What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? GA
At the end of July I became very ill one night. I did not have insurance yet at the time and it was 11:30 at night. Basically my only option was the local ER. The whole experience was awful. The lady at the front desk first couldn't find the right documents to sign. Then she gave me the wrong forms. Then she gave me the correct form, but she put the wrong patients information on it. Instead of printing out another new one she put a sticker with my info over the other patients info on the last form I signed. All of this was done while I could barely stand up and was in tears from pain (I was extremely dehydrated and disoriented from excessive vomiting, etc). Then the front desk lady printed out the wrong name tag 3 times before she got the correct info on it. A nurse asked me some questions, took my vitals and all of that, then they took me to an actual room with a bed. They took some blood and then they set up an IV for me. The ER doctor came in for 3 minutes at the most and asked me a couple questions then left. (I never saw him again). Once the IV was in the nurse left and said she'd be back when the IV was empty and then she would collect a urine sample. My IV emptied and there was a loud alarm going off to tell me to turn off the IV....the nurses out at the nurses station had to have heard the sound but did not come into the room. I had to figure out how to turn it off because it was so loud. After about an hour and a half since the nurse started the IV she still had not returned. My boyfriend who was in the room with me went out to the nurses station to find someone to detach me from the IV so I could go make a urine sample (and because the IV was finished). The nurse came in and uhooked the IV, however, she left the needle with the hose sticking out in my arm. I told her my nurse said she'd be back to collect my urine sample and bring me an antibiotic. The nurse in the room said she'd be in soon then she turned off the lights except for one in my room and shut the door! About 30 minutes later an orderly came in with an antibiotic. I told him as well I needed my nurse because I need to give her a urine sample. He said she would be in soon. About 2 hours went by (my boyfriend and I both fell asleep during this waiting) and still no nurse had come back. We woke up and I saw how long it had been so I got up to look out of the little window in the door. I saw my nurse standing in the nurses station talking to the other women. She caught me looking at her so she came over and opened the door. She used the excuse she was waiting on me to tell her I had a urine sample ready (it was quite obvious she had simply just forgotten about me). All this time I still had the IV needle in my arm with a hose sticking out. She took the sample and left. Almost an hour later she came back and told me I had gastrointeritis (a type of stomach virus) and she handed me a paper with 3 prescriptions on it then they told me I could go. I got the hospital bill a couple weeks later and it was over $1400. For reasons untold I was given a discount which brought the charges down to around $500. This is still waaay more than I think I should pay, but I was understanding that I did not have insurance and they did the IV and the bloodwork, etc. Another few weeks went by and I received the doctor's bill which was over $1000. I was shocked because like I said I only saw an actual doctor for 3 minutes max. I called the number on the bill which was just a payment center. They couldn't and wouldn't do anything to help me. They did tell me that the state of GA has a list of diagnosis and every diagnosis has a price next to it. Hearing this was appauling obviously because now I know they don't look at me and my case as an individual one. I walked in the door with a condition as simple as a stomach virus and it already had a price tag on it. I feel like they didn't care that I was left in there for 5 hours when it could have taken only a couple. They definatly didn't care that the doctor only saw me for a few minutes and did nothing to treat me or care for me (the ER that night was dead by the way, very few other patients there, so I won't believe that he was that busy). I then called the hospital back and was refered to someone (I've forgotten her title there). She told me very rudely, next time maybe I shouldn't come to the ER. (Like I said I had no other options at that time of night) She says it costs money just to have the doctor lay eyes on me...but $1000? This is on top of the $500 I have to pay for all the tests and IV, etc. on my hospital bill. I said there is absolutly no way I can pay this or no reason anyone should have to pay this for only seeing a doctor for 3 minutes and the fact that what I had wasn't even a serious condition. She wouldn't help me. I dont know where to turn or how to get this bill changed. Theres no way I can pay this even on a payment plan the payments would have to be so minimal it would take me years and years to pay it off. But i feel the charges are ludacris. Any advice?
