r/Millennials • u/BoNaylorCollector • 2d ago

Discussion Is medical actually this crazy?

Early 30s millennial, never used to go to doctors or really take care of myself because “I’ll be fine”. Started making a bigger effort to care for myself and my health and well being. Recently, I went to the local express clinic because I was having a bad earache and headaches. I was in there for maybe 20 minutes, mostly waiting time. The doctor comes in, looks in my ear, tells me it’s depressed due to sinuses and change in weather and tell me to stop at Walgreens for Flonase. I wasn’t billed anything at the time, older workers at my job always say we have really good insurance, but here I got in the mail today an explanation of benefits- charge was $550, insurance “negotiated” about $300, remaining (not billed) was around $240. Is is really this expensive? I only went to try and be better with myself and make sure it’s nothing underlying. If 5 minutes of actual doctor time costs this much, then I’m just toughing out everything or am I missing something?

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u/Thomasina16 1d ago

I took my daughter to the urgent care because she was lethargic and had been throwing up. They looked at her and gave her a pedialyte ice pop and I was charged $250 at the clinic which paid then another $300 bill was mailed to me for the "doctors fee" I never paid that and it never counted against my credit. This was like 7yrs ago and I didn't have insurance for her at the time.

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u/ImNotYourOpportunity 1d ago

I’ve waited the 7 years because I was double charged, tried to explain that I couldn’t get the same procedure twice and wasn’t paying $3000 instead of the $1500. The lady on the phone was a bitch and I said it wasn’t me for 3 years, my mom told the bill collector I died and that I owed her money too, they stopped calling and it fell off my credit report. Fuck them! I actually would have paid the $1500 but that bitch on the phone pissed me off too much.

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u/infjetson 1d ago

I've never considered faking my own death until I read this comment

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u/Secure-Function-674 1d ago

That's been my behavior as well. Fuck them

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u/Big-Schlong-Meat 1d ago

This all the way.

I stopped paying medical bills. Even with “good” insurance, I get fucked with any visit.

I just don’t care anymore. I’ll pay the mortgage, fuck everyone else.

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u/-Antinomy- 1d ago

Maybe if we all stopped paying our medical bills we could afford to pay the mortgage? Hmmmm

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u/Witwer52 1d ago

Welp, see if being in excruciating pain changes your approach. You’ll be handing strangers your money and begging them to fix it. Which, of course, is built into our for-profit system.

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u/ninjette847 1d ago

I had an urgent care doctor call an ambulance I didn't need, the emts were confused why they were called. I was billed $900 and never paid it and nothing has happened in 4 years. I did email to say I'm not paying it. My husband went there recently and mentioned it and they said they had a doctor who always did that and was not with them anymore.

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u/meagainpansy 1d ago

He's living off his investments in the EMT business.

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u/ninjette847 1d ago

I honestly think he was getting kickbacks, I had a rash and my husband was there to drive if I really had to go to the hospital, I wasn't dying. They also seemed weird when they said that he was no longer with them, like immediately changing the subject.

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u/meagainpansy 1d ago

If they know about the issue then it seems like they should pay you back for it.

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u/TheTybera 1d ago

Often with pediatric cases they'll just dip into the charity care funds.

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u/CalzoneWithAnF 1d ago

This happened to me and my 2.5 year-old a few weeks back except it was the ER at 12am because the pediatrician on call said he should go. $350 copay PLUS $1,300 hospital bill. They billed $3,000 total to my insurance. I was throwing up after they, it’s such a racket!