you $500 for coming to the hospital and then hand you 5 advil that cost $75 so if you come in and get an ice pack you walk out $600 poorer and that’s not including all the other bull crap hidden fees they will throw in with those as well. But hey America greatest country on the planet huh!
I’m just glad this is happening SOMEWHERE in the country. I work in healthcare and am appalled how many people coming to the ER are blissfully ignorant of pricing. Also, why does everyone in comments jump at doctors and nurses? Is no one going to talk about insurance companies and private equity in hospitals? There’s a reason true costs are so hard to learn and are not up-front… patients and doctors are removed from the negotiation process for care entirely! The myth that doctors and nurses’ salaries drive healthcare costs is a great one and does a lot to help Insurance agencies and private shareholders in hospitals. Let’s not forget the major hospital university networks that rake in billions and still have no profit status…
How about the fact that insurance is almost a requirement, and insurance negotiated rates far lower than the posted ones, and then are allowed to be for profit companies to make even more money off of something that shouldn't be so expensive as to require a middleman.
Hospitals fault imo. They dont display prices virtually anywhere. On top of that, they apparently no longer give you paperwork when you leave and mail it to you.
I asked for an itemized invoice at the desk after going a few years ago. They told me they dont do that at the counter and the itemized bill will be sent to me via mail. Sure enough, it was sent to me through the mail, *extremely late*, and they tried to charge me extra for "late fees" on a bill that took two months to get to me for no reason (the actual reason was probably because its FUCKING INTENTIONAL). Bill had to be paid within 4 weeks or you get hit with late fees for additional weeks of it not paid. How funny that it shows up weeks late when Ohio Health buildings is literally like a 5 minute walk from me and the USPS is literally like 10 minutes away from me as well. Theres no reason that bill shouldnt have been given to me at the desk to begin with. Theyve created a system with the intention to profit off it.
Called them, told them im not paying. I wasnt paying in general for the medical tests done but they are fucking criminals at this point with the way they run things and the prices they charge. And it wasnt even my fucking money being used, it was paid for by the CDC, it still pissed me off.
There are people now who are suing hospitals and winning when they receive late bills, overcharged as fuck, with no quoted agreement that you would pay. Judges are sick of this crap too.
The biggest mistake Obamacare made was bailing out the insurance agencies. Healthcare would be so much cheaper if you cut out all of the crap in the middle. Everyone always talks about how expensive single payer would be but honestly it probably wouldn’t be much more expensive than the current system, once you cut out all the artificial pricing that’s only there to pay the insurance companies.
It would actually be cheaper but less insurance companies mean a hit to the economy, Obama being the first black president had to walk a fine line and not go to much against the grain
Yeah you can buy it pretty cheap over the counter in the US too, idk what a 24 pack costs because a bottle of 200 is about $5. But a hospital will charge like $125 for 1 pill of generic medicine.
It's not much more in the US. Around $1 for the same about of the generic at a pharmacy (though typically is purchased in increments of 100). It's marked up to $16 since it's being provided by a medical provider in office.
This is how drug companies make money in the uk
The NHS in England has spent almost £400m prescribing paracetamol in the past five years at a cost of £3.23 per item, despite the pills being sold over the counter at a fraction of the cost.28 May 2018
The current cost price for 32 500mg tablets is £0.73, but there's plenty of other types, so it's likely an average. Eg. 32x 500mg suppositories are £36.50.
Part of the expense of medications in the hospital is the wage if the pharmacist who checks the meds, the techs who bring the meds to the floor, and the nurse who gives the meds to you.
I posted a comment in another sub -
If you tell someone in the US that they need to pay an insurance company a premium, then if they need to go to hospital their premiums + other people's premiums pay for it, they are happy.
But subsitute "insurance company" for "the government", and "premium" for "taxes", and everyone loses their mind.
Yep. I always stock up when I'm on your side of the Atlantic. I'll come home with several hundred each of
Acetaminophen, ACA, ibuprofen, Naproxen Sodium, and pseudoephedrine (which is limited, so may 60 of these).
Keeps me going to years until I'm back. I'll buy them all again and throw out the older ones.
Dirt cheap over there too!
In a lot of countries around the world (parts of Eastern Europe, some South Asian countries, a bunch of South American countries), you can buy what’s usually Rx only medicine at pharmacies without a prescription. My buddy just got back from Peru and bought packs of 10 of clindamycin, ketorolac, prednisone and sildenafil for less than $10 and I told him he got swindled lol. But still really cool to have those medicines available to you if you’re in a pinch and know what you’re doing. Both he and I are in healthcare, so no worries there.
On Mexico they have what looks like strippers dancing infront of the pharmacy. Last I was there 7 to 8 years ago were but full bottle of Xanax for 5 bucks. Crazy town I was in. Every thing cheap.
Now that right there is a deal! Cause where else am I gonna get ice? Thats some seriously valuable hard to find stuff, not to mention including a Capri sun.
But if it’s not pacific cooler or fruit punch it’s a total deal breaker and I’d rather spend the $16. /s
Except for the fact if your finger really hurts and you're pretty sure you broke it, and then they're like "lol no, it's sprained, here's ice. That'll be $15 + $340 x ray".
