Trip to ER might be costly

[scratch]

I had to pay $500 out of pocket when we took my son to the ER for severe abdominal pain. Turned out to be kidney stones after he went to a specialist a few days later. The "Physician's Assistant" that saw him in the ER misdiagnosed him. Welcome to Teamcare, I have been forking out large amounts of money for medical issues for thirty years.

 

['Lord Brown's bidding']

One trip to the ER, $10,203 for acute stomach pain. You would have to shell out $2,040.60!

http://drjimtaylor.com/2.0/health/health-our-5-hour-10000-visit-to-the-er/

This should be seen at an urgent care facility. It isn't an emergency, and people going for reasons like this is why healthcare costs have skyrocketed and we have to get an alternative to the UPS plan.

 

[saintrick]

This should be seen at an urgent care facility. It isn't an emergency, and people going for reasons like this is why healthcare costs have skyrocketed and we have to get an alternative to the UPS plan.

Acute stomach pain should be an ER visit urgent care facilities are not equipped to handle the life threatening cases.

 

[saintrick]

One trip to the ER, $10,203 for acute stomach pain. You would have to shell out $2,040.60!

http://drjimtaylor.com/2.0/health/health-our-5-hour-10000-visit-to-the-er/

Out of pocket costs are capped at $1000 per person.

 

['Lord Brown's bidding']

Acute stomach pain should be an ER visit urgent care facilities are not equipped to handle the life threatening cases.

Acute stomach pain may not be life threatening, which is why you get it seen at an urgent care facility; let them upgrade it, and you don't have to worry whether or not it is an emergency. And wait times at most of them are relatively short, compared to going to an ER (I once sat in an ER with an ASTHMA ATTACK for 5 hours!)

Last year I had a bout with what ended up bbeing some bacterial sinus infection. Went to an urgent care facility, and they diagnosed me with strep throat; I was given antibiotics. Situation didn't improve, and my uvula (that fleshy thing that hangs down in the back of the throat) had swollen so that it was causing me to gag. I went back to the urgent care facility, which preceeded to send me to an ER. The attending doctor at the ER said he understood the mistake made by the urgent care physician, and would have made the same mistake himself. However, if HE had made the mistake, it would have cost me $100 for being a non - emergency. Having the urgent care send me, and I only paid half that in copay for both facilities.

 

[jumpman23]

Well 1 option obviously is to use your secondary insurance to cover what is left over after your primary pays. Some do not have a secondary insurance and that is understandable. Maybe pick up a supplemental insurance just in case. That's why I picked up the Aflac also, just in case you never know dude. One thing you learn as you get older is, its better to go into a gun fight with a gun than without one, no pun intended obviously lol.

 

[BakerMayfield2018]

View attachment 13027 first day of accident is covered 100%...whether you're admitted to the hospital or not.

Not in northeast

 

[bleedinbrown58]

Not in northeast

I'm in the northeast also...That's right off the off the teamcare website.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

...which is hard to do when I am driving and making my pickups....

Or crossing the street?

 

[Packmule]

Do any of you have urgent care facilities nearby? These are the places you are suppose to go in lieu of ER visits.

Several years ago UPS sent out a mailer talking about our options when seeking medical care, in order to help reduce costs. The vast majority of times people go to the ER-for sprains/strains, broken bones that don't break the skin or don't involve trauma, flu/fever, etc.-they should use another alternative, preferably their primary care physician. Next is an ambulatory care provider, like a CVS Minute Clinic. For serious, but non-life threatening, medical situations you should visit an urgent care facility, which can take of most medical situations.

I've been stressing that my family use the ER alternatives since I got that mailer, ending $100 bills to the ER for the $25 copay for visiting an ER (if you were admitted, or it is an emergency, like a bone break involving trauma). However, under Teamcare, that $25 copay is going away. Nice little benefit.

