heidimaria
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California
Hi,
I got sick in May from a supplement designed to pull toxins out of your body. The doctor had perscribed too high a dose and the toxins dumped into my stomach too fast and made me throw up.
My housemate heard - I was unable to stop and it sounded very bad - so he called the ambulance. I told him not to but he did anyway. I got sick like this one time prior and it just stopped suddenly and I was fine, so I thought this would be the same (and it was, it stopped as soon as the ambulance came). Moral support was all I needed both times.
I was in the process of finding health insurance so uninsured and now I'm upset at having to pay the bill.
I gather from reading other posts that the actual CALL to 911 is the agreement to pay any and all bills incurred. I think that they should, like any other service provider, obtain my signature to agree for the cost of the service before rendering the service. I was lucid and I would have said "No thank you!" Is this the only service where they don't need a signed contract of agreement to the service before forcing the service on you? If it was a plumber, lawyer, health specialist - anyone else would have to get my permission to give me their service and get me to sign a contract before giving me the service. I'm not going to pay a plumber who just does a job without my permission and then sends me the bill. Even if I agree to the service, I wouldn't just say - "go ahead, tell me a couple weeks later what I'll owe you for it."
I did sign some papers when they left - I was agreeing to - against their advice - refuse a trip in the damn ambulance and leave them with no liability if anything went wrong later that day - but I might have also been signing some acknowledgement of their having prodded me a bit and used their instruments to make sure I was breathing etc.
Can I dispute or would that be a total waste of time? The bill is $350 so if it takes more than 3 days of hassle, or if I lose, it constitutes a complete waste of time. To me it's immoral to not have been asked my permission prior and $350 seems a bit extravagent for a 5 minute drive and a bit of prodding.
I also can't involve my housemate since I think I already traumatized him by getting sick...
(I'll probably just pay it and stop wasting my time with it since I don't remember what I actually signed so they probably have more legal grouds to administer the bill than I have to refuse payment.) It's still messed up.
Thanks!!
Heidi
Hi,
I got sick in May from a supplement designed to pull toxins out of your body. The doctor had perscribed too high a dose and the toxins dumped into my stomach too fast and made me throw up.
My housemate heard - I was unable to stop and it sounded very bad - so he called the ambulance. I told him not to but he did anyway. I got sick like this one time prior and it just stopped suddenly and I was fine, so I thought this would be the same (and it was, it stopped as soon as the ambulance came). Moral support was all I needed both times.
I was in the process of finding health insurance so uninsured and now I'm upset at having to pay the bill.
I gather from reading other posts that the actual CALL to 911 is the agreement to pay any and all bills incurred. I think that they should, like any other service provider, obtain my signature to agree for the cost of the service before rendering the service. I was lucid and I would have said "No thank you!" Is this the only service where they don't need a signed contract of agreement to the service before forcing the service on you? If it was a plumber, lawyer, health specialist - anyone else would have to get my permission to give me their service and get me to sign a contract before giving me the service. I'm not going to pay a plumber who just does a job without my permission and then sends me the bill. Even if I agree to the service, I wouldn't just say - "go ahead, tell me a couple weeks later what I'll owe you for it."
I did sign some papers when they left - I was agreeing to - against their advice - refuse a trip in the damn ambulance and leave them with no liability if anything went wrong later that day - but I might have also been signing some acknowledgement of their having prodded me a bit and used their instruments to make sure I was breathing etc.
Can I dispute or would that be a total waste of time? The bill is $350 so if it takes more than 3 days of hassle, or if I lose, it constitutes a complete waste of time. To me it's immoral to not have been asked my permission prior and $350 seems a bit extravagent for a 5 minute drive and a bit of prodding.
I also can't involve my housemate since I think I already traumatized him by getting sick...
(I'll probably just pay it and stop wasting my time with it since I don't remember what I actually signed so they probably have more legal grouds to administer the bill than I have to refuse payment.) It's still messed up.
Thanks!!
Heidi