Woke up nauseaous, vomited about five times, and the last one included blood so I went to the emergency room. I spoke to a doctor for less than five minutes and received no imaging. There was one routine blood draw and an IV with saline and Zofran.
God damn America. $3042 to walk in the door. I could have literally flown back to England and been seen at an NHS hospital for a 5th of the cost.
The joke with private insurance is how often they "adjust" down the cost by simply refusing to pay these absurd markups. They don't spend any of their own money. They just tell hospital bill collectors to piss up a rope, ostensibly on your behalf.
But half the reason these prices are so absurd is that hospitals go enormously out of pocket to fight with insurance companies over reasonable expenses. A full third of the Fondren Orthopedic Group budget is in its Claims department, of which 4 staff members handle Medicare and 56 others deal with private insurance.
Efficiency, baby!