Ambulance charges

[gardengirl]

No need to be so rude and uncaring, lady.

He HAD assistance. He's a PROFESSIONAL. It's still amazingly tough to get a 400+lb DEAD PERSON off the floor, so that their families don't have to do it.

And, funnily, he often speaks of the ingrates with whom he deals. I'm not at all surprised.

Silverplum, if he is such a PROFESSIONAL he should know that it is amazingly tough to get a 400 lb person off the floor, and should have followed the procedure in place to keep from hurting himself - again. Most people have tough jobs in one way or another, and most of us have to deal with ingrates. It is nice that he does that job, the world needs that job filled, just as the world needs strawberry pickers, and attorneys, and every sort of profession. None of them deserve medals just because of what they do - they usually get paid accordingly - except of course the strawberry pickers and the like...

I am sorry you thought me rude - I took my lead from your earlier comment about the monopoly on water vending machines -

 

[ecmst12]

That's the whole point though - EMT's get paid according to the difficulty of their job (and are usually underpaid, considering everything) and that's a significant expense leading to the high cost of emergency health care.

 

[barry1817]

ambulance

California and Idaho
My son (age 20) flew into Monterey airport to attend a soccer team tryout at Cal State Monterey Bay. We live in Idaho. On his return trip, he was feeling bad at the the airport, with stomach cramps, but boarded the plane anyway. he was thirsty, but there were no water fountains, just machines with water for $2.50, so he didn't buy any.
On the runway, he indicated to the flight attendants that he was feeling bad, so the pilots called an ambulance, and they returned to the gate. My son was taken to the hospital, a total of 6 miles, and was then treated there for dehydration. The ambulance charge was $1298.64 PLUS mileage of $162.78. His insurance only paid $251, and they are billing my son now for $1,062.87 after adjustments.
Is there any way he can contest this charge? It seems very high, and he doesn't have any money - any way to fight it?

I guess I am just living in a different world, where it costs more than $1400 to transport a person 6 miles in an ambulance. I guess we have to pay that cost to make up for all the emergency care that is mandated for those that have no money to pay. Isn't that just grand.

 

[gardengirl]

GOOD NEWS! Resolution

The service provider (ambulance company) agreed to take either low monthly payments with no interest, or cash, with a 30% discount!! Son is going to take the cash payment option, and pay it with George Bush's "economic stimulus" check.
Thanks for all the input!

 

[lealea1005]

The service provider (ambulance company) agreed to take either low monthly payments with no interest, or cash, with a 30% discount!! Son is going to take the cash payment option, and pay it with George Bush's "economic stimulus" check.
Thanks for all the input!

Glad it worked out for you. Good luck to your son in college and on the soccer field.