Outrageous!

I got two more bills. I now owe a grand total of $10,478.55 I was only in the hospital 01/23-26.

  :\\\'(

I got two more bills. I now owe a grand total of $10,478.55 I was only in the hospital 01/23-26.

That's the thing with a US hospital stay (and no insurance) -- or even just a visit to the ER.  You're going to be billed for everything.  For the hospital bed/room, for the meds that were administered, for any supplies you used, for each doctor you saw, for each lab test they conducted, for the people who read/interpret the lab tests, for any sort of specialist that saw you for anything (doctor, nurse or technician), for any sort of special equipment, for everything.  It's a national disgrace.

When I was a debt counsellor in the US, I used to have people who'd come to their appointments with grocery sack fulls of medical bills.  They got sick without any insurance, were in the hospital for awhile, and afterwards - just got to the point where they couldn't face opening the mail anymore.  So we'd spend the first appointment just opening the mail & sorting out what bill was what - where it had been referred for collections, etc.  And yes - it IS outrageous.

What really irks me is that I've been so careful to stay out of debt, and now I'm in so much. I have a few student loans. I owe a tiny little bit on my credit card for books this semester and a car repair. (Will be paid off by March) I paid cash for my car. I don't buy alot of stuff, I watch every penny. I have a budget and I stick to it.

It's so overwhelming to be in that much debt. If they took everything I own and lumped the value together, it wouldn't be worth $10,478.55 . To me, I might as well owe ten million. I'm just trying to get through college without any financial support from my family. I wish there was a way to put off payment until I've graduated (May 2009) and have a real job/salary.

I am Indy's wife and I just read this and nearly fell off my chair how can you afford to live no wonder people are struggling, this is unbelievable I can't even get my head round having to pay for medical care as a basic let alone having to pay up that much, what did they do patch you up in gold.

Well Chris was in hospital in the USA for a week for pnumonia (sorry cant spell) and he did not get a medical bill he had medicare/caid at the time. I really would never wish to live over there if that is the sort of thing that happens even going for a smear as a woman would bother me if we had to pay and that concerns me as we as woman are putting ourselves at risk and I guess alot of people would go undiagnosed until it was to late if they had no insurance and no one should be put at risk like that.

I really feel for you and so sorry you have landed in debt because of this shame on them for leaving people so vunerable.

I guess if we ever go over again and we are asked about over staying my answer would most deff be absolutely not I know where my bread is buttered and we are far better off in the UK for sure, at least we get to keep our home and we do not have to comprimise our health.

Good luck I hope you can get something sorted I feel so sorry.

Indy's wife Sonya

When we were in a car accident and had some hospital bills, we ended up having to go to court for the money (as the guy said he never actually hit us, the red paint on the bumper from his red car was a bit of a giveaway!), anyway when we settled, they called the hospital and for payment in full they halfed the bill!  It is a bit of a con. 

My Dad had come over for the birth of my first child (c-section $10000 +), he has had heart problems in the past, but ended up with a heart bypass whilst over there (about 5 blockages - NHS only saw 2 on a scan ), well is cost $100000, but worth the money  (though overpriced!) as I do believe he wouldn't be here today had he not come over, probably had a heart attack on the waiting list.  The insurance tried not to pay it, but as my Dad had called them and told them everything he had done (hospital scan and on a waiting for the appointment with the specialist) before he left and got authorization (mistake on there part), they ended up footing all but £10 or something crazy. 

I think my biggest irritation at the US system, is when you have insurance, you have to check that everyone from the the guy giving the anesthesia, the hospital, the doctor, where the blood is taken to, are on the insurance plan, or you will be billed full price.  I had a basic annual doctors visit, which was covered all by a small copay, ended up costing $200 as they sent the blood to a place that wasn't covered. 

