Early discharge from hospital

[ecmst12]

It's easy to give "advice" like "don't pay your bills" when it's someone ELSE'S credit/reputation/bank accounts on the line, isn't it?

If the charges weren't reasonable, her insurance would not have paid them. Ever watch House? Medicine in real life is like that, but less extreme - a lot of trial and error. For each set of symptoms, there is a treatment protocal. First you try treatment A and see if it works. If it doesn't work, then you try treatment B. If that is not successful, then you go on down the line until you find the right treatment. Treatments go from the least invasive/risky to the most invasive. That is how medicine is practiced, it is completely correct and proper. Your friend was given non-invasive treatment A, it improved her symptoms and she went home. Her condition worsened, so she was re-admitted and given more invasive treatment B, which resolved her problem. She has NO cause to dispute the treatment or the charges. If she can't afford to pay her portion all at once, she can work out a payment plan. But refusing to pay is wrong, and is only going to cause her headaches in the future. Show her this thread and let her make her own decisions.

 

[wyett717]

She was not expecting to feel 100 percent fine when she was sent home the first time. What she was not expecting was to go back again to the hospital for the same thing.

The doctors that treated her in the second visit were different than the ones in the first visit. The procedures followed in the second visit were different than the ones followed in the first visit.

I'm sure the hospital staff was not expecting her to come back either. A hospital is one of the few places where they don't wish for "repeat customers." Your friend clearly has some health issues (diabetes); therefore it is likely that she is predisposed to complications.

Of course the doctors were different the second time around; it's not likely that you would have the same medical staff for each visit to the ER. They looked at her chart from the first time she was there and realized that the first treatment didn't work, so they tried another method, which obviously worked. That's the reality of medicine...not everything is an instant cure, some things are trial and error.

She really should pay the bill, it is not the hospital's fault. I guess I would be very thankful that they treated me and helped me feel better.

 

[mydognamepuaboy]

if you going to a hospital to seek treatment expect to pay atleast some co payment, your friend health insurance will not going to pay 100% cost of her medical care.

I give you an example. I have medicare health care insurance part A is hospital, part B is medical and part D prescription drug cost. everytime I go to a hospital for any reason I have to pay 5% co payment of the total cost. everytime I go see my primary doctor I have to pay 5% co payment. everytime I refill my prescription drug medicine I have to pay 5% of co payment. maybe your friend health insurance already paid their share and the $4000.00 probably her co payment. a health insurance is there to pay the hospital and doctors services for your friend medical care but your friend have a responsibility to pay her share of the bills. I am not an expert I just add my two cent