What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Alaska
I presented in the ER on June 29th with respiratory symptoms and requested a chest x-ray and antibiotics because I was sure I had pneumonia, having had it a few times in the past. The attending doctor did not feel a chest x-ray was needed at that time nor did he feel I needed antibiotics because (in his words) if a patient comes in with respiratory distress and then clears up after being put on a nebulizer, there is no need for antibiotics.
I did explain to the doctor that I had been very sick for over a week, had had fever for several days and had been coughing up heavy, green mucus. He stated that antibiotics would not help a viral infection and he didn’t want to give out antibiotics frivolously which encourages antibiotic resistances to form in some patients.
I was sent home after the nebulizer which “cleared up” my respiratory distress. The problem was that the nebulizer was merely a Bandaid for my respiratory distress and on Monday, after an ugly and exhausting weekend, I called the hospital and they told me to come back in (after saying not to worry about the cost, "we would see you right there") to get what I had asked for in the first instance. A chest x-ray and antibiotics.
An x-ray was taken and it proved I did not have pneumonia. However, one of the attending senior nurses did state that the x-ray showed a build-up of (in the nurse’s words) “gunk in my lungs”, although not specifically fluids related to pneumonia. At this time, I DID insist that I be given antibiotics and I went to the pharmacy immediately after leaving the hospital and filled that prescription.
After suffering with a very intense respiratory infection for almost two weeks, by the next day, I was a different person and by Wednesday, I was 100% better. Had those antibiotics been given to me on Friday when I initially asked for them, by Monday I would have been feeling so much better that a trip to the hospital would not have been necessary. Thus, I feel that the doctor should have given me the antibiotics at least as a precautionary measure considering that a) I ASKED for them specifically and b) I was displaying fever, heavy discharge of mucus and in obvious respiratory distress caused by an infection.
Making this situation more difficult for me to accept is the fact that I am now financially responsible for the unnecessary Monday visit. The entire bill is over $800 of which I am going to be responsible for at least $600. Friday’s visit (being the end of the fiscal year) was covered by insurance at 100% but Monday's visit (July 2nd) is mostly out-of-pocket.
I wrote to the hospital Risk Manager explaining the above and asking that they write off my portion of the Monday bill and was sent a letter stating that the hospitals ER staff were hired by an outside company and I will remain responsible for the ER bill. Pretty much, an "eff-off" letter.
Is there anything I can do here? I feel so angry that the hospital won't do right by it's doctors mistake!
I presented in the ER on June 29th with respiratory symptoms and requested a chest x-ray and antibiotics because I was sure I had pneumonia, having had it a few times in the past. The attending doctor did not feel a chest x-ray was needed at that time nor did he feel I needed antibiotics because (in his words) if a patient comes in with respiratory distress and then clears up after being put on a nebulizer, there is no need for antibiotics.
I did explain to the doctor that I had been very sick for over a week, had had fever for several days and had been coughing up heavy, green mucus. He stated that antibiotics would not help a viral infection and he didn’t want to give out antibiotics frivolously which encourages antibiotic resistances to form in some patients.
I was sent home after the nebulizer which “cleared up” my respiratory distress. The problem was that the nebulizer was merely a Bandaid for my respiratory distress and on Monday, after an ugly and exhausting weekend, I called the hospital and they told me to come back in (after saying not to worry about the cost, "we would see you right there") to get what I had asked for in the first instance. A chest x-ray and antibiotics.
An x-ray was taken and it proved I did not have pneumonia. However, one of the attending senior nurses did state that the x-ray showed a build-up of (in the nurse’s words) “gunk in my lungs”, although not specifically fluids related to pneumonia. At this time, I DID insist that I be given antibiotics and I went to the pharmacy immediately after leaving the hospital and filled that prescription.
After suffering with a very intense respiratory infection for almost two weeks, by the next day, I was a different person and by Wednesday, I was 100% better. Had those antibiotics been given to me on Friday when I initially asked for them, by Monday I would have been feeling so much better that a trip to the hospital would not have been necessary. Thus, I feel that the doctor should have given me the antibiotics at least as a precautionary measure considering that a) I ASKED for them specifically and b) I was displaying fever, heavy discharge of mucus and in obvious respiratory distress caused by an infection.
Making this situation more difficult for me to accept is the fact that I am now financially responsible for the unnecessary Monday visit. The entire bill is over $800 of which I am going to be responsible for at least $600. Friday’s visit (being the end of the fiscal year) was covered by insurance at 100% but Monday's visit (July 2nd) is mostly out-of-pocket.
I wrote to the hospital Risk Manager explaining the above and asking that they write off my portion of the Monday bill and was sent a letter stating that the hospitals ER staff were hired by an outside company and I will remain responsible for the ER bill. Pretty much, an "eff-off" letter.
Is there anything I can do here? I feel so angry that the hospital won't do right by it's doctors mistake!