“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.
READ MORE EMERGENCY ROOM CHARGES LEGAL NEWS
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.
READER COMMENTS
Sandra
on
Is there any universe where this makes sense?
We have insurance so will only pay our deductible but this is crazy.
Sandra
on
Is there any universe where this makes sense?
We have insurance so will only pay our deductible but this is crazy.
ola
on
Cynthia Marquez
on
I am praying for you and your husband. In the early morning hours on March 19th of this year, I woke up with chest pain, difficulty breathing and nauseated. This went on for several hours throughout the day. I was afraid to go to Urgent care and had this feeling of dread all day. After speaking to my daughter around 4 pm. I drove myself to Urgent Care. I was immediately taken back and tests were ordered. The Doctor informed me he had requested an ambulance to take me to the hospital, as he suspected a pulmonary embolism. I told him I could not afford an ambulance and no one knew I was at Urgent care,he said he could not let me drive based on my condition. After the paramedics arrived I was given Morphine very slowly over a 3 minute period to prevent nausea and help with the pain. During the 5 min ride up the street to the hospital I was given aspirin after the medic checked my vitals, I was not given anything else due to a drop in blood pressure. After arriving at the hospital a chest xray was taken and the the nurse came over with Nitroglycerin , Morphine, and somaa something. I told the medic I did not want any more morphine and didn't feel comfortable and wanted to go home, I was told I was in good hands. The nurse pushed all those medications at the the same time without checking my vitals . I said I felt like I was going to pass out. I woke up to nurses and doctors all over me doing compression's, giving oxygen , I saw the medic she had tears in her eyes , she told her partner I had flat lined. The hospital told my husband there had been a little incident .No mention of what really happened. They did not keep me for observation and released me without further treatment. If I had not been on the medics gurney .I would have been dead. I have the report from the medics and the hospital . They do not match. Unfortunately the hospital and medical group are run by the same company,I believe I can not receive proper care and still don;t know how much damage was done. I too have lost my credit , my home, in another week and the list goes on an on. I believe this hospital should be sued , but more importantly , I pray this doesn't happen to anyone else.
Dave
on
It happened to me several times.
1 time my daughter was standing on the chair and leaned back and it fell and hit her noce. A little bloody nose, ut being a new parant I call the kids docs line. They they me to take her to the ER in which I did. I took my daughter to ER at the advice of the the after hourse Kids Doc. when we got the hospital, they they me was too young for any X-Ray s (she was 1 yr old).
The bloody nose stopped. The DR came in with a Q-Tip, put her light device in her nose and walked out saying its broken, but she little and wil heal fine.
The bill came in and showed over 1500.00 for a Q-Tip.
2 nd time - I went to the ER for a Kidney Stone and got a bill for over 25,000, fortunatelly I was able to get that handled.
3rd time I was sued for excessive Dr bills for a cat bite.
ER, Hospital and Dr bills are just way too much and something needs to be done.