Hospital bills woman who never saw a doctor

Someone said this is an example of "free" healthcare, but this is not true...the woman, had she had the government "free" healthcare, she would have been treated better. But NO health coverage at all, well, this is what happens to uninsured people only, if someone is covered under anything....medicaid, insurance, etc. then they do not get treated like that.

Some people don't realize you can't get Medicaid based on income alone....you have to be either disabled or have dependants(children) to get it. So clearly this woman in some way did not qualify for it and had nothing.

My parents have government healthcare aka Medicare and they have not had to wait 19 hours when they went to ER's!

I think we need socialized medicine and now. It's clear people are not getting good care, hassling with insurance co's and some cases even go bankrupt even with that insurance if the condition is serious or complicated.

Is it the next step before communism?  Doubtful, since surely by now Canada, Australia and all of Europe would be communist by now. It's a scare tactic perpetuated by the rich, the drug co's and the insurance co's to keep them gouging the system and getting rich off of other people's misfortune and suffering.

Working as a nurse for the last 20 years in all types of settings, I can honestly say that doctors and nurses have NO idea, nor do they care, who has insurance and who doesn't.  When I started nursing, you had 6 patients assigned to you in an 8hr period.  You had time to sit with your patients, find out their social issues etc.  Not once did I ever look, or care, what insurance they had or if they had it.  And neither did anyone else.  Now, nurses are given 14-20 patients to care for and you don't have time to give them their meds, much less check their chart for insurance or lack thereof. 
The public abuses the ER, not just the uninsured and immigrants, people from all walks of life.  I review ER records every day and I can not tell you how many people go to the ER for constipation.  YES, constipation.  And looking at the medical record, it is not miscoded, it is often been a problem for days, and they go during business hours when doctor's offices are open.  Last time I checked, constipation, (unless you have been diagnosed with an intestinal motility problem) was not an emergency.  And these are people with insurance.
At the children's hospital here, people would bring their kids to the ER for a problem they had had for weeks.  But not only did they bring their kids, they brought the neices, nephews, and neighbor kids too.  Because at that time, we had cable TV, air conditioning/heat, food, and a baby sitter (child life specialist) all for free.  They knew they had to wait behind trauma but didnt care because it was better than home.  But still wait times were never 19 hours. Nor did we charge people if they left after their vital signs had been taken.  Medicaid and commercial insurances have been forced to crack down on ER visits and have had to start policing patients because doctors, in most cases, can't or won't turn people away.
I also can't imagine, in this women's case, that there were 19 hours of heart attacks and traumas that kept her from being seen.  I often wonder, in cases like these, what the staff were doing.....or if there was staff.  In my case, my daughter was turned away because they could not verify her insurance and she did not have cash (they didn't accept CC).  She was walking and talking and her b/p was low but high enough to sustain life so they refused care and sent her a bill for the b/p check.  Some ERs are just crappy.  But most save people's lives every day.
I go back to the old saying "if it isn't life, limb, or eyeball, it doesn't belong in the ER."

Who are these idiots that run these sorts of hospitals? They are the reasons why the health delivery system is such a joke.  And astronomical.  I have been in health centers/hospitals where the staff seem less interested in my welfare than they are in my billing ( or bilking?)information. And waiting 19 hours! What did that nurse that saw her do? Shrug her shoulder and clocked out after her shift? Where does responsibility begin and end here? Were I the patient, I would sue the hospital for #1 false advertising ( it is implied that hospitals treat the ill) and #2 for lost wages, having wasted amost on whole caliendar day for naught. And the nerve of that hospital staff to justify the charge for triage. He is one reason we need a total revamp of the system.

Maxifactor, lest I missed something, the patient had a broken limb. Per your criteria, she should have been seen AND treated.

Wow, it's interesting to see this from another point of view. I agree on some accounts, but others do not make sense to me at all. It doesn't surprise me at all that the lady got a $162 bill and I'm not saying that she should have to pay it (as in, I support the transition to universal healthcare), but she should. It's people like her who come into the ER complaining of whatever pain and leave and THEN refuse to pay that is causing hospitals to close. I can only speak for LA County, but in the past year, 2 ERs in the area have closed. Ambulance companies often skip over community hospitals and bring some lady who called 911 for her cold to our ER that is already overcrowed as is.

