1.) Swamp Fox - 01/29/2014

If anyone knows the joke that goes with that punchline, you know I'm talking about doo-doo.

[U]Complete[/U] doo-doo, as they say, like this:


[I]Eric Ferguson, 54, from Mooresville, N.C., was taking out the trash at his home last August when he was bitten on the foot by a snake. He drove himself to Lake Norman Regional Medical Center, where he was treated with anti-venom medicine.

According to his bill, the hospital charged $81,000 for a four-vial dose of the medication.

Shocked at the price tag, Ferguson told the Charlotte Observer he and his wife found the same vials online for retail prices as low as $750...

[B]Because the hospital has a contract with Ferguson's insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, it reduced the total bill to $20,227[/B]. According to the Observer, the couple paid $5,400 out of pocket to cover their deductible and co-pay.

The hospital defended its prices, saying it has to charge prices higher than retail because of the various discounts it is required to give insurers.

[B]"We are required to give Medicare one level of discount from list price, Medicaid another, and private insurers negotiate for still others," officials told the newspaper. "If we did not start with the list prices we have, we would not end up with enough revenue to remain in operation."...
[/B]
[/I]


Bold parts are the doo-doo, so you don't step in it...:bad:

Total bill started out at $89,000 + for an 18-hour stay.

Excerpted from:

[url]http://news.yahoo.com/snake-bite-89000-162515519.html[/url]

2.) Swamp Fox - 01/29/2014

If anyone's interested I the real story behind the doo-doo,, I can refer you to sources like these.. Unfortunately, the last link takes you to an article that you will have to pay a few pennies to read in its entirety. I read it myself when it first came out, though, and it is worth a peek.



[url]http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2011/08/22/hospital-monopolies-the-biggest-driver-of-health-costs-that-nobody-talks-about/[/url]

[url]http://www.nationalreview.com/agenda/361569/health-reformers-need-antitrust-agenda-reihan-salam[/url]

[url]https://www.nationalreview.com/nrd/articles/353802/arm-and-leg[/url]

3.) DParker - 01/29/2014

"Cheborneck, come here!"

I had the album as a kid, and memorized the whole thing. What do I win? :p

4.) Swamp Fox - 01/29/2014

Would you go for a snakebite suction kit? :-)

5.) DParker - 01/29/2014

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;15630]Would you go for a snakebite suction kit? :-)[/QUOTE]

"Uh, I'll take the reds, maaan."

6.) Swamp Fox - 01/29/2014

:laugh:

7.) Ventilator - 01/29/2014

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;15625]If anyone knows the joke that goes with that punchline, you know I'm talking about doo-doo.

[U]Complete[/U] doo-doo, as they say, like this:


[I]Eric Ferguson, 54, from Mooresville, N.C., was taking out the trash at his home last August when he was bitten on the foot by a snake. He drove himself to Lake Norman Regional Medical Center, where he was treated with anti-venom medicine.

According to his bill, the hospital charged $81,000 for a four-vial dose of the medication.

Shocked at the price tag, Ferguson told the Charlotte Observer he and his wife found the same vials online for retail prices as low as $750...

[B]Because the hospital has a contract with Ferguson's insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, it reduced the total bill to $20,227[/B]. According to the Observer, the couple paid $5,400 out of pocket to cover their deductible and co-pay.

The hospital defended its prices, saying it has to charge prices higher than retail because of the various discounts it is required to give insurers.

[B]"We are required to give Medicare one level of discount from list price, Medicaid another, and private insurers negotiate for still others," officials told the newspaper. "If we did not start with the list prices we have, we would not end up with enough revenue to remain in operation."...
[/B]
[/I]


Bold parts are the doo-doo, so you don't step in it...:bad:

Total bill started out at $89,000 + for an 18-hour stay.

Excerpted from:

[url]http://news.yahoo.com/snake-bite-89000-162515519.html[/url][/QUOTE]

Damn, i know Eric Ferguson. LOL

He is the brother of my camera man Scott Ferguson. funny stuff.

8.) Wild Bob - 01/29/2014

And everyone wonders whats wrong with our health care in this country...but 'oh my God' don't try to change it... I like getting f**(%ed and lining the pockets of other people. I wanna keep it the way it is...

Yep, it works really good for the common man don't it?

Guess that comment makes me a socialist huh? Go figure. Sorry, for the rant.

9.) DParker - 01/29/2014

[QUOTE=Wild Bob;15699]And everyone wonders whats wrong with our health care in this country...but 'oh my God' don't try to change it... I like getting f**(%ed and lining the pockets of other people. I wanna keep it the way it is...

Yep, it works really good for the common man don't it?

Guess that comment makes me a socialist huh? Go figure. Sorry, for the rant.[/QUOTE]

I don't know anyone who was steadfastly against any changes to the system we had. But I do know a lot of them (myself included) who were/are against changes that are/were likely/certain to make things worse.

10.) Swamp Fox - 01/29/2014

Well said. I just don't think there's been much attention on hospital consolidation/monopolization and what's going on with doctors' groups (both helpful/necessary for survival and also hurtful to docs). I don't see either trend being beneficial to patients, especially cost-wise.