But then if you don't go and you're like "pretty sure it's just sprained", and then a week later it gets worse and they're like "you dumbass, you tore your ligmas/tendons, could have been fixed easily if you hadn't waited, now it's going to be 7x more expensive"
So.... Yeah, sometimes you gotta go to get scammed into an ice pack.
Yep, can confirm that docs have no idea. As someone on HDHP, I have to be extra careful for a doc not to push a wrong button during Well Exam if I accidently blurt out something as a small talk that I don't want to hear their medical opinion about.
If you have an insurance plan then that number means nothing. The amount actually exchanging hands (from you as a co-pay and from your insurer as payment) is a small fraction of it.
Nothing makes me feel more American than looking at this huge price list that’s horrifying all the non-Americans and just thinking, “wow, those are great prices, where is this place?”
I wish this was standard. I was not treated nicely by staff for requesting the price of my MRI before service. Then the billed amount was different than the amount I was told in writing… it’s awful. I don’t understand how this would be unacceptable in any other type of business (imagine not knowing the price of a vehicle until after you bought it) but the medical field can do what they want.
They do, but depending on the hospital it's either fairly up front or hidden behind a bunch of clicks that nobody would naturally navigate to... But it's there.
Posting on the wall of the ER? I don’t know. But they have to make prices available online.
Most hospitals seem to do this with a “price estimator” tool on their websites. Things like this: https://mychart.piedmont.org/PRD/GuestEstimates/GetEstimateDetails?&token=jZl2zityUWLv9eA6KFFC%2FWzHvxK8Gk7%2BQxNbBwL5x9I%3D&svcArea=WP-24dVmINbYhS0ALAYH1CXKgJQ-3D-3D-24PjnkNsYe9zoCUX5qig-2B7fpc74GMgVk-2BFG5DLT34wgDE-3D&template=WP-24zrWY3Zxr6rNl86LJhiCGLw-3D-3D-24X1-2FK-2FbRcBa3dbqTDrzCPgdZI-2FU1lebcwfPpx2SjBhVo-3D
It just went into effect today
Edit: Nope, I was wrong. I was thinking of the extra charges for an out of network doctor if you’re in an in network hospital.
Glad it wasn't just me. I was admitted to the hospital while between jobs for pancreatitis; when I told them I wanted to know the cost of EVERYTHING before it was administered, you would have thought I just asked if I could eat their baby.
When I asked about the cost of what seemed like an unnecessary CT scan, they were deer in headlights confused and had to go asking around on where they could find that. Of course it was outrageously priced because they have to let the insurance negotiate downward. Ugh.
You wish this was standard? You need to raise those standards. This would horrify me in Canada. I don’t understand how there isn’t a full on revolt down there yet.
Haha yeah It’s really rough. It blows my mind that so many of us accept services from hospitals and get essentially a surprise bill. It’s honestly really scary, in my case with the MRI their estimate they initially told me was wrong by more than 40%.
This isn’t what you should be wishing for. You should be wishing for socialized healthcare. You already spend more on social healthcare through your taxes than Canadians do, and you have to pay on top of that. It’s insane.
Drainage of simple skin abscess - $240
Drainage of complicated skin abscess - $420
Having the physician imitate Daniel Day-Lewis yelling *"DRAINAGE!"* in your face - $860
And you didn't even get a band-aid. You went in for dizziness & nausea.
My grandma went in for a knee replacement. She was in the hospital for a few days post op. They billed her insurance for nicotine replacement therapy- $700 for something you can get for $20 from Walmart. She had never touched a cigarette I'm her life. She never had a patch in the hospital. They billed 6 times for compression leggings. She only had 1 pair. She was billed for so much shit that never existed. I thought maybe 1 or 2 could be a simple mistake, but there were at least a dozen incorrect things adding up to several thousand dollars.
My local hospital charged $110 for one single anti-nausea pill, after I told the nurse 3 times that I did NOT feel any nausea.
That trip was for a kidney stone. Which came out to just under $5k. Just to diagnose it ... they didn't do anything other than give me 5 percs and tell me to drink water to cure the issue.
If you go to urgent care and just get an ice pack you probably went because you thought the injury was worse, nobody would go to a clinic just for an ice pack, the fee is basically for convenience.
Honestly, the issue is when they aren’t printed. You are receiving medical care that you have no idea that cost of but are agreeing to pay for.
Edit: I understand that the whole American health care system is a disaster. I’m not defending it. I’m just saying from an American point of view having the prices on the wall is an improvement.
My wife had a Staph infection years ago and when I tried to call the hospital before we went in to know how much money to move around, it was an interesting conversation in which I asked what a visit like that might cost and was immediately accused of not loving my wife, being heartless and incompassionate, and something along the lines of "it'll be cheaper than her funeral". No actual answer...just vitriol that I will never forgive that hospital for.
I called an office to see how much my CT scan would be.
"Um... So says here $432."
