By Tiffany Ryder on Linkedin – NFL Cheerleader turned Emergency Medicine Physician Associate | Founding Partner & Medical Director – Direct Care Connect
Great example of healthcare costs ‘out of control,’ and why everyone should be paying close attention to their expenditures, instead of trusting that ‘the system’ is acting in your best interest…
Case: 3 yr old w/ tummy ache & parents w/ (valid) concern for appendicitis = ER visit, but after 45 minutes kid has a ‘big burp,’ feels better and is discharged.
ER Visit + physical exam + covid/strep swab = $4,179
Dad calls billing dept and asks for the ‘cash price.’
Which comes in at… $689
***Same ER, same kid, same illness, same doc, same care***
So, how much did it cost to provide the care at the ‘non-profit’ hospital – was it $4k or $689?
Is the hospital hedging in case the patient doesn’t have thousands of $$$ to pay their deductible?
Do their costs go up by $3k just to collect the $689 that they need to cover the care?
Somebody make it make sense!
