Yikes
I received a Patient Summary of Services today from Rex Hospital covering the use of their surgical facility: $9,399.05. Yikes!
Use of the OR itself was $6,519. That comes to something like $3000 per hour. The recovery room was $816 ... for a can of Coke and some Saltine crackers. Radiology billed in at $586 and we already knew the hand was broken! The anesthesia, at $470, was worth every penny. $453.50 went to the pharmacy and "self administered drugs" was another $10.55. The drug? A Vicodin so cheap that 20 of them at the drug store comes to $7.86. Implants (that would be the wires) were billed at $294. A totally unnecessary machine-read EKG was $210. Add lab chemistry fees of $49 and you are at $6519.05 in total.
Of this I will have a copay of $125. I will be interesting to see what fraction of the balance the insurance company actually pays the hospital. If the settlement for my recent colonoscopy is any indication, they will pay about 40 cents on the dollar.
Still to go are the fees from the surgeon, anesthesiologist, therapist, etc. My exposure should be office visit copays of $20, if that.
Are medical costs out of control?
You bet!
Use of the OR itself was $6,519. That comes to something like $3000 per hour. The recovery room was $816 ... for a can of Coke and some Saltine crackers. Radiology billed in at $586 and we already knew the hand was broken! The anesthesia, at $470, was worth every penny. $453.50 went to the pharmacy and "self administered drugs" was another $10.55. The drug? A Vicodin so cheap that 20 of them at the drug store comes to $7.86. Implants (that would be the wires) were billed at $294. A totally unnecessary machine-read EKG was $210. Add lab chemistry fees of $49 and you are at $6519.05 in total.
Of this I will have a copay of $125. I will be interesting to see what fraction of the balance the insurance company actually pays the hospital. If the settlement for my recent colonoscopy is any indication, they will pay about 40 cents on the dollar.
Still to go are the fees from the surgeon, anesthesiologist, therapist, etc. My exposure should be office visit copays of $20, if that.
Are medical costs out of control?
You bet!
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