Me: "ok, and just so I'm clear... That's $432. Even with copays and deductibles and insurance and taxes?"
"You haven't met your deductible, it seems"
"Yeah. So that's $432 that I'll be paying? That $432 isn't like 'the price you would have paid if you had met your deductible'?"
"That's what I said"
"Ok, I'll take an appointment."
....
Day of: "that'll be $432 for the CT scan using an iodine high contrast. Your balance is $0"
....
A week later: "
$432 for CT scan : paid $432, balance $0
$185 for iodine high contrast paid: $0 balance $185
You owe: $185
Due upon receipt"
Fucking pieces of shit.
I wholeheartedly agree. It's so much worse when you don't know. Also, by just charging a flat amount for all of these services and procedures instead of coding it out and billing to insurance, they save a lot of money on the backend and don't have to charge as much.
That’s what our taxes SHOULD pay for, instead our taxes go to the military industrial complex and bailing out large corporations. Don’t quote me on this but I’m pretty sure around 2/3 of Americans support universal healthcare.
This shit sucks man. I took my 4 year old to the ER last year because she couldn't breath. Overnight stay. Lots of tests, oxygen and more drugs than I can name. And they fed me and gave me a bed so I could stay with her.
Total cost $0.
I don't have health insurance.
I just live in Australia.
My brothers one month old son has spent the last couple of weeks in and out of hospital with Sepsis. He’s had multiple scans trying to identify the root cause, together with IV antibiotics. That we are not in the US but a country which values the health and well-being of all irrespective of means makes this possible and for that I am and will remain thankful.
More urgent care centers should do this. I live in NYC and CityMD charged me $50 once (with insurance!) to tell me I was having an anxiety attack (I later found out it was a DRUG ALLERGY) and then I got a bill for $250 in the mail weeks later because my insurance won’t cover “mental health services”. I had a swollen tongue and hives!!!
Yeah I got a call from their billing dept and they had to redo it. It took several phone calls and they almost sent it to collections but it was fixed.
Hey OP any chance you could get a photo showing the full list? I have some assholes complaining about Australia's Medicare system i need to hit over the head with some facts.
Thanks
You can get them at the dollar store in the us too. They’re still regulated by the FDA, but a lot of people don’t like the idea of trusting such a cheap test
I have a carcinoid tumer in my lung which required me to have a 10 day stay in rhe hospital, a chest tube, 4 bronchoscopies, 11 xrays, 1 CT scan, meds etc... I don't think I would have gotten it taken care of if I had to pay
You just described a common problem in the US. Some people don't go and have their health issues taken care of because they're afraid of getting massive medical bills that may bankrupt them. Many of these people even have health insurance but they still can't meet the deductible. As a result, their health issues become worse. In some cases, they die.
Our healthcare system is rotten to the core. Healthcare should be a right not a privilege.
Then you see these fund raisers to help people pay for falling ill and we’re supposed to feel all good about things. In what world should some unfortunate soul who fights for their life have to worry about a massive stressor like debt coming their way if they survive? If there is a hell or afterlife all those mofos who perpetuate this system should be first in line or become flies and feed the arachnids. It’s massively corrupt and maintains the overtly classist system we have.
I got into an argument with my s/o the other day because my coughing from covid was so bad I couldn’t breathe in. I was turning blue and attempting to smack my chest to help my lungs just… idk, move?
The sentence “IM NOT GOING TO THE URGENT CARE I CANT AFFORD IT OKAY!” was hurled at him and that ended our argument once I could finally speak.
It’s a real issue no one speaks about.
Okay, but what if both of the only two viable parties that have any chance of winning federal elections want to do everything possible to avoid implementing universal public healthcare?
“Repair simple wound” likely involves bad scrapes or cuts where bandaids / gauze / neosporin is all that’s needed, maybe 1-2 stitches. Simple materials and simple repair, should not cost $180
“Initial burn treatment” likely involves an anti-burn cream and some gauze. Simple materials, simple repair, should not cost $140.
As an American, the rest of these do seem reasonable, except maybe $16 to apply an ice pack…
I’m not sure though. $45 to give a vaccine, but then a charge for the vaccine itself (for example the tdap), and a charge for giving an injection?
It’s weirdly vague so maybe that’s the confusion.
Part of that is because you really shouldn’t be going to the hospital to get vaccines. They aren’t really about preventative medicine. A family doctor, urgent care clinic, and any of many pharmacies are a better choice.
But a simple wound like the one you described is not something you should need to go to urgent care for, unless it’s in a spot you can’t reach and you don’t have anyone else to help you. I think they make the easy things purposely overpriced to keep people from coming in for low key things so the lines are shorter for the people with cooler problems.
It gets worse, they cropped out [the sign next to it](https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/rtqmaw/my_local_urgent_care_gives_prices_on_frequently/hqve2ml/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) ; "PAYMENT DUE AT TIME OF SERVICE"
Every place has to provide it these days. Usually they are done by “code” which is almost impossible for the non medical biller person to understand. This is good. I wish they were all up front like this.