At the end of July I became very ill one night. I did not have insurance yet at the time and it was 11:30 at night. Basically my only option was the local ER. The whole experience was awful. The lady at the front desk first couldn't find the right documents to sign. Then she gave me the wrong forms. Then she gave me the correct form, but she put the wrong patients information on it. Instead of printing out another new one she put a sticker with my info over the other patients info on the last form I signed. All of this was done while I could barely stand up and was in tears from pain (I was extremely dehydrated and disoriented from excessive vomiting, etc). Then the front desk lady printed out the wrong name tag 3 times before she got the correct info on it. A nurse asked me some questions, took my vitals and all of that, then they took me to an actual room with a bed. They took some blood and then they set up an IV for me. The ER doctor came in for 3 minutes at the most and asked me a couple questions then left. (I never saw him again). Once the IV was in the nurse left and said she'd be back when the IV was empty and then she would collect a urine sample. My IV emptied and there was a loud alarm going off to tell me to turn off the IV....the nurses out at the nurses station had to have heard the sound but did not come into the room. I had to figure out how to turn it off because it was so loud. After about an hour and a half since the nurse started the IV she still had not returned. My boyfriend who was in the room with me went out to the nurses station to find someone to detach me from the IV so I could go make a urine sample (and because the IV was finished). The nurse came in and uhooked the IV, however, she left the needle with the hose sticking out in my arm. I told her my nurse said she'd be back to collect my urine sample and bring me an antibiotic. The nurse in the room said she'd be in soon then she turned off the lights except for one in my room and shut the door! About 30 minutes later an orderly came in with an antibiotic. I told him as well I needed my nurse because I need to give her a urine sample. He said she would be in soon. About 2 hours went by (my boyfriend and I both fell asleep during this waiting) and still no nurse had come back. We woke up and I saw how long it had been so I got up to look out of the little window in the door. I saw my nurse standing in the nurses station talking to the other women. She caught me looking at her so she came over and opened the door. She used the excuse she was waiting on me to tell her I had a urine sample ready (it was quite obvious she had simply just forgotten about me). All this time I still had the IV needle in my arm with a hose sticking out. She took the sample and left. Almost an hour later she came back and told me I had gastrointeritis (a type of stomach virus) and she handed me a paper with 3 prescriptions on it then they told me I could go. I got the hospital bill a couple weeks later and it was over $1400. For reasons untold I was given a discount which brought the charges down to around $500. This is still waaay more than I think I should pay, but I was understanding that I did not have insurance and they did the IV and the bloodwork, etc. Another few weeks went by and I received the doctor's bill which was over $1000. I was shocked because like I said I only saw an actual doctor for 3 minutes max. I called the number on the bill which was just a payment center. They couldn't and wouldn't do anything to help me. They did tell me that the state of GA has a list of diagnosis and every diagnosis has a price next to it. Hearing this was appauling obviously because now I know they don't look at me and my case as an individual one. I walked in the door with a condition as simple as a stomach virus and it already had a price tag on it. I feel like they didn't care that I was left in there for 5 hours when it could have taken only a couple. They definatly didn't care that the doctor only saw me for a few minutes and did nothing to treat me or care for me (the ER that night was dead by the way, very few other patients there, so I won't believe that he was that busy). I then called the hospital back and was refered to someone (I've forgotten her title there). She told me very rudely, next time maybe I shouldn't come to the ER. (Like I said I had no other options at that time of night) She says it costs money just to have the doctor lay eyes on me...but $1000? This is on top of the $500 I have to pay for all the tests and IV, etc. on my hospital bill. I said there is absolutly no way I can pay this or no reason anyone should have to pay this for only seeing a doctor for 3 minutes and the fact that what I had wasn't even a serious condition. She wouldn't help me. I dont know where to turn or how to get this bill changed. Theres no way I can pay this even on a payment plan the payments would have to be so minimal it would take me years and years to pay it off. But i feel the charges are ludacris. Any advice?