How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

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TopHatFox
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Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2013 10:07 pm
Location: FL; 25

How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by TopHatFox »

Wanna know how much my recent "recreational" ambulance & ER ride cost for a small gash on my face?

$1,700 ($700 ambulance, $1000 ER)

I know. What the f@#$. Thankfully I didn't pay for it, but my college's insurance did.

As a result of this EXORBITANT fee for emergency transport and waiting around in the ER to have my face glued, I would like to know measures I could take to protect myself from ridiculous hospital emergency costs. I already practice diligence with day to day health care (teeth care, good diet, exercise, etc.). I'm more interested in learning how to optimize cost in emergency hospital situations. Seriously, imagine if I broke a leg or something worse-- would that $20,000!? ($700 ambulance, $19,300 leg reparation). US healthcare cost sucks, as you all likely know.

BRUTE
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Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2015 5:20 pm

Re: How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by BRUTE »

ambulance is a rip off if you don't need it. brute has refused ambulance rides before and it was fine. if time is not pressing, Olza could hop on a plane and do medical tourism. Mexico or Thailand can be reached in <24h from most points on earth.

in true emergencies, brute is not so sure.

IlliniDave
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Re: How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by IlliniDave »

Unless that is net of insurance/insurance negotiated discounts, you got off really cheap.

daylen
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Re: How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by daylen »

You could have just gone to a prompt care center for a cut/gash.

Instead of calling an ambulance, call a taxi or uber if you are unable to drive/bike/walk.

I wouldn't consider breaking a bone an emergency. I broke my arm when I was younger, and I could have dealt with the pain for a couple of hours easily. The first thirty minutes is dealt with by endorphins.
Last edited by daylen on Sun Jul 31, 2016 4:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

DSKla
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Re: How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by DSKla »

You can fix a lot of cuts yourself with some veterinary super glue. It's basically the same as medical grade, but cheaper.

I second the idea to call an Uber or transport yourself when possible. Don't go to an ER unless you're liable to die. Urgent care would have worked.

Lucky C
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Re: How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by Lucky C »

Olaz wrote:Seriously, imagine if I broke a leg or something worse-- would that $20,000!? ($700 ambulance, $19,300 leg reparation). US healthcare cost sucks, as you all likely know.
Why wouldn't a huge hospital bill be limited by your insurance out-of-pocket max, maybe $5000 for a cheap plan? Are you worried about the insurance company screwing you over and not covering you if you had an emergency? Or are you planning on not having insurance in the future?

The Old Man
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Re: How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by The Old Man »

Olaz wrote:Seriously, imagine if I broke a leg or something worse-- would that $20,000!? ($700 ambulance, $19,300 leg reparation).
A co-worker of mine broke his leg in a fall and the bill - non-emergency - was just under $100 K. It was a very serious break - but still. Insurance covered the vast majority of the cost.

You minimize emergency expenses by having insurance. You also only use the ER only under a true emergency. A true emergency is life threatening and time critical. The ER is the most expensive way possible to have medical care.

Laura Ingalls
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Re: How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by Laura Ingalls »

daylen wrote:You could have just gone to a prompt care center for a cut/gash.

Instead of calling an ambulance, call a taxi or uber if you are unable to drive/bike/walk.

I wouldn't consider breaking a bone an emergency. I broke my arm when I was younger, and I could have dealt with the pain for a couple of hours easily. The first thirty minutes is dealt with by endorphins.
While I most agree a seriously dislocated and broken limb can cause shock and merits an ambulance ride. Ds had two broken arms in 2015. The first took us two days to figure out he even had a small fracture. He got an xray and a soft cast at our primary care office. The second was grotesque and 911 was the correct response.

EdithKeeler
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Re: How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by EdithKeeler »

That's actually pretty cheap for an ambulance ride and an ER bill. (I am an insurance adjuster--I see these things all the time).

To minimize your costs:
1) Have insurance. That's the whole point--to manage your risk of a large bill from a catastrophic injury. Have deductibles that you can afford.
2) Don't do things where you might be injured. (Another way to manage risk).
3) Still, accidents happen. Use immediate care places where appropriate--they usually provide good care for injuries like a laceration, a sprain, etc. They'll refer you to the ER if they think it's necessary.
4) We have a joke in our family, but it's sort of mostly true: "If you're not passed out, bleeding heavily or there's no bone sticking out, wait 24 hours." Of course, within limits.
5) Beyond that, listen to your body. If you're sick, you're sick. If it hurts, it hurts. If you think you need to go to the doctor or ER, GO for Pete's sake. It's a lot more expensive to treat an injury or an illness you've ignored for a while. If your laceration or whatever wasn't mended right, plastic surgery would be a lot more expensive and involved. Complications from a concussion or other head trauma can be major. Better to spend some coin and make sure you're OK.

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Ego
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Re: How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by Ego »

One of my swap meet friends who is also something of a crypto fanatic disappeared a few weeks ago and reappeared today. He had gallstones and a serious gall bladder infection that hospitalized him for a couple of days. He lost about 30lbs and gained a $160,000 uninsured hospital bill. I asked what he planned to do about the bill. He said, "I negotiated it down." At discharge they asked him to pay the bill. He refused. A few days later the financial services department called and offered to consider the bill paid in full if he wrote a check for $16,500. He thought it was strange that they offered almost the exact amount he had in savings. I mentioned that they may have done an asset search before contacting him. He was surprised and said, "Good thing my money is in crypto."

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Sclass
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Re: How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by Sclass »

When I was in grad school an old guy taught me this trick. Basically say nicely in writing that you cannot pay. I didn’t even have to start negotiations.

Basically the same trick as Ego’s pal. I used it twice when I was a pauper grad student. I got hurt a lot back then.

It was like magic. Poof the bills just vaporized into thin air.

Please don’t do this if you can afford medical care. My understanding is the bills are covered by philanthropy and are meant to keep struggling people from getting financially destroyed. I think I’ll will some of my estate to something like this when I pass. It really made a big difference at a time when I was financially vulnerable.

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Alphaville
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Re: How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by Alphaville »

my ambulance rides (i checked before ditching car) are like like $20 or $50 or something. basically like an uber xl with oxygen and defibrillators.

sweet.

plow_2
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Re: How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by plow_2 »

If it isn't an emergency go to urgent care or primary care physician. If you find yourslef in an emergency department and it's not too bad, ask if they can treat you without going into a room. Most hospitals charge $ for the room itself when you might be able to get treated in the triage room if its something like a simple break or stitches.

for example a few years ago I broke my wrist. Got in an ER room and did nothing but sit on the bed waiting. taken down hall for xray then more waiting in room. Did not need room or the high cost of being in it.

aptruncata
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Re: How to minimize/optimize hospital expenses in an emergency?

Post by aptruncata »

1. insurance
2. stay away from risk prone activity
3. if you must, invest in safety gear (gloves, safety goggles, helmet etc.)
4. carry a first aid kit

Most of this discussion will be thrown out the window once your loved one gets hurt.
There are incidences of contracting flesh eating bacteria from a park benches and sepsis can bring down the healthiest of the bunch needing amputations in hours not days. Of course chances are low, does it happen? you betcha.

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