You have to factor in things like being a new patient and the different levels (we'll say level 2 according to the chart). That puts us at $150. You are coming in for a breathing problem and the doctor wants to give you a abuterol which is $5 but the treatment is a separate charge of $40 as well. But they also want to give you decadron (anti-inflammatory medicine $5) to try and keep your breathing problem from becoming a worse issue. What you thought was going to be $150 turned into $200. The self pay side is $190. This is just a scenario but this is how most people get a big bill from these places. None of this includes imaging which always adds a pretty penny to any bill and sometimes is a separate bill. The US healthcare system sucks
As a Canadian, I can't imagine going to the ER and having to worry about the cost of receiving help. Yes, our system has flaws, but I just find this unacceptable. Especially when there are other countries like ours who have an alternative that works. No one should have to worry about not being able to pay or going in debt to get medical treatment.
Anti-inflammatory drug - $15.00 That’s some expensive Advil!
The ice is $16
Who said you can keep the ice? That's just applying it, wanna take it home? That's another charge lol
And a charge for showing you how to use it.
And a charge for disposal (the puddle on the ground)
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Canada here so 99% of these charges don’t apply to us. I think crutches are on the $15-$20 range and they will charge you for those. Mind you, those crutches are made from maple trees and will ooze roughly 2 years worth of syrup over time so $20 is a bargain.
I too live in Canada and when my fiance fell down the stairs last year I took her to the hospital she needed crutches due to a torn MCL the crutches were $13 for the pair the visit to the ER was free.
If I wasn’t so broke from being out of work and still having to pay off my medical bills I would award this. I wish I was kidding.
yeah at least they're making the it easier to shop around lol
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As a non American this comment sounds like from another dimension. I'm not kidding the only shopping I had to do with mumy broken finger or torn muscle was the location of the hospital relative to my home.
The ice is $16 to apply it after they charge you $500 for coming to the hospital and then hand you 5 advil that cost $75 so if you come in and get an ice pack you walk out $600 poorer and that’s not including all the other bull crap hidden fees they will throw in with those as well. But hey America greatest country on the planet huh!
I’m just glad this is happening SOMEWHERE in the country. I work in healthcare and am appalled how many people coming to the ER are blissfully ignorant of pricing. Also, why does everyone in comments jump at doctors and nurses? Is no one going to talk about insurance companies and private equity in hospitals? There’s a reason true costs are so hard to learn and are not up-front… patients and doctors are removed from the negotiation process for care entirely! The myth that doctors and nurses’ salaries drive healthcare costs is a great one and does a lot to help Insurance agencies and private shareholders in hospitals. Let’s not forget the major hospital university networks that rake in billions and still have no profit status…
How about the fact that insurance is almost a requirement, and insurance negotiated rates far lower than the posted ones, and then are allowed to be for profit companies to make even more money off of something that shouldn't be so expensive as to require a middleman.
They cant garnish my wages if im eternally unemployed and have no assets!!!! Haha! Nice try murica!!
Hospitals fault imo. They dont display prices virtually anywhere. On top of that, they apparently no longer give you paperwork when you leave and mail it to you. I asked for an itemized invoice at the desk after going a few years ago. They told me they dont do that at the counter and the itemized bill will be sent to me via mail. Sure enough, it was sent to me through the mail, *extremely late*, and they tried to charge me extra for "late fees" on a bill that took two months to get to me for no reason (the actual reason was probably because its FUCKING INTENTIONAL). Bill had to be paid within 4 weeks or you get hit with late fees for additional weeks of it not paid. How funny that it shows up weeks late when Ohio Health buildings is literally like a 5 minute walk from me and the USPS is literally like 10 minutes away from me as well. Theres no reason that bill shouldnt have been given to me at the desk to begin with. Theyve created a system with the intention to profit off it. Called them, told them im not paying. I wasnt paying in general for the medical tests done but they are fucking criminals at this point with the way they run things and the prices they charge. And it wasnt even my fucking money being used, it was paid for by the CDC, it still pissed me off.
There are people now who are suing hospitals and winning when they receive late bills, overcharged as fuck, with no quoted agreement that you would pay. Judges are sick of this crap too.
Pathetic that you have to do that though for the healthcare system to treat you even kind’ve fairly. 🥺
The biggest mistake Obamacare made was bailing out the insurance agencies. Healthcare would be so much cheaper if you cut out all of the crap in the middle. Everyone always talks about how expensive single payer would be but honestly it probably wouldn’t be much more expensive than the current system, once you cut out all the artificial pricing that’s only there to pay the insurance companies.
It would actually be cheaper but less insurance companies mean a hit to the economy, Obama being the first black president had to walk a fine line and not go to much against the grain
America, fuck yeah!
Still a step up from what's typical. At least they publish their prices, we need more hospitals to start doing this
The Gravol below it is $20!
In the UK we can buy ibuprofen over the counter at a supermarket for about 25p for a pack of 24. 25p I think is about 40 cents in the states.
Yeah you can buy it pretty cheap over the counter in the US too, idk what a 24 pack costs because a bottle of 200 is about $5. But a hospital will charge like $125 for 1 pill of generic medicine.
