Urgent Care is not cheap!
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
United States
May 16, 2012 12:59pm CST
About 2 months ago my hubby came down with what turned out to be some form of pink eye. Well of course this has to happen on a saturday morning when the Dr's office isn't open. I tried to tell him to go to the well clinic at walgreens which is cheaper. I also tried to tell him I have a few bottles of med for pink eye as everyone BUT him has had it in the house. Oh no lets go to the urgent care... well guess what I have 2 bills we now have to pay from the hospital system for the urgent care facility as well as the Dr. WTH?!?! They wonder why people even with insurance cringe going to the Dr or ER for any problems... a person can't afford the co-pays!
Really it's costing us $210 when a trip to the Dr is $10!
Really it's costing us $210 when a trip to the Dr is $10!5 people like this
11 responses
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
16 May 12
Yep he works in a factory and thought he had gotten something in his eye and said Walgreens wouldn't have anything to flush his eyes or examine them properly.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160879)
• United States
16 May 12
It is a little different snugglebunnies when you mention his possible exposure and damage. It makes more sense, however it is still a high bill. You do not want to take risks with your vision. I worked one place where one of our teachers got a bark chip from the playground in her eye. Scratched the cornea, and very painful. I am glad he is okay.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
17 May 12
He's already gotten a scratch on his lens from something before. That's why he thought that was what it was again. I was just surprised his eyes were in that much of a state and it was only a form of pink eye. IDK if he just thought his eyes were dry prior to it getting that bad or his lens' needed to be taken out. The last time I wore contacts my eyes were as bad as his and I was told they were oxygen deprived and I basically slept for 2 days... not that I could open my eyes anyways.
@verolop29 (1096)
• United States
17 May 12
i think the system is messed up! thats what happened to me once. i had an ear ache real bad that accured because of a toothache, i was in tears when i went to the ER and i got a bill for like 1000 bucks. and i had to wait 3 hrs before i got to see a dr and he didn't even know what he was doing. we didnt pay-madicade paid for that-but i dont know y ppl especially those who are struggling have to pay up the wammo for emergency care. they should do something like i think japan, they have this system that ppl are saying is better than american healthcare places. i dont know if it has any truth
2 people like this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
29 May 12
That is one of the worst things is you have no idea of the competancy of the Dr you are seeing. Some it seemed to be just a pure waste of time, if you get a moron. I know I had a severe sinus infection that left me in tears for several days from the pain. I went to urgent care you know he sent me with some antibiotics which I already had that were not helping. No advice no nothing to cope with the pain.
@GardenGerty (160879)
• United States
16 May 12
We only have the ER as an option if the doctor's office is closed. We do not have insurance. One of my husband's previous jobs, he was insured, with a $3000 deductible. They would stress him, he would get dizzy, then they would send him to the ER. Nothing wrong with him. It took me several years to get him to quit going to the ER for every little boo boo. It seems he had emergencies every six months for several years. I am pleased that he has not been in such a state for two years. No emergencies. He is on medicare now.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
29 May 12
That's quite the hefty deductable! I wouldn't blame you for being upset as to them sending him to the ER over everything. Honestly I think deductables like that are criminal!
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160879)
• United States
29 May 12
You might as well not even have insurance with that high a deductible. We are seldom ever sick, so a policy that pays for wellness checks is what we need. He found a tick on him the other day. . . he went ahead and worked, out in the wheat field, and then called the doctor. Doc said anti biotic ointment for ten days. No bill at all. Yay!!!
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
17 May 12
My sister just went to a quick clinic and it cost her $175.00 just for the visit...she just about crapped! You are right....WTH....medical has just become another big business that lots of people are cashing in on....does anyone really care anymore or are we just another dollar sign?
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
17 May 12
Yes I do think people are just big ol' dollar signs! Really $95 for facility use... WTF is that?!?! So $95 to just be in the building, not even for the exam by the Dr, just to be in the building.
WOW I wouldn't expect that from a quick clinic either. I know for a while they were popping up even in malls like lil kiosk's but you know they even just kept the 9-5 sort of hours too. They wonder why people avoid the Dr unless they are dying, cause they can't afford it. And if they can afford the visit they can't afford the meds. It's all vicious and dirty cycle.