When I had back surgery (i was 10 ish) had rods put up my back hips pinned heel cord lenghtenings and was in hospital for long time about 2/3 months I think it was bit of a blurr at that time, my mom and dad got a bill for $500,000 it went from the floor to the celling, they paid half the insurance company paid half it took them years to get rid of the debt, and the 3 years ago my dad need by pass surgery he was rushed to hospital, and I think it was in the region of $10,000 or so it may have been more it's just the figure I remember my mom saying they still had to pay so it would have been more as they have insurance also through my dads job.

I was recently in the hospital for four days, have no health insurance, and now owe the hospital $9,000.  I'm a college student, work part time, and survive on around $200 a week. I'm in total shock. I don't know how I'm ever going to pay it off. When I first opened the bill, I was literally sick. That was a few days ago, and I still cry just thinking about it. :\\\'(

Oh man, I feel for you.  When I was an uninsured college student I ended up in the hospital for 4 days as well.  With all the tests, etc, my bill ended up somewhere around $13,000.

After a few months of a lot of stress, I finally contacted the hospital directly (not their billing office, which was based in another state and COMPLETELY useless -- they gave me a ton of information that ended up being just plain wrong) and talked to them about it.  A month after that I got a letter saying that the state had written off almost the entire cost of my hospital stay.  I just had to pay for my GP visits and blood tests for the year that I spent on medication.  I wasn't expecting to receive very much help at all since I made too much to qualify for the Oregon Health Plan (state subsidized health insurance -- which I also would have qualified for if I was pregnant or had children). 

Good luck, IME.  When I got the letter telling me how much the state was going to put towards my medical bills, I ripped it open while standing at the mailbox and scared my neighbors by squealing with glee.  Here's hoping you get to scare your neighbors as well. 

IME, go talk to your University's counseling services.  They must have something to help you there, I'm sure.  You're definitely not the first student to have faced this.   

My BIL's parents spend 6 mos of the year in Phoenix, the other six months in Canada (they're Canadian so they have Canadian Health Care and then US travelers insurance for when they're in AZ)

the last four years in a row, his mom has gotten ill while they were in Phoenix.  She is 78.  Last year, she was dropped by her insurance company and they had to go back to Canada early.  This year, she has had a stroke.  She is getting excellent, excellent care and has orders not to travel for the next six weeks but the social worker at the hospital is telling them that she most assuredly will be dropped by her insurance company before those 6 weeks are up.

How stupid is that?  Why do you pay for insurance? How reliable is it, that the insurance company can just drop you if you are a bit too sick for their liking?  That is reprehensible. 

I got approved for the hospitals charity! I got a letter today saying that they were covering $8,670 of my expenses. (all of the hospital bill)      I still owe $1,800 to doctors and for lab work, but that seems like such a smaller number compared to the $10, 478.55

I got approved for the hospitals charity! I got a letter today saying that they were covering $8,670 of my expenses. (all of the hospital bill)      I still owe $1,800 to doctors and for lab work, but that seems like such a smaller number compared to the $10, 478.55

Yay!!  That's fantastic

What a relief! Well done!

Is there not a mechanism to challenge these outrageous bills or does everyone just pay up and smile??

joe

Having no medical coverage can be very scary. 
I know each state is different but in Washington state they do have a good health insurance plan, Basic Health, that is available to the public.  The fees are based on your monthly income and can be as low as about $20 a month.  Doctor visits are $15, Emergency Room $100, and a % of prescription costs are covered.  It's not perfect (no plan is) but it's sure better than nothing at all.
 

Having no medical coverage can be very scary. 
I know each state is different but in Washington state they do have a good health insurance plan, Basic Health, that is available to the public.  The fees are based on your monthly income and can be as low as about $20 a month.  Doctor visits are $15, Emergency Room $100, and a % of prescription costs are covered.  It's not perfect (no plan is) but it's sure better than nothing at all.
 

I wish such a thing were available in Texas.  When I was unemployed, I qualified for nothing.  Luckily, my daughter got CHIP, so I didn't have to worry about her.

I wish it were available in all 50 states.