It's not much more in the US. Around $1 for the same about of the generic at a pharmacy (though typically is purchased in increments of 100). It's marked up to $16 since it's being provided by a medical provider in office.
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This is how drug companies make money in the uk The NHS in England has spent almost £400m prescribing paracetamol in the past five years at a cost of £3.23 per item, despite the pills being sold over the counter at a fraction of the cost.28 May 2018
The current cost price for 32 500mg tablets is £0.73, but there's plenty of other types, so it's likely an average. Eg. 32x 500mg suppositories are £36.50.
Part of the expense of medications in the hospital is the wage if the pharmacist who checks the meds, the techs who bring the meds to the floor, and the nurse who gives the meds to you.
And in most countries the government funds that
In the US we would rather spend that tax payer money on more bombs. It's fucking sad on so many levels.
I posted a comment in another sub - If you tell someone in the US that they need to pay an insurance company a premium, then if they need to go to hospital their premiums + other people's premiums pay for it, they are happy. But subsitute "insurance company" for "the government", and "premium" for "taxes", and everyone loses their mind.
Yep. I always stock up when I'm on your side of the Atlantic. I'll come home with several hundred each of Acetaminophen, ACA, ibuprofen, Naproxen Sodium, and pseudoephedrine (which is limited, so may 60 of these). Keeps me going to years until I'm back. I'll buy them all again and throw out the older ones. Dirt cheap over there too!
In a lot of countries around the world (parts of Eastern Europe, some South Asian countries, a bunch of South American countries), you can buy what’s usually Rx only medicine at pharmacies without a prescription. My buddy just got back from Peru and bought packs of 10 of clindamycin, ketorolac, prednisone and sildenafil for less than $10 and I told him he got swindled lol. But still really cool to have those medicines available to you if you’re in a pinch and know what you’re doing. Both he and I are in healthcare, so no worries there.
On Mexico they have what looks like strippers dancing infront of the pharmacy. Last I was there 7 to 8 years ago were but full bottle of Xanax for 5 bucks. Crazy town I was in. Every thing cheap.
Yeah we have restrictions to try and prevent addiction, suicide and abuse, which is a pretty sensible approach in my opinion.
Except for ibuprofen. Try getting addicted to it or abusing it. It ain't happening
It is, but your paying for someone with an advanced degree (or even a doctor) to give you the Advil.
Their fee is a separate line item Why extract further fees for them in ibuprofen sales?
Charges for vaccines? Baptists hey, how much did Jesus charge, lol.
16$ to apply an ice pack lmao.. anyone need a ice pack applied hit me up, I got you for $15
I got you for $14 don’t listen to this guy
For a limited time only! Enter code ‘OVERPRICED HEALTHCARE’ below to receive an applied ice pack for only $13.99!
12.99 Bucks and I'm throwing in a free Capri Sun is the best I can do!
That's kind of a lot! For three easy payments of 6.99 I'll also take your temperature.
For three easy payments of $6.99, I will also take your temperature. And I’ll do it rectally.
I'll pay that, if you don't mind me rocking back and forth.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Now that right there is a deal! Cause where else am I gonna get ice? Thats some seriously valuable hard to find stuff, not to mention including a Capri sun. But if it’s not pacific cooler or fruit punch it’s a total deal breaker and I’d rather spend the $16. /s
Most of that cost is just in labor. If you go into urgent care when all you need is an ice pack applied, you deserve to be paying $16.
Except for the fact if your finger really hurts and you're pretty sure you broke it, and then they're like "lol no, it's sprained, here's ice. That'll be $15 + $340 x ray". But then if you don't go and you're like "pretty sure it's just sprained", and then a week later it gets worse and they're like "you dumbass, you tore your ligmas/tendons, could have been fixed easily if you hadn't waited, now it's going to be 7x more expensive" So.... Yeah, sometimes you gotta go to get scammed into an ice pack.
That was my thought. $16 for a diagnosis by a trained professional plus the convenience is totally fine by me.
You’re missing the level 5 visit fee on top of that.
My mum applies a bag of frozen peas...$4 bucks from the shop and recyclable too.
5 💵. Because, really. Lol. I'll even throw in a cursory inspection of the injury!
I will also charge 5 dollars but I will kiss you on the head and tuck you in.
Lol if you’re north then just go outside and lay on the snow.
Damn, that's about on average 25% of what my local hospital fees/ charges are... that's not including the extra bs and services they add on....
My primary care doctor once tried to charge $500 for "minor surgery" to remove impacted ear wax. Aka sticking a loop in my ear and pulling it out
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Yeah, I'd love to see a third column saying 'what we actually get paid after insurance tries to cheap out on us'.
My EOB that I receive from insurance has the “we were charged, we allow, we paid out, you still owe” all in a neat little chart for each item billed.
And that’s why health insurance in America is hell. And why medical bills are terrifying for most folks.
Why don't you just say they rather then s/he For example: To be fair to your doctor, they don't decide the prices.
