The $89,000 Snake Bite

[Bunty]

And still too high after charge was reevaluated. Little wonder if ObamaCare doesn't work.

Yahoo!

Snakebite victim charged $89,000 for 18-hour hospital stay

A snakebite victim who was treated at a North Carolina hospital came away with more than just fang marks when he received an $89,227 bill for an 18-hour stay.

Eric Ferguson, 54, from Mooresville, N.C., got the staggering bill for anti-venom medicine and a short visit at Lake Norman Regional Center, according to the Charlotte Observer, after a snake bit him in the foot while he was taking out the garbage.

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

For comparison, Ferguson and his wife found the same vials online for retail prices as low as $750.

Ferguson, who is insured, said his care was "beyond phenomenal."

"It was just the sticker shock," he said.

The hospital reduced the bill to $20,227 because of a contract with Ferguson's insurer. In the end, he paid $5,400 of his own money for his 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.

The Fergusons' case is, of course, not unique. A 2013 cover story by Steven Brill in Time magazine ("Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us") detailed the "outrageous pricing and egregious profits" destroying the U.S. health care system, noting that Americans were expected to spend an estimated $2.8 trillion on health care last year.

[Mel]

Robbing Peter to pay Paul is fav gov thingy. It's only going to get worse.

[Midtowner]

Robbing Peter to pay Paul is fav gov thingy. It's only going to get worse.

Did you read the story? What does any of this have to do with the government?

[Servicetech571]

The problems with American health care go far beyond Obamacare. The problem is the whole huge mess that government interference has created. For decades, the government has done nothing but undermine health care by interfering in the health care market, and creating mandates and prohibitions that override our choices. Obamacare took a bad situation and made it worse — but let's not forget that it was already very bad. And that's thanks to the efforts of both Democrats and Republicans. As stated in our platform, Libertarians would "recognize the freedom of individuals to determine the level of health insurance they want (if any), the level of health care they want, the care providers they want, the medicines and treatments they will use and all other aspects of their medical care, including end-of-life decisions."

Libertarian Party response to 2014 State of the Union address | Libertarian Party

[Mel]

Medical charges are higher for people with insurance. It helps make up for people without insurance. The Government will raid self sustaining funds for funds that are not. I am on medicare and my wife has nothing. The way I feel about the medical issue is just from looking at our bills. The Government issue is from the way I feel about them taking our money and giving it away to other countries while we have so many hurting in the good ol' U.S.A.

[Prunepicker]

Libertarian Party response to 2014 State of the Union address | Libertarian Party

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT is a reasonable response to anything the
current president has to say. He was clueless when he first took office. He
is currently clueless. He will continue to be clueless for the remainder of our
sentence, er, his term.