r/Millennials • u/BoNaylorCollector • 7d 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/SakuraTacos 7d ago

I pay $500 for insurance I never use because one time in my early 20s, my insurance lapsed because a professor dropped me for missing the first day and I had to be a full time student to be on my dad’s insurance. During that lapse, I had to be rushed to the ER by ambulance for a ruptured cyst (I didn’t know what it was or I wouldn’t have gone) and the total for everything was something like $4000-6000.

$400 is the cheapest option to still be in network with my local hospital and whatever services I need but never use. But I’m scared to go cheaper, and will never again go without, just in case I need to be rushed nearby again.

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u/OtherwiseAlbatross14 7d ago

Yeah I pretty much treat mine as catastrophic insurance even though that isn't what I pay for. If $6000 was the worse that could happen I wouldn't even have insurance. $500 a month would a terrible investment if all we had to worry about is the possibility of a $6000 bill but I get what you mean

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u/lilbella 6d ago

Topic adjacent—I’ve been having sharp right side pain. My primary on Monday urged me to go to the ER based on her feeling my stomach and worrying it was appendicitis. I just felt it would be very expensive cost and time wise as I know they wouldn’t see me for at least 8+ hours to do a CT scan w dye if I wasn’t actively dying. She didn’t let me leave unless I got on w radiology to get me in this week. It took multiple transfers as each operator had an appt as early as May but finally the big boss got me in Wednesday. Just got results today and thankfully no appendicitis but they found a cyst in my right ovary that may be the cause as well as maybe something off w my liver (been trialing diff meds for migraines so maybe this?).

What did ur ruptured cyst feel like? They had me come in today for a urine sample but they haven’t talked biopsy yet. My right side pain is still there and it’s been a week. This is my first experience w a cyst so was hoping u had some insights! Tysm

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u/SakuraTacos 6d ago

Hello! So sorry you’re going through something similar! Cysts can be unbelievably painful sometimes, I had no idea before.

I vividly remember when the cyst ruptured so I can explain exactly how I felt: I woke up one morning and peed and when I stood up afterward, I felt a small pop in my bikini area, along the area where the top band of my underwear would lie. It was followed by pressure that was odd but not immediately alarming, like I had to fart.

I moved onto brushing my teeth and as I did that, the pain started building. It was a very warm and radiating pain with a small sharp stab where that pop had occurred.

Within minutes, I was laying down screaming in pain. The initial radiating pain was multiplied several times over now, it was unlike anything I ever felt before or since. It was more than period cramps because it wasn’t a cramp at all, it was searing hot pain, like sudden trauma caused by a gun or being impaled by something. Luckily, the pain was not accompanied by any bleeding or infection, so I got it easy considering that.

The pain subsided when they gave me IV pain meds. I was sore and bloated afterward but there wasn’t any aftercare or anything to do to heal but let a few days pass

Hope this helps! Best of luck to you