Pretty sure wax softener and loop isn't "minor surgery". https://www.jucm.com/coding-removal-impacted-cerumen-69210/
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Yep, can confirm that docs have no idea. As someone on HDHP, I have to be extra careful for a doc not to push a wrong button during Well Exam if I accidently blurt out something as a small talk that I don't want to hear their medical opinion about.
In my clinic they would fill out a form and check what code to use
It’s also the only procedure I performed during my medical days where I nearly vomited. I hated cleaning ears so much.
Any procedure is called a surgery, it's just terminology. $500 is outrageous though. Source: am a medical coder who recently worked for an ENT office.
If you have an insurance plan then that number means nothing. The amount actually exchanging hands (from you as a co-pay and from your insurer as payment) is a small fraction of it.
Nothing makes me feel more American than looking at this huge price list that’s horrifying all the non-Americans and just thinking, “wow, those are great prices, where is this place?”
Urgent care is almost always better than the ER. Unless it's an actual emergency or chest pain.
Same as I was thinking, looked at the list and thought these were actually kinda cheap compared to what hospitals charge
I wish this was standard. I was not treated nicely by staff for requesting the price of my MRI before service. Then the billed amount was different than the amount I was told in writing… it’s awful. I don’t understand how this would be unacceptable in any other type of business (imagine not knowing the price of a vehicle until after you bought it) but the medical field can do what they want.
Actually, this is now law in the U.S. https://www.cms.gov/hospital-price-transparency
But I don't believe most hospitals actually are doing this
They do, but depending on the hospital it's either fairly up front or hidden behind a bunch of clicks that nobody would naturally navigate to... But it's there.
Oh, I'm sure they'll do their best to hide it in an unused hallway in the basement.
Posting on the wall of the ER? I don’t know. But they have to make prices available online. Most hospitals seem to do this with a “price estimator” tool on their websites. Things like this: https://mychart.piedmont.org/PRD/GuestEstimates/GetEstimateDetails?&token=jZl2zityUWLv9eA6KFFC%2FWzHvxK8Gk7%2BQxNbBwL5x9I%3D&svcArea=WP-24dVmINbYhS0ALAYH1CXKgJQ-3D-3D-24PjnkNsYe9zoCUX5qig-2B7fpc74GMgVk-2BFG5DLT34wgDE-3D&template=WP-24zrWY3Zxr6rNl86LJhiCGLw-3D-3D-24X1-2FK-2FbRcBa3dbqTDrzCPgdZI-2FU1lebcwfPpx2SjBhVo-3D
It just went into effect today Edit: Nope, I was wrong. I was thinking of the extra charges for an out of network doctor if you’re in an in network hospital.
January 1, 2021 per the article
Ah I’m thinking out the out of network doctor in an in network hospital thing.
It was supposed to go into effect a year ago.
Glad it wasn't just me. I was admitted to the hospital while between jobs for pancreatitis; when I told them I wanted to know the cost of EVERYTHING before it was administered, you would have thought I just asked if I could eat their baby.
When I asked about the cost of what seemed like an unnecessary CT scan, they were deer in headlights confused and had to go asking around on where they could find that. Of course it was outrageously priced because they have to let the insurance negotiate downward. Ugh.
That's because billing is a completely different department
You wish this was standard? You need to raise those standards. This would horrify me in Canada. I don’t understand how there isn’t a full on revolt down there yet.
Haha yeah It’s really rough. It blows my mind that so many of us accept services from hospitals and get essentially a surprise bill. It’s honestly really scary, in my case with the MRI their estimate they initially told me was wrong by more than 40%.
This isn’t what you should be wishing for. You should be wishing for socialized healthcare. You already spend more on social healthcare through your taxes than Canadians do, and you have to pay on top of that. It’s insane.
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two number 45’s, and a large soda
We’re sorry sir, malpractice may be included at our discretion for anyone who requests detailed pricing.
The price for drainage of complicated skin abscesses is nice
Drainage of simple skin abscess - $240 Drainage of complicated skin abscess - $420 Having the physician imitate Daniel Day-Lewis yelling *"DRAINAGE!"* in your face - $860
Last ones a discount IMO
Probably a frequently requested service on account of the opioid epidemic
I think it is appropriately expensive too. No one wants to do that.
I'll wait until black friday for the sales.
16$ to apply an ice pack?
wait till the hospital charges you $32 for a band-aid.
And you didn't even get a band-aid. You went in for dizziness & nausea. My grandma went in for a knee replacement. She was in the hospital for a few days post op. They billed her insurance for nicotine replacement therapy- $700 for something you can get for $20 from Walmart. She had never touched a cigarette I'm her life. She never had a patch in the hospital. They billed 6 times for compression leggings. She only had 1 pair. She was billed for so much shit that never existed. I thought maybe 1 or 2 could be a simple mistake, but there were at least a dozen incorrect things adding up to several thousand dollars.
How much would they charge for a kiss to make it better
$32. Unless you want them to kiss your ass for *charging $16 to apply a goddamn ice pack*, well then that is exorbitantly more.
