Arizona woman charged $80,000 for 3-hour hospital visit

[cyberdude558]

PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona woman is wondering what hurt more: getting stung by a scorpion or seeing her hospital bill after treatment.

Marcie Edmonds says the bill from Chandler Regional Medical Center was more than $83,000. That includes two doses of anti-venom at nearly $40,000 per dose.

The Arizona Republic (http://bit.ly/RD6bX8) says Edmonds' insurer has paid more than $57,000 and the suburban Phoenix hospital is asking Edmonds for the balance of about $25,000.

The 52-year-old Ahwatukee (ah-wha-TU'-kee) Foothills resident was stung in June while opening a box of air conditioner filters in her garage.

Edmonds says an emergency room doctor told her about the Mexican anti-venom Anascorp that could quickly relieve her symptoms, but she was never told about the cost.

http://news.yahoo.com/scorpion-sting-leaves-arizona-woman-huge-bill-225717487.html


For an FYI...This anti-venom you can get in Mexico for $100.

[JavaRay]

but she was never told about the cost.

In my opinion, when something costs that much, they should have to disclose that up front or the woman pays nothing.   Admittedly, she probably had no choice, but they should still inform up front.

[spartan]

I think it probably depends on how badly she was reacting to the sting. I think if she was going into anaphylactic shock  I don't think she has much to complain about as the alternative to a big bill is death. But, if it was just for pain and discomfort she has a very valid point. Also, if the standard cost is $100 I think they should at the very least explain their pricing mechanism.

[deadzone]

Cyberdude must spend most of his life searching for crap like this........I'm thinking he lives in an old culvert somewhere in Port Tampa.....You're addicted Cyberdunce...........admit it.

[ufojoe]

I doubt her symptoms very life threatening and that she had no choice. It sounds like they said, "Your symptoms will go away in X amount of hours. But if you want instant relief, we can give you some Mexican Coca Cola." And she said, "OK!"

I'll check for more details to see if that's right.

How the hell can they not have told her about the cost?

[ufojoe]

OK, still not totally clear but it looks like not taking the shots and waiting it out would have been a bad idea.

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/20120831scorpion-sting-leaves-woman-big-bill.html

[deadzone]

Somebody take cyberdude a hot meal.......I would, but I live in Riverview,,later today I have to run my string of 300 crab traps...........cyberdude is a disease and worth watching as he pedals his bike along Westshore..

[GameTime]

end big pharma.

[spartan]

end big pharma.

As Joe points out details are a bit sketchy, but it doesn't look like "Big Pharma" has anything to do with this. It's not even an American product.

[GameTime]

how do we explain something that costs 100 dollars in mexico costing $40000 a few miles north?

[dbucfan]

Transportation?  J/K - frankly I can't resolve either the cost in the US being that different but it would be STUNNING to hear the explanations of and for the mark up.

[spartan]

how do we explain something that costs 100 dollars in mexico costing $40000 a few miles north?

FDA approval apparently, well, that and the Hospitals ripping people off from what I can tell.

The $100 is per vial and it takes 2 or 3 vials per treatment if I understand correctly. The tests, studies etc for FDA approval boosted the price up to about $3000 pr vial. Hospitals then charge anything from 5-12k per vial from what I have read per vial.

[GameTime]

and you dont think thats big pharma?

[dbucfan]

http://boards.medscape.com/forums?128@865.YFr7a1Phifh@.2a0ce37b!comment=1&cat=All

Big Mexican pharma maybe - it isn't produced in the US or by a US company.  I presumed you wanted to know if it was a US company

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2012/09/06/20120906editorial0907-antivenom-bills-sting.html

How it sells for $100 a dose in Mexico and so much more in the US is what I would like to know as well

[spartan]

and you dont think thats big pharma?

"Big Pharma" are the pharmaceutical companies. They aren't in this supply train anywhere. Mexican company makes it for $100, FDA is a Govt organization that insists on a battery of tests and  experiments that increase the cost to 3 grand then the hospital charges to use it.

I am not going to jump on the Hospitals just yet as I have 2 relatives who work in an ER and the amount of stuff they have to do for free means they need to have a large overhead for a lot of the stuff they do charge for to cover it. They may be ripping people off, the prices sound exorbitant after all, but I am willing to not jump to that conclusion immediately.