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I would suggest Sareitha Sedai Send a noteboard - 09/02/2010 02:57:51 PM
Some basic info first / personal update stuff first before getting to the point of this post.

I started dating a girl a year ago. We're now living together, and engaged to be married on July 24. Super exciting, etc. ;)

Eight days ago, she fell and broke her ankle. As she doesn't have insurance right now (we've been trying to get her on a plan, but her application has been open for months because they're overloaded and we can't actually talk with them to figure out what they still need), I've been trying to determine about how much her bill will run to with:

-Ambulance
-6 hours in the ER
-consultation visits
-one failed attempt at surgery (ankle still too swollen to operate, but required operating room/anaesthetic usage to properly cast her ankle in the meantime).
-one successful surgery to install plates/screws
-followup consultations visits
-casts

And right now, I'm not even considering another surgery to remove plates/screws whenever that will need to be done.

What I'm looking for, is someone who might actually be able to put a figure to any/all of these things so that I can achieve a "maximum possible debt" before anything else. If it's relevant, we live in the Saint Paul, Minnesota metro area and have been going to a Trauma Level 1 hospital.


Speaking to somebody in the billing department of that particular hospital. There are just too many variables to get a reasonable and meaningful range of possible prices here. I'm sure you won't be able to get anything in writing, but explain you just want a verbal range of self-pay prices (even if it has to be for each item separately) so that you can start to figure out and plan for the debt. It's probably "against policy" and you might have to get extra charming ;) but I think it's your best bet. If you can't do that, possibly the billing department at a similar hospital will help you out since it can't be expected that their price list would be in any way binding for the other hospital.

Good luck, and congratulations :)
If you are from Betelgeuse, please have one of your Earth friends read what I've written before you respond. Or try concentrating harder.

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A question about medical costs - 09/02/2010 02:49:49 PM 663 Views
I would suggest - 09/02/2010 02:57:51 PM 472 Views
Re: I would suggest - 09/02/2010 04:54:47 PM 366 Views
well, it'd be hard to say "oh it's usually this" for the whole industry - 09/02/2010 05:04:47 PM 447 Views
But it shouldn't be. - 09/02/2010 05:30:52 PM 460 Views
I don't think less opacity would change the price of the supplies much - 09/02/2010 07:21:32 PM 303 Views
Yup - 09/02/2010 05:13:02 PM 338 Views
Re: Yup - 09/02/2010 07:19:47 PM 321 Views
I was being sarcastic - 09/02/2010 07:24:28 PM 442 Views
Re: I was being sarcastic - 09/02/2010 08:58:47 PM 423 Views
You're not alone. - 09/02/2010 09:00:43 PM 321 Views
billing people can be short and sometimes rude... - 09/02/2010 07:26:00 PM 300 Views
I spent maybe 3 hours in the ER for an infection - 09/02/2010 03:00:50 PM 516 Views
O.o that's crazy - 09/02/2010 03:33:16 PM 348 Views
Congrats on the engagement.... - 09/02/2010 05:33:14 PM 342 Views
the cost structure they use is so insane it would be almost impossible to guess - 09/02/2010 03:04:09 PM 351 Views
Congratulations on the engagement - 09/02/2010 03:09:06 PM 323 Views
At least a couple thousand is my best guess - 09/02/2010 03:31:30 PM 326 Views
Well hindsight is 20/20, but was the ambulance ride truly necessary? - 09/02/2010 03:34:39 PM 472 Views
Yes. - 09/02/2010 05:00:31 PM 314 Views
America is such a crazy place... - 09/02/2010 03:44:35 PM 359 Views
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ but you can negotiate down a few $$$ *NM* - 09/02/2010 05:44:21 PM 195 Views
Several thousand dollars. - 09/02/2010 08:08:16 PM 370 Views
Re: Several thousand dollars. - 09/02/2010 08:55:21 PM 317 Views
I have no idea about hospital costs - 09/02/2010 08:12:41 PM 332 Views
One answer: - 09/02/2010 11:56:00 PM 369 Views
*wince* - 10/02/2010 12:07:21 AM 316 Views
Re: One answer: - 10/02/2010 03:58:31 AM 334 Views
First - YAY! Second - Yikes! - 10/02/2010 04:15:30 AM 322 Views
Apply for medical assistance and talk to the hospital! - 11/02/2010 12:28:44 AM 438 Views

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