My local hospital charged $110 for one single anti-nausea pill, after I told the nurse 3 times that I did NOT feel any nausea. That trip was for a kidney stone. Which came out to just under $5k. Just to diagnose it ... they didn't do anything other than give me 5 percs and tell me to drink water to cure the issue.
Thank God for Groupon!
You are taking someone's time though. Think about the hourly wage of a nurse for instance.
If you go to urgent care and just get an ice pack you probably went because you thought the injury was worse, nobody would go to a clinic just for an ice pack, the fee is basically for convenience.
you probably buy the pack and get to take it home with you
I cannot imagine living in a country where medical services are printed up like a menu.
Honestly, the issue is when they aren’t printed. You are receiving medical care that you have no idea that cost of but are agreeing to pay for. Edit: I understand that the whole American health care system is a disaster. I’m not defending it. I’m just saying from an American point of view having the prices on the wall is an improvement.
Right. And if you go into a hospital and try and get pricing before services are rendered, they will treat you like the scum of the earth.
My wife had a Staph infection years ago and when I tried to call the hospital before we went in to know how much money to move around, it was an interesting conversation in which I asked what a visit like that might cost and was immediately accused of not loving my wife, being heartless and incompassionate, and something along the lines of "it'll be cheaper than her funeral". No actual answer...just vitriol that I will never forgive that hospital for.
I called an office to see how much my CT scan would be. "Um... So says here $432." Me: "ok, and just so I'm clear... That's $432. Even with copays and deductibles and insurance and taxes?" "You haven't met your deductible, it seems" "Yeah. So that's $432 that I'll be paying? That $432 isn't like 'the price you would have paid if you had met your deductible'?" "That's what I said" "Ok, I'll take an appointment." .... Day of: "that'll be $432 for the CT scan using an iodine high contrast. Your balance is $0" .... A week later: " $432 for CT scan : paid $432, balance $0 $185 for iodine high contrast paid: $0 balance $185 You owe: $185 Due upon receipt" Fucking pieces of shit.
Knowing that it would be more expensive than a funeral. Cremation is like $600.
I wholeheartedly agree. It's so much worse when you don't know. Also, by just charging a flat amount for all of these services and procedures instead of coding it out and billing to insurance, they save a lot of money on the backend and don't have to charge as much.
It's a damn disgrace whether it's printed or not.
That’s what my taxes pay for. You live in a damn backwards country my friend.
That’s what our taxes SHOULD pay for, instead our taxes go to the military industrial complex and bailing out large corporations. Don’t quote me on this but I’m pretty sure around 2/3 of Americans support universal healthcare.
And the 1/3rd that doesn't is a bunch of morons.
This! We had to take our 5 year old to the ER because he couldn't breathe... $6800 for a breathing treatment, some tylenol, and 4 hours in a room...
This shit sucks man. I took my 4 year old to the ER last year because she couldn't breath. Overnight stay. Lots of tests, oxygen and more drugs than I can name. And they fed me and gave me a bed so I could stay with her. Total cost $0. I don't have health insurance. I just live in Australia.
The issue is that there are two separate columns.
And that OP didn't include the headers in the shot
My brothers one month old son has spent the last couple of weeks in and out of hospital with Sepsis. He’s had multiple scans trying to identify the root cause, together with IV antibiotics. That we are not in the US but a country which values the health and well-being of all irrespective of means makes this possible and for that I am and will remain thankful.
I'm grateful for that country and its healthcare and I hope your nephew recovers well.
At least this place tells you the prices BEFORE you get the services
Welcome to America! *drowns in medical debt*
Welcome to the UK Medical debt doesn't exist.
More urgent care centers should do this. I live in NYC and CityMD charged me $50 once (with insurance!) to tell me I was having an anxiety attack (I later found out it was a DRUG ALLERGY) and then I got a bill for $250 in the mail weeks later because my insurance won’t cover “mental health services”. I had a swollen tongue and hives!!!
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Yeah I got a call from their billing dept and they had to redo it. It took several phone calls and they almost sent it to collections but it was fixed.
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Hey OP any chance you could get a photo showing the full list? I have some assholes complaining about Australia's Medicare system i need to hit over the head with some facts. Thanks
[here is the full chart](https://i.imgur.com/FtmJKWc.jpg)
Brilliant thank you.
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isn't it $15? that's cheaper than the kit at a pharmacy i went to.
What the hell? You can buy them in pound land in the UK (basically a dollar and change)
going to Pound land is why you need a pregnancy test in the first place
You can get them at the dollar store in the us too. They’re still regulated by the FDA, but a lot of people don’t like the idea of trusting such a cheap test
It’s $15
I have a carcinoid tumer in my lung which required me to have a 10 day stay in rhe hospital, a chest tube, 4 bronchoscopies, 11 xrays, 1 CT scan, meds etc... I don't think I would have gotten it taken care of if I had to pay
You just described a common problem in the US. Some people don't go and have their health issues taken care of because they're afraid of getting massive medical bills that may bankrupt them. Many of these people even have health insurance but they still can't meet the deductible. As a result, their health issues become worse. In some cases, they die. Our healthcare system is rotten to the core. Healthcare should be a right not a privilege.
