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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Is this sustainable? Is this reasonable? I had to go to the ER for a minor accident and got a few x-rays. I guess I am almost writing this post to dissuade people from going to the ER, especially if you are uninsured. I am, unfortunately. So I got two bills, which was a surprise. 1,500 for the ER visit (with a $224 charge for a pregnancy test! even though I had told them I did a pregnancy test myself just prior to the visit) and a $850 bill (kindly discounted from almost 1000), which totals 2,350 for an ER visit. Next time I just won't go. That's American healthcare. Disgrace. I don't know what to do and I am writing this through tears. Is this for real?

I am being penalized for having a medical need in the evening. Had the urgent care places been available I would have paid way less. I had an experience of going to an urgent care place and they have a very deep discount for self-pay patients. In fact, that visit was similar in scope and I was seen much sooner. It cost me just above $100, including x-rays.

NEVER go to a hospital ER. Thank you, America.[/quote]

ER's are for life and death situations. That's it. [/quote]

This isn't super helpful, it's not really true, and the average lay person can't be expected to discern "life and death." First, it's easy to identify a non-life and death situation where an ER is appropriate - a facial laceration. That needs to be seen in an ER so that it can be closed by plastics. Second, lay persons (and really anyone without imaging studies) can't truly distinguish life and death situations. Stomach pain in a 52 year old woman? Could be an MI, but no way to tell without an ECG. Right sided abdominal pain? Could be appendicitis, but can't tell without imaging. Loss of hearing? Could be ear wax impaction or could be an ENT emergency, but can't tell without at least an otoscope.[/quote]

You can get a otoscope that takes pictures on amazon and do an online doctor pretty affordably.[/quote]

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