[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;37057893]If he saved the kid while working as a lifeguard, his employer provided insurance should cover that. If he saved the kid on his own time, his own or parents' insurance should cover him.
If he's out there playing lifeguard with NO insurance, he's a dumbass. The whole essence of being a lifeguard is that there is physical danger involved. How could anyone one do that without health insurance?[/QUOTE]
What a dumbass... saving a kids life...
[QUOTE=Justjake274;37056142]$2000 to drive 15 miles in an ambulance?
what[/QUOTE]
At that price, he should have sent the kid to the hospital in a Limo.
[QUOTE=Keegs;37061025]What a dumbass... saving a kids life...[/QUOTE]
No, the dumbass part is asking for an ambulance ride and getting treatment in the ER when you don't have insurance. That part has absolutely nothing to do with rescuing the kid.
He is only 17 though, so it's probably more fair to blame his parents. I can't imagine how they'd let him lifeguard and not insure him in case he gets hurt.
Ridiculous bill...
I'm sad this is the way Vancouver WA has showed up like this to facepunch.
[QUOTE=Last or First;37055787]Saving someone's life shouldn't net you a $2600 bill.[/QUOTE]
It didn't cost him $2600 to save the kid's life. He had to pay for the services provided to him when he could have declined treatment. But, he thought it was standard procedure so he was probably just oblivious to what was happening. Hopefully he learned to not take medical treatment unless he has insurance or it is actually needed, not just because he had a headache.
[QUOTE=Camundongo;37057883]And that suddenly makes it okay to charge $127 a mile to transport someone?[/QUOTE]
The price is so high because very few people will even attempt to pay their bill, and EMS is a service that must be provided, so your bill is higher, because they pretty much want you to pick up the slack.
[editline]3rd August 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Last or First;37059866]"While we're here, saving your life, we [I]could[/I] be somewhere else, doing something else
like saving someone's life
for instance, a drowning victim and a lifeguard
but since we're busy saving someone's life, we can't save someone's life"
I'm not making fun of you, I'm making fun of the system. I understand the reasoning behind a cost like that, but it's not [I]good[/I] reasoning. Their job is to save people's lives, as long as they're occupied saving someone's life, they're not wasting time. The "wasting our time" cost shouldn't really be involved unless if they're actually wasting their time.
Although I think it's more a mix of doing emergency work in the ambulance and the guys in charge of ambulance costs just being dicks. Plus the fact that this is America, of course.[/QUOTE]
You'd be surprised how often people wastes EMT's time. I would say around 85% of the time, and that's low balling it.
[QUOTE=ScoutKing;37061907]
You'd be surprised how often people wastes EMT's time. I would say around 85% of the time, and that's low balling it.[/QUOTE]
Any stats to back that up?
[QUOTE=Ryder1337;37061943]Any stats to back that up?[/QUOTE]
Yeah a couple of my friends are EMTs, I volunteer in the ER, and i've done a few ride outs with a few EMTS.
A phrase my friends liked to use was "Most people dont understand what the E in EMS means" I've seen it first hand how people abuse the emergency system, and never pay their bill, the EMS system needs money to run, as does the ER/Hospital, so they adjust to the low patient pay off by increasing the prices, knowing that someone will pay them to avoid the shitty credit and debt that comes with skipping out on your bill.
Go ask any EMT out there what % of calls do they get that are not serious you'll probably provoke them into giving out a rant about how stupid people are when it comes to the 911 system.
[QUOTE=Socram;37056085]Congratulations, he received treatment at a hospital and it cost him money.
It's great that he saved that boys life, but is the hospital just supposed to magically eat those costs because he was doing his job?
That's not how the world works.[/QUOTE]
Sort of is since the US is not the only country in the world. :eng101:
[QUOTE=iFail;37057736]Except hospital bills are bullshit nowadays. At this point they're actually incentivized to do unnecessary procedures so they can charge patients more.[/QUOTE]
You mean so if something else comes up they don't get sued for not finding out that you had lung cancer when you came in for a broken toe.
[editline]2nd August 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Uber|nooB;37057983]no, it runs on donated blood
blood ain't cheap[/QUOTE]
But it's.....donated.
My heart dropped when I saw "Vancouver"
Then I realized it was in US
Hospital visits aren't cheap man. When i sliced open my thumb and chopped into the joint i got two butterfly stitches, which literally means that they stuck a needle and thread through my thumb twice and tied the thread taunt. $1,300. This is also why i've always removed my own stitches too, much to people's dismay. Apparently they don't know hospitals charge to remove stitches and freak out when i tell them i remove my own.
