Paradise, TXOn a Saturday last May, Gayle’s husband was sick with a temperature of over 103°F - the next day it hadn’t changed so she took him to ER at the local hospital. Now both their temperatures are through the roof with emergency room overcharges totaling thousands of dollars.
“After waiting two hours in ER (and I’m not complaining about that), my husband and I were led to a back room where he was hooked up to an IV,” Gayle says. “He didn’t have his blood pressure taken or any other tests at that point. Eventually a very old doctor dropped by and he determined that my husband didn’t have a fever and told the nurse to take blood and urine samples. We waited for another hour or so until a young intern put my husband in a wheelchair and took him down the hall.”
Gayle found out later that her husband had a CAT Scan - neither of them were asked or informed of this test. When the intern returned her husband, a nurse took more blood work and they were left alone in the room again. At this point, Gayle’s husband started to get dressed in his street clothes; he wanted to get out of there. Then the elderly doctor came back.
“He told us that my husband didn’t have a kidney stone,” says Gayle. “My husband had told the admitting nurse that he had kidney stones in the past but we weren’t there to get him checked for kidney stones! I asked the doctor if he could prescribe an antibiotic for fever and he said the nurse would come by for more IV fluid.”
They never saw the doctor again, nor did Gayle’s husband ever get any fluid from the IV bag. Instead the nurse came into the room and removed it, handed him a prescription for an antibiotic and pain, and a pill to swallow for his indigestion. They did not have a diagnosis - Gayle says going to ER was a total waste of time. And what about the fever?
“There is no way my thermometer is wrong. It was new and I checked my temperature as well when we got home,” Gayle explains. “And my husband still had a fever. We went to my regular doctor on Monday morning and they called the hospital to get the medical records. Our GP told us that the lining on his esophageal area is thickened, which could be a possibility of developing cancer, according to the hospital records. Our GP said my husband needed to get further testing and he gave him a month’s worth of medication samples called Dexilant for acid reflux issues. My husband has been fine since.
“Thank god we didn’t get all that further testing. When we left the hospital, they don’t ask you to pay or hand you a bill. But one month later, we got one bill in the mail for $6,500! That isn’t the end of it.
“We saw the old geezer doctor for five minutes and the tests took five minutes. We were charged $4,500 for the CAT Scan that we were asked to take. Nor were we asked why they wanted to order it. Of course we wouldn’t have agreed - we could never afford it anyway.”
Wait, it gets worse. In fine print, the invoice said the doctor will bill you separately. A few days later, they got another bill for $1,011 from the doctor’s office and another one from the radiologist. It totaled over $8,000. Gayle says that if you get paid minimum wage you would have to work six months to pay that bill. “If I got sick now, knowing this is what happens, I would just lie down and die - we can’t afford to go to hospital.
“I am 61 and my husband is 48. We don’t get Medicare until we are 65, and here in Texas, they shut down women’s clinics and the governor is trying to limit what everyone can get from Medicaid. My husband makes too much money to apply but I have been out of work almost five years - I just can’t find a job. I worked 35 years as a bookkeeper and I can’t even get a job interview. I have burned through my retirement fund and have nothing left. I found a place where we can get free prescriptions (you pay $60 per month) and that is the only place with one silver lining.
“Now the doctor’s office is threatening us with collection. We have 10 days as of this Friday or they will turn this over to a collection agency. This incident has been nothing short of horrific: how can a few hours in ER charge that amount of money and destroy your family? They should be sued and they should be ashamed. I’m hopeful that an attorney will help us dispute medical bills and these outrageous emergency room fees.”
It is possible that with the help of an attorney who specializes in emergency room charges, Gayle and her husband can dispute some of the charges. Attorney Barry Kramer advises you that you read the hospital contract while you are waiting in ER and see what you are required to sign. He has discovered hospital overcharging happens all too often with uninsured patients.
If you or a loved one have suffered losses in this case, please click the link below and your complaint will be sent to a drugs & medical lawyer who may evaluate your Emergency Room Charges claim at no cost or obligation.