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Went to ER for 35 bee stings, nothing was done, charged $400

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badcrc

Junior Member
I was stung over 35 times by yellow jackets cutting wood with a chainsaw. I felt fine but had swelling around all the stings. Some family members told me to call the nurse hotline with my health insurance, so I did. This was over an hour after I was stung. The nurse said I could have toxic shock or something and needed to dial 911 immediately. She said if I go to the ER not to drive or I could pass out. I said it's been over an hour and I felt fine, but she got me scared so I thought I have insurance, better safe than sorry, and got someone to drive me to the ER. After filling out papers and having a nurse ask questions and waiting over 2 hours, the doctor comes in and basically asks why I came in for bee stings when I had no problems. I told him what the nurse said and he said I didn't need to come in unless I had some reaction. He didn't even look at the stings, but asked me a couple questions so I lifted my shirt and he said that was normal. This was all in-network but that doesn't really matter for my question.

I received a bill for $295.13 for the ER visit (provider billed $490, plan allowed $295.13, I was billed the full $295.13) and $106.95 for the doctor service (provider billed $503, "plan allowed" $125.62, plan paid $18.67, I was billed the remaining $106.95). So my out of pocket is $402.08 for no services except the doctor's time, which amounted to less than 5 minutes. I requested an itemized statement but I doubt that will show anything worthwhile. They said I could request charity, but the entire bill seems outrageous to me when the phone nurse gave me bad advice and no services were performed. When I looked it up on FAIR health it should have cost about $63 out of network. Is there anything I can do?
 


cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
When you called your insurance carrier to ask them what you were obligated to pay, what did they tell you?
 

xylene

Senior Member
What state did this occur in?

I think you may be confused that the hotline nurse recommendation would have some bearing on your potential charges.

I agree that the price you are being charged is extreme for what was done.
The hospital is offering you relief as a charitable claim, I suggest you avail yourself of that process.

If working outdoors is a hobby or pursuit of yours I also suggest you familarize yourself with any in network urgent care facilities for urgent but less life threatening medical matters.
 

badcrc

Junior Member
When you called your insurance carrier to ask them what you were obligated to pay, what did they tell you?
I'm not sure what you mean. I'm obligated to pay what they didn't pay, which was $402.08. It won't break me, but I'm pretty mad they tried to bill my insurance almost $1000 for the little that was done.
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
I'm not sure what you mean. I'm obligated to pay what they didn't pay, which was $402.08. It won't break me, but I'm pretty mad they tried to bill my insurance almost $1000 for the little that was done.
That is ER rates. Had you gone to your PCP it would have been MUCH less.
 

badcrc

Junior Member
What state did this occur in?

I think you may be confused that the hotline nurse recommendation would have some bearing on your potential charges.

I agree that the price you are being charged is extreme for what was done.
The hospital is offering you relief as a charitable claim, I suggest you avail yourself of that process.

If working outdoors is a hobby or pursuit of yours I also suggest you familarize yourself with any in network urgent care facilities for urgent but less life threatening medical matters.
This was in WA. I'm not confused at all. I was explaining why I went to the ER in the first place and I think my insurance should take a little bit of the hit on the bill because of the nurse's advice, which was the complete opposite of the ER doctor. When I was a kid I did have severe allergic reactions to some bee stings, so the nurse got me way more worried than I should have been. She specifically said "DO NOT GO TO URGENT CARE, CALL 911 OR GO TO ER IMMEDIATELY." Of course after this ER situation, now I know more. I completely understand the ER bill is what it is. But if you get billed $1500 for a brake job on your car and complain about being overcharged there is usually something that will be done. Good advice about being familiar with facilities, which I'm not, but this was in-network. Still doesn't change the fact it's extreme overcharging for services rendered.
 
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xylene

Senior Member
. But if you get billed $1500 for a brake job on your car
I guess you've never had a European car... :eek:;):) - that's like a good price.

I guess what I'm getting at is ERs are really really expensive.