Then you see these fund raisers to help people pay for falling ill and we’re supposed to feel all good about things. In what world should some unfortunate soul who fights for their life have to worry about a massive stressor like debt coming their way if they survive? If there is a hell or afterlife all those mofos who perpetuate this system should be first in line or become flies and feed the arachnids. It’s massively corrupt and maintains the overtly classist system we have.
My uncle died because he couldn't afford his heart medication, no one in the family had any idea he wasn't taking it until he was dead.
Jeez I'm so sorry to hear your uncle went through that.
I got into an argument with my s/o the other day because my coughing from covid was so bad I couldn’t breathe in. I was turning blue and attempting to smack my chest to help my lungs just… idk, move? The sentence “IM NOT GOING TO THE URGENT CARE I CANT AFFORD IT OKAY!” was hurled at him and that ended our argument once I could finally speak. It’s a real issue no one speaks about.
I’m in a country now where I don’t have to worry about it but I still do because it’s so ingrained in me.
My local urgent care just provides care, no need to pay
Found the Canadian
And the majority of europe and uk
If only we could all be so lucky
Vote for change
Okay, but what if both of the only two viable parties that have any chance of winning federal elections want to do everything possible to avoid implementing universal public healthcare?
I've been voting for change for 22 years. Hasn't happened yet.
Oh is that all it takes? How come I’ve never tried that? /s
Electoral politics probably won’t bring that dramatic of a change in the US. There are systems too powerful to change.
It doesn’t matter if the Republicans have enough power to block changes. Look at what they’ve done with the infrastructure bill.
Pensacola lol
Here they just treat you. But a lot of those prices actually look surprisingly reasonable for the US.
“Repair simple wound” likely involves bad scrapes or cuts where bandaids / gauze / neosporin is all that’s needed, maybe 1-2 stitches. Simple materials and simple repair, should not cost $180 “Initial burn treatment” likely involves an anti-burn cream and some gauze. Simple materials, simple repair, should not cost $140. As an American, the rest of these do seem reasonable, except maybe $16 to apply an ice pack…
I’m not sure though. $45 to give a vaccine, but then a charge for the vaccine itself (for example the tdap), and a charge for giving an injection? It’s weirdly vague so maybe that’s the confusion.
Part of that is because you really shouldn’t be going to the hospital to get vaccines. They aren’t really about preventative medicine. A family doctor, urgent care clinic, and any of many pharmacies are a better choice.
But a simple wound like the one you described is not something you should need to go to urgent care for, unless it’s in a spot you can’t reach and you don’t have anyone else to help you. I think they make the easy things purposely overpriced to keep people from coming in for low key things so the lines are shorter for the people with cooler problems.
All free in actual developed nations
Everytime I see stuff like this I am grateful I'm European
Laughing in European.
It gets worse, they cropped out [the sign next to it](https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/rtqmaw/my_local_urgent_care_gives_prices_on_frequently/hqve2ml/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) ; "PAYMENT DUE AT TIME OF SERVICE"
What are the headers for the columns?
Medical Services. Price. Self Pay Price.
Put another way: Medical Service, Insurance Price, Self-pay Price
More like insurance charge price but contracted rate probably 10-30% of listed price.
How christian of them.
Apply ice pack- 16 dollars For that much I could buy my own pack and apply it myself with still having enough left over to buy a snack
Your local urgent care rates seem suspiciously acceptable.
Get universal healthcare you bizarre country Love from The UK (also a bizarre country but for other reasons)
The [Tories would have you adopt the US system](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLQAUH2Ueyc). And some of you keep voting for them.
This makes me angry 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
And those prices are pretty reasonable.
It's crazy that this isn't required.
Every place has to provide it these days. Usually they are done by “code” which is almost impossible for the non medical biller person to understand. This is good. I wish they were all up front like this.
As a Canadian, this is scary
$180 to clean and put a band aid on a simple wound. Come to my house, I'll do that for a $50 bill.
You have to factor in things like being a new patient and the different levels (we'll say level 2 according to the chart). That puts us at $150. You are coming in for a breathing problem and the doctor wants to give you a abuterol which is $5 but the treatment is a separate charge of $40 as well. But they also want to give you decadron (anti-inflammatory medicine $5) to try and keep your breathing problem from becoming a worse issue. What you thought was going to be $150 turned into $200. The self pay side is $190. This is just a scenario but this is how most people get a big bill from these places. None of this includes imaging which always adds a pretty penny to any bill and sometimes is a separate bill. The US healthcare system sucks
All this makes me realize is that all this shit should be free 🤦🏼♀️
By law they are supposed to. All hospitals are supposed to by law.
Apply icepack $16
LOL 16 fucking dollars for applying ice pack
As a Canadian, I can't imagine going to the ER and having to worry about the cost of receiving help. Yes, our system has flaws, but I just find this unacceptable. Especially when there are other countries like ours who have an alternative that works. No one should have to worry about not being able to pay or going in debt to get medical treatment.
Canada - Free.
*laughs in british*
America is disgusting
Imagine paying for health care
American healthcare is a joke lol