"run for my life. bill collector will get me" sob, sob.

Oh, I'm sorry Hatley... I know that feeling, except instead of the knocking on my door, it was the ringing phone..I hated the days before caller id when I didn't know if I picked up the phone was my sister or a bill collector..I am still waiting to here that your son got that fantastic job, and I won't give up until I do!!!

although a lot of Americans complain about Canada's social medical state and the crazy long wait times we have. (my mom had an mri done on her heart in early october but has to wait til january to see the doctor!) i wouldnt trade it for nothing. i know there is no way i could afford to visit the doctor as much as i do (i dont see them all the time but i do have fibromyalgia and chronic bronchitis). i am glad i live here.

I do know what you mean. and Maggiepie took a very expensive "taxi" t the hospital today - again...

I totally agree with you. I guess the cost of the ambulance ride is to help purchase new equipment, pay those who work on the ambulances, the up keep and fuel for the ambulance, etc. The price is definitely ridiculous. All you can do is do your best to keep up making some kind of payments. Don't worry about the bill collectors. Just keep doing what you are doing. Hugs

At the time when prices are going up,everybody has to stretch money to keep within a budget.However sometimes no matter how careful you are with money,You still have too many difficulties to cope with.I am amazed by that you have two cards or something.

Health care costs are ridiculous here, but Universal Health Care would not solve the problem. The problems with our system have to deal with insurance companies that want to maintain their large bottom lines, so they charge ridiculous premiums to that end. Also we need to stop frivolous lawsuits in healthcare. Ask the folks in countries where there is universal care if you are allowed to sue because the ambulance hit a pothole on the road, or you sat waiting to have your cut stitched. Never mind that a trauma or stroke patient took up the resources of the emergency room. If you don't correct the underlying problem the costs will not go down. Right now insurance companies decide what a medical procedure is worth, not a doctor or clinic. Don't believe that, look up the term Usual and Customary Reimbursement (UCR). Also see how that factor is affected by the size of the institution and the amount of equipment expenditure it has. A CT scan done on a 64 slice Helical Scanner should be reimbursed the same if it is done at a 64 bed hospital, or a 640 bed hospital, but it's not. And how would this insurance for everyone be paid for?

i can top that.the hospital is two streets over from us,less than 3 minutes travel,and they charged my mom $600 for that short of a ride. so,i'm guessing at least 600 is standard no matter the distance. i would have just wheeled her over,but she needed oxygen that ride.thank god she has insurance tho.

Hi Hatley, Yes, I agree...it's highway robbery. Actually pretty much the cost of everything is. I am lucky that so far I have been able to keep up on my bills, rent etc but it is barely and it isn't getting any easier that's for sure. My pay does not go up to accomodate for the rising costs of everything. I don't have insurance and could not make payments so I guess that I'll add my good health to the list of things to be grateful for.

I really personally think the ambulance companies are price gouging people!!! Egads $700! I would of told them to call me a cab! My Mother got charged 10yrs or so ago for a ride from the hospital to another unit to get her meds regulated to $350 when I could of easily driven her myself there for a few dollars. But I was told because she technically had not been released and was in the hospital they could not have me drive her. I think that's BS! I know my Aunt had said once when she was at the Dr and they told her to get her spouse to the hospital they'd call an ambulance she declined and drove him to the ER! I do think that patents are victims! Somehow things never seem to add up when it comes to medical bills and such. I know they have an overhead but really for what they charge one would expect luxurious acomodations!

I think if we didn't have insurance, medical costs wouldn't have skyrocketed. Once they found out there was a guaranteed source of payment, prices went up. And, kept on going. I know doctors who overcharge insurance companies in order to receive a full payment so the burden isn't on the patient. As long as insurance companies have free rein, we will never be free of these outrageous prices!

