Most 911 calls will end up with a visit to the dreaded emergency room. These places are notorious for long waits, understaffing and, of course, high cost. On the bright side, they do have a way of averting crises.
The emergency room isn't the first place you want to be in general, but it's exactly where you should be in the event of an accident. The truth is, it's the place with the best-trained nurses and medical staff.
With about 141.4 million annual visits — or about 45 for every 100 people, according to the CDC — there is no denying the high demand for emergency care. However, it's equally hard to justify a four or even five figure hospital bill for something like a few stitches.
It may sound crazy, but some people are being charged extremely high for their emergency room visits. The whole situation begs the question, why are emergency room bills so high?
Thumbnail Photos: Public Domain Pictures / Paul Brennan
Sarah Kliff, a health reporter at Vox Media, recently received a $629 emergency room bill for what she described as "a Band-Aid delivered in an emergency room."
The entire experience made her wonder what could be behind such an elaborate charge for something she could have done for herself at home.
Sarah shared on Twitter, "Today I wrote a story about a $25,000 bill for an MRI. That only happens in America."
Since medical records and, by the transitive property, bills, are kept secret, Sarah and Vox Media are asking for contributions so they can study where these odd hidden fees are coming from.
You can securely submit your medical bills here.
Amazingly, it might be the secrecy surrounding medical privacy that's causing such high bills.
According to How Stuff Works:
ER bills might just be a mystery to providers, hospitals and insurance as well. Each of these actors are determining your costs, and if you think for one second the costs are standard across providers or hospitals, you need to be evaluated by a medical professional for a diagnosis of unreasonable optimism.
Often, there are a lot of hidden costs associated with an emergency room visit.
One of the biggest is a ride in an ambulance, which can cost thousands of dollars for a ride that lasts less than an hour.
Another reason why bills might be so high is because a hospital charges for everything.
If you go in to get a few stitches, you'll end up being charged for anything from an IV drip to an aspirin.
For example, a sprain or strain is the most common emergency room diagnosis.
A study published by PLOS ONE found that treatment for strains and sprains in an emergency room could cost up to $24,000.
So, the next time you get a sprained ankle, you might want to think about whether the trip to the emergency room is actually necessary.
Of course, not all emergency room bills are completely overpriced, though knowing that it might be could contribute to your assessment of an emergency in the future.
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