Do you think that keeping people in the waiting room= more money for health care workers? Do you think that if we give you an XRay, a CT scan, blood tests etc., that we get more money for using these finite materials? Well, we don't. I have had to sit at our reception desk and deal with all you people who come in with a cough and WHINE that you haven't been seen in 6 hours. Or you people who come in with severe pain due to kidney stones or WHATEVER and I'm NOT heartless, I feel bad, I do. But what exactly do you expect me to do? Kick out that person in room 6 who also came for kidney stones and had to wait 5 hours?

We let people in based on SEVERITY- meaning if you come in with your blood pressure through the roof, or you're confused, have an arm droop and can't speak correctly, or you come in completely passed out (and don't fake it. we can tell when you do.), OR better yet, the homeboy ambulance drops you off (gangsta gets shot and his homies simply roll up to the ER, push him out of the car and squeal away) in that case, you'll probably be brought straight back. If we have no rooms we'll stick you in our pelvic room or the hallway and do what we can. As for pain with no other symptoms- meaning your blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation are fine, you probably shouldn't have come to the ER. Maybe the free clinic down the street or HEY, your doctor's office in the morning.

I probably sound cynical right now, but on top of all of this, I'd like to say that it's still not our fault, we really do care about you, BUT we can't help it if that ONE doctor we're working with SUCKS at diagnosis and gives you every test in the book to make sure that he/she is right, we can't stop the Hispanic Panic, we can't turn people who are obviously suffering from the common cold/flu away, and we can't give you a room if the hospital floors have no where to put the patients we are admitting and as a result, we have 10 beds in the ER tied up because those patients must wait here for a hospital bed.  And sorry, but we can't put you at the top of our waiting list because you're in pain (we know it sucks, but the only thing we can do for your kidney stones is drug you. YOU MUST WAIT FOR THEM TO PASS) Yes, we know you could be dying from some internal bleeding/issue but GUESS WHAT- we know when you're suffering from something like that because your VITAL SIGNS will be affected. So don't @!$%# about waiting in the ER for 19 hours when the entire time, your vital signs are completely stable. You should have taken some motrin/tylenol combo at home and tried to sleep it off OR ms. i'm in chiropractic school, just stuck a brace on it and tried to deal with it yourself before taking it to the ER.

It's no wonder nurses in the ER get so @!$%#y and burnt out- you can only see so many NON EMERGENCY cases in a day, and some days, when they're non-emergent AND @!$%#y, it just sucks ass. Does it suck that this lady is being billed $162 even though she didn't see a doctor? Yes it does. Does it make sense? YES IT DOES. Well, to be fair, I can't speak for every ER in the nation, but if you had been in ours, it would make sense to me. We pull you in every 2 hours for vital signs and actually give you tylenol/motrin even though it is out of our scope of practice. Then you leave, and hey- those people who registered you and looked up your insurance or did the paperwork because you didn't have any, the nurse and EDT who looked at your vital signs, tried to shift you closer to the front of the pile but kept seeing more emergent cases- they deserve to be paid. You people think that nurses and doctors make SO MUCH money, I'd love to enlighten you. As an ER doctor, you make just about $60,000-$80,000 a year unless you have been at that hospital just about forever.  When we see you come in with your Blackberry, your Coach purse, or your Baby Phat outfit and don't have insurance, of course we're ticked off. We're BARLELY GETTING PAID people, to bust our asses, deal with the sick and the definitely not sick, medicate you AND diagnose you. When they tell you that you're stupid to go to med school because you want to be rich, they are not joking. If you don't love it, you'll probably wind up our patient when you blow your brains out or OD yourself on some barbituates.

What none of you are even saying is : If there weren't so many sue happy people in this world there wouldn't have to be so high prices on insurance for Hospitals, MD's etc.

Most all people work extremely hard in the Medical field and deserve what little money nurses, aids etc make.

No one same to complain about the money football players make for the little bit of time there on the field but you all are complaining about Doctors that have to go to years of schooling plus keep up with  new medications , better way of treating people etc.

why do people that  intertain you get more than fireman, the Medical field  police etc.. Next time your in a car accident call one of them for your care , or your child gets into something under the sink etc.then lets see if you complain about a stupid bill that may have saved your life.

The ER isn't a boutique. Your wait time depends on the needs of other people coming in for more urgent treatment. The truth is that a broken leg isn't usually an "emergency" and needs to wait in line behind car accidents and other more immediate life threatening emergencies. While a fracture is reasonable, the ER is typically bogged down with people who have common colds, skin rashes for over 2 weeks, and bug bites, or they're just in need of a pregnancy test. This is why everyone waits. If your wait seems long in the ED, look around in the waiting room and you'll see who is to blame.

