Any Medical Care Costly, Writer Learns
Around the first of September, my boyfriend thought he might have broken his big toe. It takes a lot of pain for him to ask to go to the doctor, but he did ask.
It was a Saturday, his doctor’s office was closed and this was not a life threatening situation. We decided not to go to the emergency room and used an “urgent care” here in Abingdon. The lady at the desk assured me that this was cheaper than the hospital and that the ER is for a life threatening situations, not to mention very costly if you’re not insured.
We got a shock when we got the bill. His toe was not broken, but an x-ray was necessary. That x-ray cost us $328. The shot for the pain was $25.05; clinic fee, $87; another “office/clinic” fee of $45 (didn’t we just pay $87 for that?) then, another bill from x-ray for $27. Talk about adding insult to injury.
Just a little FYI for those of you who may think urgent care might save you money if someone gets hurt. Without insurance there are no cheap options.
Helen Cook
Abingdon, Va.
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Reader Reactions
oldman wrote “The x ray was $27.00—- reading it was the $328”. I recently had a chest x ray made and asked the technician a specific question as she was checking it, and she casually answered my question which she obviously was trained to see. But then she replied that the doctor would have to read the x ray and give me his professional opinion. Well her opinion was free and the doctor’s opinion was the same at a considerable fee. Somewhere in between should be a reasonable solution.
Mammal your ignorance is showing. Please get some education about a subject before you post. It is expensive or not available if you have any kind of illness that can be called pre-existing. By the way, having high cholesterol can be called a pre-existing heart condition. I recently purchased a life insurance policy and was questioned carefully about it.
By making the statement you made it is clear you either get your insurance through work, in which case you better pray your job is secure, or you are on government provided Medicare. It is also clear you are in great health. Better be careful on wet patches when you walk or you will find out how wonderful your more-precious-than-human-life insurance is. I also strongly suggest you ask your company how much your policy really costs INCLUDING what they pay. Get the total cost to the employer to cover you.
Get your head out to where the sun can shine on it.
By the way, Mammal, can you explain just what in the HE*L, do liberals have to do with someone not being able to afford insurance??I am sure this person and everyone out there that has had to pay one of these bills or be told you can’t have a medical test (it’s only for insurance holders) is VERY aware of the cost. They don’t have to be told anything by liberals,rep, dem, independant,right wing, left wing, or any other idiot!
Mammal—-Congratulations!!! Either you are one of the fortunate ones(for this moment) that has insurance that your boss pays most of, OR you have not had the misfortune of being sick or have a history of any family illness. The gall to sugest that anyone “just go out and get insurance” is so callous, that it is unbelievable, it is sickening. Are you so arrogant that you think it is that easy???
The xray was $27.00—- reading it was the $328
You cloud have used a bright light held under the toe and seen the same thing or seen the break. Fractures are what xrays find.
So, get insurance. It’s not as hard or expensive as liberals want you to believe.
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