The amount of stupid posts in this thread is astounding. People need to reread the article before posting.
[QUOTE=Justjake274;37056142]$2000 to drive 15 miles in an ambulance?
what[/QUOTE]
yep
had to ride in a non emergency ambulance for transfering a few months back. took 45 minutes
cost 1500 dollars
[QUOTE=mysteryman;37062636]Hospital visits aren't cheap man. When i sliced open my thumb and chopped into the joint i got two butterfly stitches, which literally means that they stuck a needle and thread through my thumb twice and tied the thread taunt. $1,300. This is also why i've always removed my own stitches too, much to people's dismay. Apparently they don't know hospitals charge to remove stitches and freak out when i tell them i remove my own.[/QUOTE]
A lot of the times you can get stitches done at a urgency care center, for tons cheaper.
And I hear you on taking stitches out yourself, it's not fucking complicated, it hurts a little, but it beats the hell out of paying a ton of money for someone with a ton of schooling to do something very basic.
Wow. Thanks for that undescriptive title OP.
"Lifeguard Doesn't Have Health Insurance" would've been more fitting.
[QUOTE=ScoutKing;37062793]A lot of the times you can get stitches done at a urgency care center, for tons cheaper.
And I hear you on taking stitches out yourself, it's not fucking complicated, it hurts a little, but it beats the hell out of paying a ton of money for someone with a ton of schooling to do something very basic.[/QUOTE]
i have suture kits at my house, it's at the point that i might just start doing it myself.
[QUOTE=Socram;37056085]Congratulations, he received treatment at a hospital and it cost him money.
It's great that he saved that boys life, but is the hospital just supposed to magically eat those costs because he was doing his job?
That's not how the world works.[/QUOTE]
Actually, the rest of the civilized world seems to work that way just fine. It's only America convincing themselves that they have it best and everyone else are idiots for doing it differently.
Ironically obamacare wouldnt have changed anything about this...
Hospitals will still be able to charge w/e they want for emergency care, they can still bill patients 100$ for an asprin, they can still charge uninsured more then they would have charged an insured patient.
If he was surprised he got a bill from the hospital- im sorry, but hes a moron. Its a service, not a charity. Yes it kind of sucks for him that his good deed cost him money- who said life was fair?
[QUOTE=H8Entitlement;37065195]Ironically obamacare wouldnt have changed anything about this...
Hospitals will still be able to charge w/e they want for emergency care, they can still bill patients 100$ for an asprin, they can still charge uninsured more then they would have charged an insured patient.
If he was surprised he got a bill from the hospital- im sorry, but hes a moron. Its a service, not a charity. Yes it kind of sucks for him that his good deed cost him money- who said life was fair?[/QUOTE]
So life guards shouldn't save anyone for fear of ruining their credit and financial situation, because you think it's wrong to give charity to people who get injured actively saving lives?
Good for you. I imagine we can all count on you if there is ever a crisis - unless you are just standing in the corner muttering that life shouldn't be fair because it wasn't to you.
[QUOTE=FreakyMe;37065211]So life guards shouldn't save anyone for fear of ruining their credit and financial situation, because you think it's wrong to give charity to people who get injured actively saving lives?
Good for you. I imagine we can all count on you if there is ever a crisis - unless you are just standing in the corner muttering that life shouldn't be fair because it wasn't to you.[/QUOTE]
You sound bitter. Plz note that i never wished the guy harm, or wish the universe to punish ze do-gooders. Simple observation really- life isnt fair. He saved someones life, and was injured. Tbh something similiar happens prolly 100 times a day on planet earth.
Now if your talking legally- if i was a laywer i would recommend never getting involved in such a situation. Because of americans love of suing an act of goodwill could cost more then that measly hospital bill. I am not a laywer, and dont give ppl such advice. :/
Also, also,also, if you would be so kind as to bold the part where i said its wrong to give charity to ppl who get injured actively saving lives that would be great....
Wait what? i never said that either?
So your post is about what exactly? Upset that i pointed out that for profit businesses charge ppl for services? They do- everyday. Thats what the "for profit" part means.
Lets move away from your post and back to reality for a sec. My prediction- the guy never has to pay a dime of that bill. Either the hospital drops it as an act of goodwill ~cough~publicity~cough~, or he receives donations in excess of what the bill is for.
[QUOTE=Mingebox;37061459]At that price, he should have sent the kid to the hospital in a Limo.[/QUOTE]
FIVE LIMOS!
