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Home > Taste of Home Community > Community Forums > Kitchen Chat > My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?

My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?

Last post Jul 27, 2007 9:57 PM by ShadowTails . 27 replies.


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    • Not Ranked
    Joined: Jul 2005
    Posts: 3,046
    Posted: Jul 24, 2007 10:04 AM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 1
    My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    I just got my bill today and was shocked! The hospital is 15 blocks from my house and it cost me $1,785.05 to go their by ambulance. Charges were anywhere from 4.25 to 649.00. A asprin they gave me (1) cost me $8.25. This is not even charges for the ambulance ride to another hospital(which was over 200 miles away) and the charges their. I hate even see that bill.

    Well, here goes another payment plan.

    I just wish we had free health care here for people that needed it. I feel so bad for all the young families out their that have no type of insurance. Hopefully in the next decade or sooner a answer to this will be found.

    Annette :)
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    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 10:09 AM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 2
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    well it seems someone is being the other end of the horse but dont' pay any heed to such behavior nellie Belle.

    it is clear to any rational thinking human being that an ambulance was clearly needed if you have to be transfered to another facility.

    gracious yes the medical charges are staggering. i, like you, hope the country soon develops affordable healthcare for everyone.
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    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 10:32 AM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 3
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    Annette, you are well within your rights to question any charge on that bill.

    I had to go to the Urgent Care once when I broke my finger. They took me in a room, did an xray, put a splint on and sent me home. When I got the detailed bill, they had charged me for meds I never took and OXYGEN!!! I called and explained the problem, and asked that they remove those items from the bill.

    You should do the same, and do it before you set up a payment plan with them. Remind them that, while you realize trained technicians were assisting you in the ambulance, that you could buy an industrial sized bottle of aspirin for what they charged you for one tablet.
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    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 10:34 AM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 4
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    in 1990 my DH had a heart attack.

    I called the ambulance (that's what you DO, you don't stop and think or ask for prices, etc)

    Where we lived (outside of Boston MA) the ambulance was dispatched from the Fire Dept. You call the Fire Dept if your house is on fire (or maybe your cat is up a tree?)

    You don't get a bill.

    After, my DH (who was recoving from a heart attack) kept getting bills and calls from the Ambulance co. I forget what it was now, but at the time it was (as you found out) unbelievable. They had used two oxygen tubes, the first one they ripped open the package and didn't use for some reason, left it on my floor, but charged for TWO (their mistake)

    They used to call about this, before Caller ID and Voice Mail, etc. so I'd answer.

    They were extremely rude about it (the ambulance people or their billing or whatever) once said "did you think the ambulance was FREE?"

    I said I didn't think about it, my husband was having a heart attack. If I called the Fire Dept for a fire it would be free" (I had really thought the ambulance was part of the Fire Dept)

    Finally I said to them "what will happen if I can pay this?" They said "it will go on his credit report". I said "well you'll have to do that then".

    Here in VT if you can't pay for the ambulance (don't have insurance) you can write a letter saying "I am low income and unable to pay for this" and they write it off. Maybe they charge more (those who have insurance and can pay) to make up for it. When my husband had a stroke in 1998 the ambulance bill worked out to something like $150 a mile.

    of course, in most cases we are glad to have the ambulance and that there's someone to come and help.
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    Posts: 3,158
    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 10:40 AM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 5
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    WOW! I guess I can't complain that 7 weeks ago my ambulance bill was $649 to go 9 miles. That was just the ambulance and didn't include any of the medications they gave me on the way or anything else. My first week in the hospital was over 32K and the second week over 35K which did not include the surgeon's fee, radiologist, emergency room doctor, rehab doctor, physical therapy or anything - those bills are yet to come. Unbelievable charges.
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    • Top 50 Contributor
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    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 10:43 AM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 6
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    Whoah! Glad your okay, that is the most important thing, but here I am, no extended medical, knowing that if I ever have to call an ambulance, I would be out $50-100, I thought that was horrible. I will not complain, I cannot imagine being charged that! That is robery. Tell them you would like to replace the Asprine instead of pay for it! My best friend is an ambulance attendent, and I can tell you, that that ride to the hospital, she would have been paid a one hour wage, and that is only about $25, of course it costs to run an ambulance, but I stand by my claim of you been robbed!

    Thanking God you are still here!
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    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 10:44 AM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 7
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    That is horrible. I never dreamed it would be that high.

    I have heard of high prices of the medivac helicopter. I think one man had a 32,000 dollar bill for one.
    False

    catmint

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    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 11:02 AM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 8
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    The worse thing about this is I have no insurance and my medical bills are piling up.

    We do have a one time thing here that they will pay for 1 hosiptal stay. I have not use it thro as they said their might be a time when it is higher than what I owe now and I would need it more than.

    I went in over July 4th and they released me July 6th. I have to go back down for more testing as they don't want to do too much because of my kidneys. I do now have nitro and they are planning on giving me more meds after all the testing is done.


    It seems like I owe more and more as each day passes. I suppose I am well over 30,000 in debt due to medical bills.

    Annette
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    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 11:06 AM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 9
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    Annette, I am sorry for you. You just have to pay what you can, i guess. As long as you are paying, i think they will accept that.
    False

    catmint

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    • Top 50 Contributor
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    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 11:09 AM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 10
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    Annette, call your doctor and ask them where to start calling about getting help with these bills. There has to be a state agency or some group who can help you.
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    Posts: 665
    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 2:07 PM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 11
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    Hey Ft Lauderdale Melanoma Assface lover
    I'm sure glad you're perfect!
    False
    • Top 25 Contributor
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    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 2:14 PM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 12
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    (((Annette)))

    Like BFC said, call your doctor and ask where to get assistance. The doctors know how to get you pointed in the right direction.

    False
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    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 2:31 PM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 13
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    In my dr’s office they have a paper on the bulletin board with the name and number of an agency that you can contact to seek help paying for medical bills call your dr’s office and see if they have that information. When we had the house fire and DH was burned it cost over $2,000.00 for the ambulance transport from CR to the U of I. Medical billing is spiraling out of control. There was an article in the Gazette a while back listing the top 10 reasons people filed bankruptcy and number 1 was medical bills. The thing I thought would be number 1 (credit cards) was around the bottom of the list. I think number 2 was divorce.
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    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 2:38 PM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 14
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    Leora-
    You are so right about the medical bills. Everything else I pay the first of the month but the more medical bills I get, the more stapped we become.

    I owe so many different places and some don't want less than a 100 but when I show them my basic household needs and what I get and what I paid. They usually come down to 15-25. So at least they are helping. I most likely will be paying these medical bills until I die and still owe them more.

    Annette :)
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    Reply Posted: Jul 24, 2007 2:47 PM in Kitchen Chat
    Post # 15
    RE: My Ambulance Ride to the Hospital and How Much it Cost?
    {{{Annette}}} I'm so sorry you're going through this.

    Catmint, I can vouch for the cost of Lifeflight. DH was in a horrific motorcycle accident 2 years ago. They first put him in an ambulance to take him to the local hospital, but then re-evaluated his injuries and decided he needed to be Lifeflighted to Pittsburgh to one of the trauma hospitals. So he had an ambulance ride to the nearest helipad, and then the chopper ride.

    His bills for that accident ended up at almost $750,000. I am grateful every day that we have fabulous insurance because we only had to pay about $400 of that (copays mostly). The week before his accident we had moved into our brand new house. Without the insurance through his employer, we probably would have lost our house.
    False
    To speak of "mere words" is much like speaking of "mere dynamite." --------French Philosopher CJ Ducasse