We call them urgent care clinics here. Only time we ever go to ER is if something happened in the middle of the night. ( wife went into labor, etc.) only time I ever go to primary care is annual check ups. Otherwise urgent care has much longer hours, open weekends, and much less copayment.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Well 1 option obviously is to use your secondary insurance to cover what is left over after your primary pays. Some do not have a secondary insurance and that is understandable. Maybe pick up a supplemental insurance just in case. That's why I picked up the Aflac also, just in case you never know dude. One thing you learn as you get older is, its better to go into a gun fight with a gun than without one, no pun intended obviously lol.

Supplemental insurance and secondary insurance are not one in the same.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

We call them urgent care clinics here. Only time we ever go to ER is if something happened in the middle of the night. ( wife went into labor, etc.) only time I ever go to primary care is annual check ups. Otherwise urgent care has much longer hours, open weekends, and much less copayment.

I live in a more rural area and while we do have several urgent care facilities most close rather early (7-8pm) so our only other option for after-hours care is the ER and their urgent care partner FastTrack. The urgent care facilities are considered to be doctor's office and carry a $10 co-pay while the ER and FastTrack have $100 co-pays.

 

[Wally]

Acute stomach pain should be an ER visit urgent care facilities are not equipped to handle the life threatening cases.

I agree. Not everything is the same. I had a friend who was bleeding out but didn't know it. If he waited, he would have been gone.

The point I am making is now, due to the 80 percent, folks will push to be admitted in non accident cases, costing the plan more.

 

[oldngray]

The urgent cares around here are usually full of welfare patients and people there for work physicals or drug testing. Nothing urgent about it. You will be in waiting room for at least an hour. When they first opened they were a good alternative to ER for minor medical issues but have changed and much worse now. Anything halfway serious they can't diagnose or treat and they send you on to ER where you will sit in waiting room (again).

 

[Packmule]

The urgent cares around here are usually full of welfare patients and people there for work physicals or drug testing. Nothing urgent about it. You will be in waiting room for at least an hour. When they first opened they were a good alternative to ER for minor medical issues but have changed and much worse now. Anything halfway serious they can't diagnose or treat and they send you on to ER where you will sit in waiting room (again).

Opposite here. Welfare people go to ER because it costs them nothing. That is where you will sit for hours in the waiting room.

 

['Lord Brown's bidding']

A person must have insurance to go to an urgent care facility (as opposed to a public health clinic, which it sounds like oldngray is talking about). Much like a private doctor's office. Hospitals and public clinics don't turn people away.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Hospitals and public clinics can't turn people away.

Sent using BrownCafe App

 

['Lord Brown's bidding']

I agree. Not everything is the same. I had a friend who was bleeding out but didn't know it. If he waited, he would have been gone.

The point I am making is now, due to the 80 percent, folks will push to be admitted in non accident cases, costing the plan more.

If your friend would have gone to an urgent care, he'd have been diagnosed, and then put in an ambulance and sent to a hospital. In his case going to the ER didn't cost anything, but if he had kidney stones or gas-non-life threatening conditions he'd have to pay more. Going to an urgent care won't kill you.

People may push to be admitted, but that doesn't mean the hospital will take them. Hospitals are often overcrowded as it is; a fever or the flu won't get you admitted, neither is even "chest pain". (I speak from experience. Went to an ER once for severe chest pain, which turned out to be some strain in a muscle deep within my chest cavity. I had visions of being "held for observation", but with a script for percs I was sent on my way).

 

['Lord Brown's bidding']

Sent using BrownCafe App

Thanks for the correction.

 

[Nimnim]

For those of us who don't work day shifts and spend most waking hours at night when all urgent care and such clinics are closed the ER is the only option. If I wake up at 6pm with some mild discomfort and 5 hours later it's acute pain, my only option other than waiting at least another 8 hours for a clinic to open is to go to the ER. Not so bad for those waking up at 6 am and having the pain a few hours later as everything is open then.