Looks like they were right! :-) :-) OTOH, they are to be found in northern NEW JERSEY, a fact which I was well apprised of, back in the day.
Posted on 07/30/2015 9:26:59 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A metro woman was shocked when she received a $200,000 hospital bill after being bitten by a snake.
Diane Nelson says she was wearing rubber gloves and working in her yard when she came across a Copperhead with a short temper.
Diane had been pulling grass from around her bushes when she felt a sting.
“When I pulled my glove off, I had two marks on my finger,” she said.
It was a bite from a Copperhead snake.
Within hours, Nelson’s entire arm was swollen and she was rushed to the ICU in need of anti-venom.
“I was in ICU for about two days, 48 hours,” Nelson said.
Two days and 18 vials of anti-venom later, Nelson was able to go home. She later received her bill, which was nearly $200,000 just for the anti-venom.
“The anti-venom is actually an anti-body that is specific for the type of snakes we have here in Oklahoma,” said Scott Schaeffer, with the Oklahoma Center For Poison and Drug Information.“It’s a very expensive anti-venom to make.”
Schaffer says the anti-venom is expensive for several reasons.
“The snakes have to be milked and several types are milked to create a pool of venom,” he said.
It then goes through an extensive process to create the drug, which is all done in Australia.
It is then shipped to hospitals here.
Another reason is there is a low demand for the drug and most hospitals do not keep much of it on hand.
“The shelf life compared to other drugs is relatively short. So if it doesn’t get used, it has to be discarded,” Schaeffer said.
“I was shocked. I knew it would be expensive but not that expensive,” Nelson said.
Fortunately, Nelson found out her insurance will cover the cost.
“It saved my life so I can’t complain,” she said.
If you are bitten by a snake, there are things you should not do.
Experts say you should never try to suck the venom out. In fact, Schaeffer says that could actually make it worse.
Also, don’t use ice on the bite and don’t use a tourniquet to keep the venom from spreading.
Instead, go immediately to the hospital.
Officials say while July has been a busy month for snake bites, they’re actually seeing a pretty average number for the year.
“A $200K bill for treating a bite from a snake that is rarely fatal?”
Every person on staff in the hospital, who poked their head in even for a second out of curiosity, was able to submit a bill to the insurance company for serious dollars. Everyone cashes in. What a racket.
Why? She would be dead if she was in some third world craphole. She should be thankful that capitalism saved her life.
Just because the service receiver does not pay directly but rather everyone pays collectively doesn’t mean the hospital and doctors should hide the costs and inflate the bill.
If your house suffers storm damage and you need a new roof you get the price beforehand. Our healthcare system is a great big scammers delight.
In terms of profit....I’d take a guess that $60,000 of this bill was just icing on the cake.
Seems like there is an opportunity for a US company to make antivenom if the only current processing lab is in Australia.
The choice should not be between being robbed and being alive.
She has insurance. The unedeted bill is $200K the insurance company will end up paying around 30% of the total, if that. Around $60,000. Expensive, but cheap if she values her life.
I have the unfortunate distinction of having first hand knowledge of literally MILLIONS of dollars in hospital bills thanks to a sick child, strange idiopathic diseases and twin boys born eight weeks early. I have BOXES of bills totaling more than $12 million for my son Douglas alone.
the death panel would have let her die
Some anti-venom is real cheap in Mexico.
Because Experts.
Because Government.
“In terms of profit....I’d take a guess that $60,000 of this bill was just icing on the cake.”
How do you think they pay for all of the illegals that they will never see a dime from?
Insurance company will pay only a fraction of the bill.
There are “arrangements” between hospitals and insurance companies.
The reason paper bill is so high because they want the patient to see it, and never take a chance of canceling health insurance.
I understand there is only one outfit in UK who makes anti-venom used by hospitals in USA. Which means no competition. That is why it is very expensive.
Copperheads won't say anything. They just bite your a$$.
Neither will chase you like a water snake.
18 doses of a drug that probably costs 2 grand a dose (and prob billed at 5)
ER care.
2 days of critical care.
Extensive lab monitoring.
Given the amount of swelling indicated in the article and the fact that they gave 18 doses of a drug normally given 2-5 times (repeated doses are based on continued symptoms), I’d say this hospital saved her life.
Oh. And they billed $200K which was probably cut to a third by contractual agreement with the insurance company.
The hospital likely made at most 5-10% net.
And they saved her life.
Capitalism is a great thing!
Would 18 doses of CroFab have been avail in a single payer system?
$200K for a couple of days in the ICU?
Sounds pretty cheap to me, given my recent experience:
A couple of months ago, I had a simple, common five minute outpatient procedure.
A few years ago, I had the same thing, and received a single bill for $2,500.00, which I thought was pretty outrageous.
So far on this one, I have received thirteen bills from nine different entities in six states, totaling $27, 342.48.
And they won’t even itemize them to say what they are charging me for. Just “Pay now, (or else)”
Wow, Great, I'm gonna have to (try to) remember that.
Looks like they were right! :-) :-) OTOH, they are to be found in northern NEW JERSEY, a fact which I was well apprised of, back in the day.
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