I had the exact same experience a year ago. I had a very bad hemorrhage and I had to go to the hospital. Of course, I have no  health insurance. I ended up waiting 4 hours and decided that my corner doctor would be open in half an hour so I decided to go to him instead. Obviously he received me in 15 minutes and determined I should be in a hospital; I refused to go back and he sent me home with a bunch of instructions and pills and a fair bill.

Two weeks after I received a bill from the hospital for $180 just for having my name and blood pressure taken, having waited for 4 hours... (who knows how many more if I have stayed!) Outrageous!

I wonder why some of the posters here consider a National Health Care System  "free" health care?  Would it not be our taxes paying for it.  If you work, you have to pay taxes.  If you do not work you can only be in the "system" for so long.  I would much rather have my taxes pay for health care than for a war, weaponry, or projects that benefit only the rich.

Has no one considered that if we do away with private/company sponsored insurance, the VA, the Medicare/Medicaid system we could actually afford to cover our citizens?  The shear savings in administration costs alone.  We would be saving a tree and a person at the same time. 

Rich man or pauper.  We need our health.  We are each important.  Drug/alcohol addicts would get the help they need.  Cutting crime and social problems.  Mothers and children would have adequate care.  Which would in turn foster better family development, in turn would foster better citizens.  There would be a healthier workforce.  Which in turn would make for a better economy.  Which may allow for more doctors and nurses.  This is viable.

As for our brothers and sisters to the south.  How very complex.  On the one hand I cannot hold against anyone for wanting a better life for themselves and their family.  Many of our own forefathers (us Italians, Irish, Germans, etc.) sought the same.  We all adjusted - with much hardship (especially for our African brothers and sisters).  I have every faith that somehow we will adjust to this also.

I would say to our south of the border friends that nothing is gained by running away from a problem.  I do not pretend to understand what is going on in their native country that they do not attempt to make things better on their homefront.  The truth is that the surplus of people coming into our country illegally is hurting us.  Our resources are being over utilized, especially in the the health care sector.  And the U.S. may fall because of the added burden.  What a shame that your children may end up in the same boat as what you left. 

I think that is is prevalent upon all of US to remember that we are all brothers and sisters.  And that we need to find solutions together.  Our forefathers went through much upheaval and hardship to try and make things good for us.  And for a time it was.  Its now time for our generation to stand up and work towards a brighter future.  No matter the hardship.

I wonder why some of the posters here consider a National Health Care System  "free" health care?  Would it not be our taxes paying for it.  If you work, you have to pay taxes.  If you do not work you can only be in the "system" for so long.  I would much rather have my taxes pay for health care than for a war, weaponry, or projects that benefit only the rich.

Has no one considered that if we do away with private/company sponsored insurance, the VA, the Medicare/Medicaid system we could actually afford to cover our citizens?  The shear savings in administration costs alone.  We would be saving a tree and a person at the same time. 

Rich man or pauper.  We need our health.  We are each important.  Drug/alcohol addicts would get the help they need.  Cutting crime and social problems.  Mothers and children would have adequate care.  Which would in turn foster better family development, in turn would foster better citizens.  There would be a healthier workforce.  Which in turn would make for a better economy.  Which may allow for more doctors and nurses.  This is viable.

As for our brothers and sisters to the south.  How very complex.  On the one hand I cannot hold against anyone for wanting a better life for themselves and their family.  Many of our own forefathers (us Italians, Irish, Germans, etc.) sought the same.  We all adjusted - with much hardship (especially for our African brothers and sisters).  I have every faith that somehow we will adjust to this also.

I would say to our south of the border friends that nothing is gained by running away from a problem.  I do not pretend to understand what is going on in their native country that they do not attempt to make things better on their homefront.  The truth is that the surplus of people coming into our country illegally is hurting us.  Our resources are being over utilized, especially in the the health care sector.  And the U.S. may fall because of the added burden.  What a shame that your children may end up in the same boat as what you left. 

