[USER]

My friend recently made a trip to the ER in severe back pain, waited in the Lobby for two hours. Finally was brought onto a gurney and was kept in the hallway.

Pain medication was requested several times, but none was given. After about an hour the pain went away on its own, appears to have been kidney stones, by then an IV was administered and even though an MRI was declined they did it anyway.

Patient went home about one hour later.

A couple of weeks later a bill for almost $3k was received for what is a very expensive deductible. Anyone have experience in having something like this reduced or charges removed? It is a little ridiculous since patient was not admitted. Thank you!

Thank you.

[Pagan]

Oh my god. I’m sorry to hear this, as a Canadian this shocks me.

[Sandy]

Ask for an itemized copy of her bill from the hospital she should be entitled to one and then after see if there’s a number on the bill or available to call so she can dispute some of the charges. It could drastically bring down what she owes.

[Rita]

Your friend can arrange payment plans for a low interest rate. I had an ER visit and hospital stay. We didn’t have $ for our portion after insurance. Took 2 1/2 years but last payment was last month.

[Jen]

I went to the ER 2 years ago, a couple days before Christmas, with a kidney stone. Initial diagnosis, medical history and first round of pain meds were administered in the ambulance before it even left our doorstep. More pain meds, IV fluids and diagnosis confirmed, at hospital, with a cat scan. The worst was past by the time I left the ER about 7 hours after the initial 911 call, once the pain was gone and I had a restful nap. I was given an Rx to ease the passage of the stone, if needed. Didn’t need it. Total cost? The $45 ambulance ride. Do I have private insurance? No.

I live in Ontario Canada. I am grateful every day for that. If I were in financial straits, that ambulance fee would have been covered by the province, too.

[Janet]

They can’t force you to go to the MRI dept and get in their machine. I think your friend had to have agreed to the MRI even though they didn’t want it.

[Stacie]

If you go to an ER you are paying for those services. As soon as you see a doctor you have a 3k bill. That’s without testing. I’d say it’s a cheap bill they got. You will be billed separately for facility, doctor, lab, and radiology.

[Wendi]

If you decline anything you aren’t forced to do it. If they agreed to the test they are responsible for the fee. When you go to the ER you sign permissions for them to do testing and you also sign away that you are responsible for the bill. If a test is declined they cannot forcibly sedate you or tie you to a gurney to make you have it done.

[Author]

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