In case you need to know TMI but I am livid

[cabanafrau]

Only my first one



If only I had a crystal ball I am not sure I would have gone

Do you think you could have managed without any pain meds? I've never experienced a kidney stone, but even seeing a couple family members and friends in an attack made it seem unbearable.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

probably not

 

[Southernmiss]

I am sure that you made the best decision you could at the time you were in pain. It is better to go and not need care, than not go and need care! ((We always second guess ourselves, too about going, but more often than not-medical intervention was necessary.))

 

[kimblebee]

Do you think you could have managed without any pain meds? I've never experienced a kidney stone, but even seeing a couple family members and friends in an attack made it seem unbearable.

It’s a 9.9 out of 10. I was told that pain meds don’t do much, you just have to let it pass. I was given something that made my tube bigger (can’t think of the word), so that the stones could pass easier.

Hang in there, @tinkerbellandeeyor, I know how painful it is.

Good news though, your stone is 5mm, not 5 cm

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

It passed back in June this is what came in the mail after the fact

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Are you positive its even a bill?
Read it over very carefully.
If it is in fact a bill then contact either the provider or your insurance company to ask for an explanation and see if you can't get it covered with your insurance.

You're overreacting about having gone.
This is not something that should have just been a wait and see situation on your part.
The trip to the ER was necessary. In the future I would not recommend going to an urgent care that does not have a CT scanner because especially if its pain in your stomach area they]ll likely want a CT. Kidney stones are not as easily diagnosed as say a broken wrist.

 

[mamamary]

It’s a 9.9 out of 10. I was told that pain meds don’t do much, you just have to let it pass. I was given something that made my tube bigger (can’t think of the word), so that the stones could pass easier.

Hang in there, @tinkerbellandeeyor, I know how painful it is.

Good news though, your stone is 5mm, not 5 cm

Was it flomax? They gave that to me last time.

 

[VandVsmama]

It’s says I have other insurance then the one I showed not true unless they are talking prescription coverage and I doubt that

My random thoughts in no particular order:

1. Contact the billing dept of the hospital and make sure that they have your correct health insurance information.
2. Sometimes if it says that you have 'other insurance' in addition to a primary form of insurance (i.e., like you have Medicare + another insurance plan; or you have dual coverage through, I don't know, your employer's health insurance + coverage under a spouse/domestic partner's health insurance), then you could be in a "Coordination of Benefits" situation. If that is the case, then the notice you received might have been for the insurance that's supposed to be billed as secondary.
3. Double check and see if it's an actual hospital bill or if it's an Explanation of Benefits document from your insurance company.
4. Contact your insurance company to see if they've actually received any claim(s) for your ER visit.
5. Usually any sort of provider will submit the claim to the insurance company for the full amount they want to get paid. Then the insurance company responds back to the provider with "here's what our negotiated rate(s) are w/you and based on that, here's what we will agree to pay you for this patient's services." Then that's when the provider sends you a bill for the remaining amount.
6. So if your annual deductible amount is <$15,000, then that might explain why you could be seeing a bill for that high of an amount. However, with those high deductible plans (and the annual deductible amount varies a lot from 1 plan to another, so it totally depends on what health insurance plan you have), it's supposed to be based on the in network/out of network rates that are previously negotiated between the provider(s) and your health insurance company.
7. Double check w/your insurance company to validate that this particular hospital is or is not in network.
8. If it is not in network, then they'll hit you with the 'out of network' fee rates, which will be higher than "in network." However, this was a true medical emergency and if you went to the ER that was closest to the urgent care, then you could perhaps make a case with the insurance company (i.e., file a grievance or appeal) requesting that your insurance company honor the claim(s) at the in-network rate.

 

[kimblebee]

Was it flomax? They gave that to me last time.

I’m pretty sure that’s what it was.

 

[Diznygrl]

Whoa, immediately jumping to a $16,000 CT scan seems a bit extreme to me. When I went to Urgent Care for my first kidney stone (not having a clue what was wrong with me) all they needed to do was take a urine sample to determine that it was more than likely a kidney stone. Gave me a pain med prescription and told me if I didn't pass it within a few days or the pain got worse, go to the ER. Then again I didn't have insurance at the time so maybe they figured they couldn't get that kind of money out of me anyway (or rather, out of an insurance company).

 

[Wishing on a star]

You absolutely needed to go to ER, as this really could have been serious!!!!
Done think woulda-coulda-shoulda!!!
Not sure if you are out-of-the-woods yet?

Tink, sometimes these things look really bad when you first see the paperwork. Get somebody to help you work thru this, and you might see that it isn't so bad after all when everything is sorted out.

Hope you are doing well !

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

The more I think about it I think the most likely explanation is that you have Medicaid or Medicare in addition to a supplemental insurance and either they did not bill it correctly or that what you have is just a summary of services.

 

[keaster]

I just have to say (not to cause any discourse, just an observation as a Canadian)...it really still just shocks me when I see people say they have to pay this amount of money for medical services.

 

[CarolAnn856]

I just have to say (not to cause any discourse, just an observation as a Canadian)...it really still just shocks me when I see people say they have to pay this amount of money for medical services.

No worries. Many of us Americans feel the same.

 

[longboard55]

so I have that insurance that certain groups love to complain about and you can look up estimates. A pelvic cat scan will cost you $373 to $2500, most of the best hospitals were around $1200. Medicine is such a rip off.

 

[longboard55]

No worries. Many of us Americans feel the same.

One of the issues is they passed a bill 10 years ago that basically says medicare will pay any price for any drug, guaranteed. So why lower prices

 

[lifesavacation]

Whoa, immediately jumping to a $16,000 CT scan seems a bit extreme to me. When I went to Urgent Care for my first kidney stone (not having a clue what was wrong with me) all they needed to do was take a urine sample to determine that it was more than likely a kidney stone. Gave me a pain med prescription and told me if I didn't pass it within a few days or the pain got worse, go to the ER. Then again I didn't have insurance at the time so maybe they figured they couldn't get that kind of money out of me anyway (or rather, out of an insurance company).

The average person isn't medically trained so would have no way of knowing if the test is extreme or not. If I went to urgent care and they sent me to the ER, I would probably think there was something wrong with me that would warrant additional testing. I'm to the point that I have to be in a really bad way to go to the doctor. The simplest office visit costs me several hundred dollars.

OP, hopefully this was a misbill and you don't owe that kind of money. Please don't blame yourself, though. You didn't do anything wrong.

 

[Meriweather]

When DD had a kidney stone, she went to Urgent care and they sent her to the ER, by ambulance.

Hopefully your bill is just a mistake and all is settled soon

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Tink- glad you got the medical help you needed and hope everyone is right about it being billed wrong or just an explanation of benefits. If for some reason it is correct- contact hospital and see if they will work with you.

Just FYI for anyone needing non-emergency scan. Check prices at offsite imaging centers. A couple years ago not knowing better I had heart scan at hospital $1500 - needed again a few months later checked offsite and it was $350. I now go there yearly when I need - my cardiologist was shocked at price difference. Those were my out of pocket costs.

Take care of yourself Tink

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

You absolutely needed to go to ER, as this really could have been serious!!!!
Done think woulda-coulda-shoulda!!!
Not sure if you are out-of-the-woods yet?

Tink, sometimes these things look really bad when you first see the paperwork. Get somebody to help you work thru this, and you might see that it isn't so bad after all when everything is sorted out.

Hope you are doing well !

My mom is going to billing as we speak