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Post by Dave's Not Here Man on Feb 27, 2024 9:27:52 GMT -5
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Post by minx on Feb 27, 2024 9:52:12 GMT -5
Yup. Even regular ambulance rides cost big bucks now. Makes lots of people afraid to call 911 when they're having a medical crisis.
Cause the ER bill will be high enough, without adding the cost of that ride into it.
I'm on a cruise group - it's amazing how many people assume that they can get out of a foreign country quickly without having to lay out a ton of cash if there's a medical emergency.
Or that the ship's doctor will take insurance.
Of course, these are the same people who think you don't need a passport because if it's a closed-loop cruise (leaving and returning to the same port), one isn't required. Even if you're getting off the ship in Mexico or Bermuda, cause the ship will take care of you.
On the cruises I've taken, my passport is securely attached to my body if I leave the ship at a foreign port. And we are lucky enough to have a credit card with an open credit line of $4K- that card is attached to me as well. Cause if something bad happens And I need to be hospitalized, or worse yet evacuated by air, I want to be at least semi-prepared and show that I can pay the bill or make a hefty deposit towards paying it.
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Post by Dave's Not Here Man on Feb 27, 2024 10:46:46 GMT -5
Service provider: Med-Trans Corp., a medical transportation service that is part of Global Medical Response, an industry giant backed by private equity investors. The larger company operates in all 50 states and says it has a total of 498 helicopters and airplanes.
I think you have a big part of the explanation right there: Private equity companies.
As for your local EMS, I have always been of the opinion that charging taxpayers for services they already fund should be illegal.
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Post by minx on Feb 27, 2024 16:33:47 GMT -5
To give the local folk their due, at that time they were all-volunteer, so I suspect they charged in order to pay for the building and equipment.
What's odd is that my neighbor called - she was having a panic attack, but it was the first time she had one, so as you know, it can present as a potential heart attack. When the ambulance got there, she was coming out of it, so they didn't transport her - I don't recall her saying anything about a bill.
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Post by k9krap on Feb 27, 2024 17:38:28 GMT -5
Mine was $1600 a few years ago.
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Post by Dave's Not Here Man on Feb 27, 2024 18:22:44 GMT -5
We didn't get a bill when they took her (COVID) Oct 22.
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Post by k9krap on Feb 27, 2024 18:41:41 GMT -5
Maybe your Medicaid paid it? I didn’t have Medicare at the time of my ambulance ride. (WESTMORELAND responded to my call. It was Memorial Day weekend, and no units were available in King George, although a couple EMTS came in their personal vehicles to check me out before the ambulance arrived.)
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Post by Dave's Not Here Man on Feb 27, 2024 21:07:46 GMT -5
Yeah that's probably what happened and we just never got a EOB.
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Post by minx on Feb 28, 2024 8:27:54 GMT -5
I think they did some sort of emergency exemption that said the government would pick up emergency transport for covid - they wanted people to get treatment.
Kind of like how they approved telehealth visits, paid the copay for PCP test as well.
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Post by Dave's Not Here Man on Feb 28, 2024 13:03:06 GMT -5
Could be that too I suppose. It was def a covid thing.
The last time I was on a meat wagon was when we lived in the other house (the rental) in this neighborhood. Maybe around 8 or 9 years ago I don't recall but 2015 sounds about right to me, and I got a bill for $500 which was the same amount they charged back in 2007 when she had the seizure.
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Post by minx on Feb 28, 2024 16:53:51 GMT -5
Yeah, I've managed to avoid them after the pneumonia incident. The kids were still in elementary school, so that was a nice Christmas evening surprise for them!
Youngest had to go in three more times after that. Only rode with her once though - other two times she went on her own and I followed.
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