Hatley, I had to take my son to the ER once because he had an abcessed tooth and it was Sunday. NO dentists were available so... The doctor was with him no more than 10 minutes, he got a shot of novocaine in his mouth and a prescription for pain meds to see him through the weekend or until he could get to a dentist. Know what that one trip to the ER cost? OVER $1,000.00!!!!! I totally agree that these ambulance companies charge WAY too much, especially when you think of what a taxi ride would cost for the same distance and also when they know you're on Medicare. They should accept what Medicare pays and not charge a penny more. At least that would be the decent thing to do but, sadly, these people who are here to "help" are anything but decent, they're all about profits. Maybe, if you ever need to get to the hospital again, I think you should tell the nursing home that they need to pay the ambulance bill since they're the ones who call for the ambulance in the first place! It really is sickening when we realize just how much our necessary health care costs today, especially in these hard economic times. We get deals from companies that sell us things all the time, why can't hospitals (and doctors and ambulance companies) do the same, at least until the economy picks up again? I want to know what happened to that "hypocratic oath" because doctors and hospitals might mend our physical ailments but they CREATE mental issues once we get their bills that we can't pay. Did you know what we are the ONLY civilized country in the world without national health care? They keep telling us it won't work but it works in other countries! I KNOW the healthcare profession is handing over bribe money to government officials to keep national health care out of our country. Did you know that Hilary Clinton was "bribed" with almost $1 million to STOP pushing for national healthcare? Yep, she sure was; she accepted that money and never spoke of it again, although she was really pushing for it at first. Our government makes me sick. Of course, they also see to it that I can't see a doctor about them making me sick because I can't afford it.

I pay my bills on time every month. I've had bill collectors call me asking to pay off 2 bills that went to a state collection agency! One is 3 years old and will still take me awhile to pay off! The other one I don't undterstand why it went to a collection agency! Instead of just adding to my bill at the local clinic which a make a monthly payments on they sent to to the state collection agency! I can't afford to make payments on this 3rd bill! So until I can pay off my horse vet bill,that won't be getting paid off! I will finally have that vet bill paid off in February! I can't wait! I do have health insurance. On my insurence plan there is the Gold,Silver and Bronze plan. I am on the bronze plan because I don't want to have over $200.00 a month taken out of my pay check every month! The BRonze plan costs less and pays 75% of my health bills not 100% like it would be on the Gold plan. When the college I work at signed up with the insurance company like 6 years ago,everyone premiem went up over $50.00 a month! No one was warned about it and so many people,including myself were pissed off! Now like last year my insurance has stayed the same and I hope it will continue this way! We all need it but it is ridiculous what we have to do to have it and pay for it! It is not fair! Obama is making it worse and that is not good at all!

Yes madam I also heard in USA or other countries medical treatment cost is very high than India and not only medical treatment but other goods cost is also high and no more job there. Professor uncle was telling me India is best in the manner. In India no more cost for medical treatment.

Hatley aunty - I know the message you are trying to communicate is that the medical and insurance bills in USA are high. I understand that in Canada doctors do not answer queries over phone but they ask the patients to visit every time so that they can get fees paid. Earlier I was under the impression that medical facilities are convenient and are fully paid for by the govt. in canada. I think there are some riders to it.

Human beings can't run away from unpaid bills. I have never come across anyone without debts. Even the rich have bills to meet as they are carrying credit cards and the bills keep coming in every month. I have been there too and because of the mounting debts that I have incurred I have no choice but to pay one at a time while the rest are kept on hold till the next payday. I don't know how I managed to survive those stressful periods. But it has made me vow never to become a hunted prey of bill collectors again. The memory of those dark days of being hunted by debt collectors always remind me of the proverbial saying "cut your coat according to your cloth."

That's freaking nuts....

700 dollars for an ambulance ride? wow that is expensive indid! here in Australia we have a very good health system...thank goodness for that...as a pensioner we don't have to pay for an ambulance and medical care and hospital is covered by the health system how lucky we are! but like very one else I also have bills to pay and some times get behind my payments but you know what? I do not worry very much after all they can't take what I don't have they can wait their sweet time!

You are definitely not alone to feel that sometimes bill collectors would be hounding. I've had to be creative in juggling money around to make sure that important bills get paid. As you are concerned for your health, my concern right now is the health of my car. Winter is coming up, and I've got to get winter tires really soon. And of course, I've got to get the 'check engine' light fixed. I've been delaying getting these things as I don't know where to get the money from.

OMG Shock and more shock!!!!! 700 Dollars???? I have to say I don't know much about the ambulance cost, but that really is Highway robbery. Thank God for the cheap medical facilities in India. The costliest doctor in town cost approximately $10 for consultation. To top it off, I live 2 minutes away from the best hospital (and cleanest by a long mile). Hatley, you need to come live with me. I can take you there in a heartbeat if the need arise. You don't have to worry about expenses. If you want cheaper, there's one hospital 1 minute away from my house. Not as clean, but just as good.

hello,"how can one ride of five miles be worth 700 dollars?" . is the ambulance a benz, a BMW or probably a Rollsroyce?, what a ride friend, but I really do not know what to say coming from a country where one has to tend for themselves once they fall ill, hope you can get over the bills and I wish nothing more but ehe best for you Miss Hatley