@maezee (41988)
• United States
16 May 12
Wow, that is insane! Do you have insurance? I missed the part where you said he did, if you said that at all. It seems expensive with or without insurance if you ask me, especially at places like the ER or Urgent Care where it's "expedited" or moreso than making an appointment. I remember back when I had insurance (I don't anymore, unfortunately), I had an ear infection and it set me back, including co-pay, the prescriptions, and out-of-pocket visit costs: $180. It disgusts me! I was in there for literally a minute, at Target Minute Clinic, and he looked in my ear and then said, "Yup, you have an infection", wrote me a perscription and sent me on my way. It's like...What the heck! For future reference I think, even once I have insurance, I am going to go to the 'low income' ones they have around here.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
29 May 12
Indeed you got off cheaper than we did and he was in there maybe 10-15 min and that included the paperwork. If I had the smarts or one of my kids do they either need to get into the insurance biz or some high paying portion of the medical feild.
@yel812 (174)
•
17 May 12
So insurance is really big health maybe I should apply for an insurance, my mom and dad is pushing me to get one but I really don't care for now xP. Health services seems to be so expensive, too bad people can't do anything about it, maybe that's why prevention is better than cure.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
17 May 12
Yes prevention is better than a cure. However, things happen despite those things too that can't be helped.
Yes everyone should try to get insurance, better if it's employer sponsored so it's hopefully cheaper. But of course that depends on the employer and deductables ect they pick. But going solo and buying your own can be even more costly. I think after having a c-section that my bill was 1,200. Compared to the 17,000 if I didn't have insurance! The whole system is just messed up.
@danishcanadian (28955)
• Canada
19 May 12
In Cabada it doesn't matter to Canadians. However my husband is an American, and not under our health care. When he has a diabetic problem, urgent care gets expensive. Last hospital bill was $720!!!
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
16 May 12
i have a similar story. i too, had pinkeye and got some medicine from the doctor, then, had a reaction the medicine! hubby took me down to the urgent care facility and i got some meds to clear everything up. the only difference? it was free (free in the sense that Ontario, Canada has socialized medicine but we end up paying for it in our taxes i am sure. however, there is no up front payment needed.)
@MoonGypsy (4606)
• United States
16 May 12
ha! insurance. don't even talk about. i just found out that i am no longer eligible for free medical benefits because i make too much money. now i am going to have to deal with all these tribulations with insurance that you speak of. it's unfair because people need medical care. why is it that people charge high for things that people need in this country?
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
16 May 12
It all seems foolish to me! I mean really $600 for pink eye or an alike virus?!?! a 15min paperwork + exam was $600 really?!?! I know they charge such fee's in part due to malpractice suits and malpractice insurance and I'm sure also those lovely folks who decide not to pay their bills so they jack up the cost to those who can. I hope they like their slow pay cause my hopes of even affording to go fishing w/ the kids this summer just went down the crapper.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
16 May 12
Wow, that's really high! The urgent care here is $75, I wonder why yours is so expensive? Call the hospital and set up a payment plan, they're usually very cooperative. Men are such weenies, aren't they? 
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
16 May 12
*LMAO* yup!
Yeah that's what I couldn't figure out either. He wouldn't let me try another urgent care place but did the urgent care that is part of the hospital that we know we are covered at. But still when I went to the Childrens Hospital sponsored Urgent Care it wasn't much more than $50-75. The Dr is not only charging us but so is the hospital... I'm ticked! $95 facilitiy fee! WTH?!?! then the Dr has her own fee thats a bit over $100. I wish I made that kind of dough for 15 min of my time!
then the Dr has her own fee thats a bit over $100. I wish I made that kind of dough for 15 min of my time! @JenInTN (27514)
• United States
28 May 12
Oh..urgent care costs me out the ying yang. My insurance is great unless you have to go to the emergency room. I can go to a walk in clinic and it's reasonable but the hospital...oh my...that means deductible plus 10 percent. The problem is that most doctor visits that I have had to go to have been emergencies..lol.
