Why are people so surprised? This is a great story and everyone should do it. The US system is gridlocked regulatory capture by scammers scamming scammers. Anything to route around it is a great idea.
In Japan I had no insurance, but my shoulder bothered me so I walked in to see my doctor the next morning (no appointment, $100), he scheduled an MRI for the next day ($300), and two days later I paid extra to talk to the radiologist($75) to see the damage up close. By the time I saw the surgeon the next week, I already knew I should do physical therapy instead of surgery. In the US this would have taken many weeks and thousands of dollars.
Meanwhile, back in Seattle, a doctor said "take this paper to the emergency desk to get a scan". Bad idea, that cost me $5500 and 8 hours of imprisonment. I couldn't leave after the scan, I waited hours longer for the doctor on duty to give a diagnosis (for a scan?), and of course she billed me separately for that.
It wasn't an injury. I was at Swedish for a routine checkup and the doctor handed me a piece of paper and said "take this to the emergency desk, they can get you a scan". I had no intention of being checked into the ER and no idea I was about to be imprisoned for 8 hours.
It wasn't a big deal for me to be robbed like that, but for most working people a surprise unnecessary $5500 bill would be a real problem, so it's infuriating.
You mentioned this twice, but unless you left out some major details you were never actually imprisoned. If you demand to leave it's almost always a felony to stop you.
They kept telling me I could not leave. If I knew how long it would take I would have called my lawyer to confirm, but it was always, “Just 20 more minutes and the doctor will be here”
It was especially frustrating because I’d been asked to show up to the morning appointment fasted, and of course there was no food in the ER, but I guess it was more important to run up the tab.
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Why are people so surprised? This is a great story and everyone should do it. The US system is gridlocked regulatory capture by scammers scamming scammers. Anything to route around it is a great idea.
In Japan I had no insurance, but my shoulder bothered me so I walked in to see my doctor the next morning (no appointment, $100), he scheduled an MRI for the next day ($300), and two days later I paid extra to talk to the radiologist($75) to see the damage up close. By the time I saw the surgeon the next week, I already knew I should do physical therapy instead of surgery. In the US this would have taken many weeks and thousands of dollars.
Meanwhile, back in Seattle, a doctor said "take this paper to the emergency desk to get a scan". Bad idea, that cost me $5500 and 8 hours of imprisonment. I couldn't leave after the scan, I waited hours longer for the doctor on duty to give a diagnosis (for a scan?), and of course she billed me separately for that.
The many weeks part is not true, the $ part is pretty much random and unknown.
Every time I've gotten injured, it has been a next day appointment, or I just walk into urgent care, and an MRI/Xray scheduled a day or two later.
The imaging clinic my doctor uses provides a complete price sheet before any services are given, saying exactly:
1. How much the overall bill is
2. How much they will be billing and reimbursed from the health insurance company
3. What the patient's total will be
I'm also in Seattle, find a better clinic! (Also ERs are overkill for 99% of things, sucks if you get injured after Urgent Care hours though...)
It wasn't an injury. I was at Swedish for a routine checkup and the doctor handed me a piece of paper and said "take this to the emergency desk, they can get you a scan". I had no intention of being checked into the ER and no idea I was about to be imprisoned for 8 hours.
It wasn't a big deal for me to be robbed like that, but for most working people a surprise unnecessary $5500 bill would be a real problem, so it's infuriating.
You mentioned this twice, but unless you left out some major details you were never actually imprisoned. If you demand to leave it's almost always a felony to stop you.
They kept telling me I could not leave. If I knew how long it would take I would have called my lawyer to confirm, but it was always, “Just 20 more minutes and the doctor will be here”
It was especially frustrating because I’d been asked to show up to the morning appointment fasted, and of course there was no food in the ER, but I guess it was more important to run up the tab.
I’d prefer a Mexican hospital any day.