Work the appeals and charity submission, it's all you can do.

No one is particularly happy with medical care and the ridiculous costs. I'm personally annoyed that the triage station didn't just tell you "It's been hours, you can you breath fine, no major swelling, ok go home and put some OTC benadryl cream on it." before you were even checked in. But they probably cut the triage budget to save money...
 
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Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
This was in WA. I'm not confused at all. I was explaining why I went to the ER in the first place and I think my insurance should take a little bit of the hit on the bill because of the nurse's advice, which was the complete opposite of the ER doctor. When I was a kid I did have severe allergic reactions to some bee stings, so the nurse got me way more worried than I should have been. She specifically said "DO NOT GO TO URGENT CARE, CALL 911 OR GO TO ER IMMEDIATELY." Of course after this ER situation, now I know more. I completely understand the ER bill is what it is. But if you get billed $1500 for a brake job on your car and complain about being overcharged there is usually something that will be done. Good advice about being familiar with facilities, which I'm not, but this was in-network. Still doesn't change the fact it's extreme overcharging for services rendered.
It's not overcharging - it's quite the norm.
 

badcrc

Junior Member
I guess you've never had a European car... :eek:;):) - that's like a good price.

I guess what I'm getting at is ERs are really really expensive.

Work the appeals and charity submission, it's all you can do.

No one is particularly happy with medical care and the ridiculous costs. I'm personally annoyed that the triage station didn't just tell you "It's been hours, you can you breath fine, no major swelling, ok go home and put some OTC benadryl cream on it." before you were even checked in. But they probably cut the triage budget to save money...
Yes, soon as I typed $1500 I thought if you're doing all the brakes on some cars that might be cheap. You get my point though. I was just looking for some other avenue besides doing charity. I talked with the hospital once today but they don't seem to care about the logic of the situation.
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
I guess you've never had a European car... :eek:;):) - that's like a good price.

I guess what I'm getting at is ERs are really really expensive.

Work the appeals and charity submission, it's all you can do.

No one is particularly happy with medical care and the ridiculous costs. I'm personally annoyed that the triage station didn't just tell you "It's been hours, you can you breath fine, no major swelling, ok go home and put some OTC benadryl cream on it." before you were even checked in. But they probably cut the triage budget to save money...
Wish I could like this 2x's!! ^
 

badcrc

Junior Member
It's not overcharging - it's quite the norm.
Yep, but the norm is overcharging. I believe it is overcharging when nothing was done. The statement says they billed $503 for doctor's services alone. For 5 minutes of time the guy would be making over $5000/hour. I'm sure he's not making that, so where's the justification?
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
Yep, but the norm is overcharging. I believe it is overcharging when nothing was done. The statement says they billed $503 for doctor's services alone. For 5 minutes of time the guy would be making over $5000/hour. I'm sure he's not making that, so where's the justification?
The doctor got $125.62, not $503.

You're not paying for how long it took the doctor to look at you, you're paying for his knowledge.

Look up "Knowing which screw to turn" on Google for one version of the old story.
 

badcrc

Junior Member
Had you called the nurse and she said you will be fine and you then had an allergic reaction that almost killed you, you would be on here asking how do you sue the nurse/insurance carrier.
I'm not the suing type, but I get your point. Even if liability was part of the equation, that could have been easily avoided by saying "it's been over an hour and you have no reaction so you will probably be fine, but you should go to the ER just to be safe." Instead she scared me into going. From what the doctor told me you would see symptoms pretty quick. I got schooled for $402.08, now I know.
 

badcrc

Junior Member
The doctor got $125.62, not $503.

You're not paying for how long it took the doctor to look at you, you're paying for his knowledge.

Look up "Knowing which screw to turn" on Google for one version of the old story.
Yes, but that's not what they billed originally, that's just what my health plan accepted. That's still over $1500/hr. He isn't making that either, so I'm wondering where that extra is going if it's not to the doctor.
 

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