I think that is is prevalent upon all of US to remember that we are all brothers and sisters.  And that we need to find solutions together.  Our forefathers went through much upheaval and hardship to try and make things good for us.  And for a time it was.  Its now time for our generation to stand up and work towards a brighter future.  No matter the hardship.

yeah I almost died menny times in hospitals thinks to them makeing me stay for hours sometimes almost a hole day in pain or sick

The action by the hospital is a complete disgrace.  They should be sued for putting this woman through the pain of waiting for 19 hours with a broken leg.   There is no way they can justify charging her that kind of money just for taking her vital signs, which proably took all of 5 minutes.  That place over charges and gives the most disgusting service.  A good part of the people who work there are heartless and worthless.  Just another case of misfortunate people getting screwed.  And you wonder why people have no respect or faith in the system.  Any of you that argue with this either haven't dealt with this hospital or have private insurance.  If so, I hope someday you loose your insurance and have to go through this.  If you disagree, go to hell!

All the talk in the world isn't going to change a  thing.  Anyone with any sense can see this is a disgrace.  Most of the people who agree with the hospital are those with insurance. 

the same thing happened to me and its on my credit report my bill was $350.00 i never saw a dr.  i waited 3 hours and all they got from me was my address!!!!  i had no health insurance and at that time i was 19.im not paying it i refuse but the hospital claims that i have to pay...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh 

A few weeks ago I had to take my husband to the local ER.  We waited for 3 hours, we saw the nurse for all of 30 seconds and the Doctor walked in the room looked at my husband and said "you're fine" and left.  2 weeks later we received a bill from a billing company saying that we owe the doctor $375 and another one saying that we owe the ER $621.  Now i was not born yesterday but there in NO WAY we are paying for not receiving care.  We did ask for a detailed bill and all that did was knock off $35 off the $621.  The kicker is is that after we reciened the bill the hospital called us and asked us if we were happy with the services we received.  My husband's response was H*** F***ing NO. We did not get any service the nurse never took his vitals and her nor the doctor never looked my husband in the eye much less take care of him.  But according to the hospital records (which we asked for and never received) my husband was cared for.  I don't get it how can they screw people like that and How can we stop it!!!!!!!!!!!

This also happened to me.  I am a Type1 Diabetic on an insulin pump.  My blood sugar sky rocketed to 439 and my doctor's office was closed.  I talked to my doctor by phone and she told me to go to urgent care to check for infections.  When I checked in at urgent care, I told them what my blood sugar was and they took my co-pay and had me wait.  Over an hour later, I got called back and my blood sugar was 429 (different glucose monitor).  I was told I had to go to the emergency room across the driveway becuse urgent care wasn't equiped to handle a blood sugar that high (Why didn't tell me this when I told them what my blood sugar was) and I was now throwing up.  I went to the emergency room and my blood sugar was 436 (ER monitor), they took a urine smple and sent me to the waiting room.  I waited 1 1/2 hours and my doctor called my cell phone to see if they had found an infection.  She was angry that I was still sitting in a waiting room, not receiving treatment.  When she called the ER and couldn't get me seen, she called me with instructions.  My husband went more and got needles and new pump supplies and I gave myself manual shots and changed my pump pod.  My doctor kept calling to check my blood sugar levels and giving me insulin dose directions.  By the time I finally got called back 7 hours after getting there, my blood sugar was down to 224 and the nurse told me that I didn't have a UIT but they weren't sure what ws happening.  My doctor called because she had talked to my pump makers and there was a lot number they were having trouble with (The 1 I had been wearing was that lot #) and that was what cause my spike.  She was going to call in some prescriptions for me and I could go home.  The ER doctor finally came in my room and said he would release me based on my doctors recommendation.  Of course, I had to pay the ER co-pay first.  My husband had gone back to the urgent care to get my co-pay back because I hadn't received any treatment and they wouldn't give it to him because I had "seen" a doctor.  Total costs for this fun Friday (just out of my pocket, not counting what my insurance company paid) - Urgent care co-pay - $20, ER co-pay - $50, ER bill - $345, ER doctor bill - $215, Lab bill - $79.86, Treatment by cell phone from my doctor - Priceless (she didn't charge me anything and apologized several times for what happened).  FYI Grossmont Hospital (the one I wnet to) is in danger of losing their government funding because of several patient deaths (Could have been me if I haven't had such a good personnel doctor).

Shame!  The hospitals are at fault for doing away with the beds, closing units to save money.  Don't pay the bill, for the medical community to do the right thing.

The one question I have is would any insurance company have paid this bill?  Is this a billable charge?  I have yet to see a triage assessment on any of my bills as this is included in the ER encounter fee that falls under facility charge does it not?  Since the patient was not put in a room then I don't see how the insurance company would have paid.  This might be food for thought and brought up as fair treatment and discrimination against the uninsured vs. the insured.  Good luck in pursuing this case.