Yeah, this was a massive teaching hospital. The x-rays weren't done in the ER and the mobile x-ray that was used after the cast was set came from else where in the hospital, hence the long waits.

I have never received an itemized bill like that. Our bills are usually broken down into two or three categories.

A first for us as well.

Not a lot of details on some of the lines, especially the ones about the exams.

Certainly quite interesting. It's usually a blocked out bill to cover the facilities and then another one for the doctors and then another for the rest of the staff, for us at least.

A few years ago, I was working in a museum and I was feeling poorly. The morning I was not too bad but by the midday I was feeling awful and wanted to go to sleep. I knew I had flu and asked to go home but as I was sitting on a chair, I dozed off and fell off the chair so the museum as per their policy called an ambulance. I was pretty out of it, but they asked me where I had been and I said I was in Japan a few weeks ago. I said I probably had a touch of flu and probably was better off home in bed, resting. Still did not stop them performing x-rays and tests for bird flu. After half a day of being on a trolley and being wheeled around the hospital, the doctor said I had a bit of flu and should go home rest, drink fluids, etc.

Now as my insurance coverage was in the UK, I expected them to send the bill to my workplace in the UK so they could sort out the insurance as we gave them a UK address. Six weeks later I get a call from the hospital billing department at my work demanding where the payment was, I told them they should have sent the bill to my work in the UK and this is when the billing department noticed that they had had the right address but their billing system could not handle non USA addresses so tried to send it to the UK address, USA with a zipcode of 00000. I told them to make sure they send the bill to the UK and to send a copy to me at work. They tried to make me pay something, but I said I don't have any money as I am a contractor and not a US citizen or a permenant resident.

The bill was for $5500, which included $980 for the 10 minute ride in the ambulance, $280 for oxygen in the ambulance. $1400 for the two tests for bird flu, $2200 facility fee and $1.50 for two ibuprofen.

Time passes, I take the exhibition to another venue and as the exhibition did so well the original venue want it back. I am at the same desk with the same phone and as no one has used the desk, I check the phone. There are three messages for me, one is from a company I dealt with and two are asking me to call a number, so I call the number and it is a debt collection agency.

Although they did tell me this right away, I told them my name and they said can they have my address for security purposes, I asked them who they were first before the said who they were and that my insurance did not fully pay the bill and there was still $1800 plus fees which brought up the total to around $2300. I gave them the address of my workplace in the UK, which must have pissed off the guy, I said I am a contractor, I do not have a permenant US address nor am I a US citizen or a green card holder. I said that if they had an issue with the bill that they should write to my workplace or the insurance company, I then hung up.

They called again several weeks later, saying that they were taking legal proceeding against me, saying that they have my home address and that I could have my wages garnished or my possensions repossed. I started laughing at this point, which got the guy at the other end angry, he said this is not a joke. I pointed out that the phone number is a number in the museum and you do not have my address, plus I am not a US Citizen or a resident. He was then trying a different tact and said I should pay something as the amount will go up if it goes to court and a payment would delay this. I repeated that they need to write to the address they have as my work insures me. I also pointed out they could not do anything against me, although this did not stop the guy threatening to have me deported. I said good luck with that as I am leaving the country in 3 weeks.

I contacted my work and they said the insurance company made any offer as they felt that some of the charges were unreasonable and not required, i.e bird flu tests even though Japan was not a country at risk and even the $1.50 for two ibuprofen (they paid 20 cents, saying a box of Ibuprofen was about $3). So I left it at that and never got a call from the debt collection agency again, nor did they ever write.

Sorry you were unwell. You are incorrect about the brufen charges.

Er what? Who's incorrect about what now?

The cast came off today...buzz saw wasn't to bad and the cast wasn't to smelly or manky at all. It was just padding and stiff tape rather than the old plaster stuff.

Anyway, after another x-ray, there's still a small crack visible so the option of another cast for a couple of weeks, or wear a sling for a few weeks while not in the house, so kid went with that, so she could have a sling for her doctors kit afterwards.

No PE for another 3 weeks and a final check up and x-ray in a months time.

Arm felt a little sore and still but not to bad. Got to flex the arm around a lot without the sling at home for strength and mobility and when at school, the sling to keep it out of the way as it's still going to be easy to break for a while yet.

Fun seeing the string of x-rays and how there's a bump of bone around the break and how it has knitted together over the weeks, especially compared to the nasty fractures of the first x-way.

Glad the healing is proceeding, and hope it continues well.

Also glad to hear she did get a sling.

The charge/price does not reflect the price of the medication but the associated distribution/storage/administration and medical knowledge.

Several bucks is reasonable. $40 per diclofenac is not (I've seen that done!)

Awesome.

So we've got another bill, this time for the first two ortho check ups as a out patient and this is just for the doctors time, not the x-rays or for removing the cast or anything and doctors face time was no more than 10 mins a shot on these visits.

$320 with insurance paying $285
$182 with insurance paying $147

We're due $70 for these first two visits.

It took insurance a month to pay them and then another month to get the bill from the hospital.

Not to bad, but odd how much discrepancy between the two costs for very similar face time with the doctor.

Just over a week to go for the final check up and the all clear to do the gym at school and be done with the sling, so kid is very happy

I bet the first bill is because she was a new patient and the second because she wasn't... However, that's just a guess from me, haven't the foggiest. But that's what I think when I see bills from doctors we see more than once.

Brufen is a brand name for the generic drug "ibuprofen" (as is Nurofen). Given the extremely low relative cost of the ibuprofen compared to other services billed for, I assume Ozzidoc is being facetious.

I was thinking that, but seems weird, as being part of the "system", but what ever.

Based on this, expecting another slip for the third and the up coming final visit and for all the x-rays in between and the removing of the cast.

Wonder if it cost extra to keep the cast as a souvenir or not

Late to party but I have to say with having been in the ER of Bellvue Hospital in Manhattan this spring I never received so much as a note from them, let alone a bill. In fact the only time I ever know what a medical procedure cost is when I get a notice from the insurance company and it always says patient's responsible $0.