[QUOTE=H8Entitlement;37065195]Ironically obamacare wouldnt have changed anything about this...
Hospitals will still be able to charge w/e they want for emergency care, they can still bill patients 100$ for an asprin, they can still charge uninsured more then they would have charged an insured patient.
If he was surprised he got a bill from the hospital- im sorry, but hes a moron. Its a service, not a charity. [B]Yes it kind of sucks for him that his good deed cost him money- who said life was fair?[/B][/QUOTE]
I don't know how you missed it. You seem to agree that it is wrong that he is treated that way for saving a child's life, but believe it shouldn't be changed because 'life isn't fair'.
Perhaps I am tired, but it seems pretty clear to me. If it is ideal that the hospital drops the bill or that the community comes together to help him, why can't the taxpayer do the same thing to ensure that people who save lives (as part of their job, more specifically) don't suffer these kinds of problems? Why is his company not required to foot the bill for hiring people to work in dangerous situations? It's pretty expected that anybody who dives into cold water to battle massive swells while keeping a child afloat might need to go to the hospital. It's literally part of the job description, getting injured and risking hypothermia/drowning. Why should they not provide for the safety of the workers?
when I went to get my apendix removed I had to ride in an ambulance from hospital to hospital. wait in the hospital 3 days, then got it removed. Free-O-Charge.
Didn't notice it was in Washington. :V I live in Vancouver Canada
[QUOTE=FreakyMe;37065316]I don't know how you missed it. You seem to agree that it is wrong that he is treated that way for saving a child's life, but believe it shouldn't be changed because 'life isn't fair'.
Perhaps I am tired, but it seems pretty clear to me. If it is ideal that the hospital drops the bill or that the community comes together to help him, why can't the taxpayer do the same thing to ensure that people who save lives (as part of their job, more specifically) don't suffer these kinds of problems? Why is his company not required to foot the bill for hiring people to work in dangerous situations? It's pretty expected that anybody who dives into cold water to battle massive swells while keeping a child afloat might need to go to the hospital. It's literally part of the job description, getting injured and risking hypothermia/drowning. Why should they not provide for the safety of the workers?[/QUOTE]
You seem to be reading a bit into what im posting. I never said the system shouldnt be changed.
I am against universal health care, mostly because of the complications it would bring. Do we punish those who dont actively strive to improve their health? Do the ones who do have to "carry" the inconsiderate ones? Does the system pay 100%, or is it more like catastrophic coverage? All this (and many more) need to be answered in full before we can begin to consider a single pay system.
I believe, for now, we should concentrate on improving what we have. Make it illegal for hospitals to charge uninsured different rates then insured. Regulate billing to prevent the 100$ asprins. We already give hospitals tons of money under the expectation they provide care to the needy (ie poor)- Why are these same hospitals billing those poor ppl?
Also, if he did the rescue on the job- his job would have been financially responsible for his injuries. In ohio its called workmans compensation. This, however, happened on his own time (as far as i know from my reading of the article)
I went to the ER to get something to kill my pain 2 days before I eventually had a Root canal on the tooth. The pain was just too much and I couldn't take it anymore. I went in, I was in there for 15 minutes, there was NO ONE there but me and another family with what sounded like food poisoning.
They gave me a shot of Marcaine right in the gums and on the abscess, which is the same as Novacaine but it lasts longer. Then I left.
$700, that's $100 less than my PC, and even with insurance, I had to pay almost $400
The problem with our health care is that it just for no reason at all costs too much. There's no reason an ambulance ride should cost $1,900 (There was someone here who had to be transported to another hospital next door of the one they were at, and could only go by ambulance, and that trip cost them about a thousand dollars as well) Why? Why does a 30 minute operation consisting of cutting a piece of someone out of them cost $30,000? There's no reason, none. Other than Greed
[editline]3rd August 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=RudeMcRude;37065425]when I went to get my apendix removed I had to ride in an ambulance from hospital to hospital. wait in the hospital 3 days, then got it removed. Free-O-Charge.
Didn't notice it was in Washington. :V I live in Vancouver Canada[/QUOTE]
You had to wait 3 days? Jesus
Well this is funny, because it's almost like America wants to be seen as a corrupt capitalist nation with a healthcare system that's downright evil
Oh wait.
[QUOTE=MendozaMan;37066278]Well this is funny, because it's almost like America wants to be seen as a corrupt capitalist nation with a healthcare system that's downright evil
Oh wait.[/QUOTE]
And everyone here agrees with it.
Oh wait.
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