Originally posted by angrymomma
Don't forget the unnecessary tests that are sometimes ordered.

Last year I went to the ER b/c a medicine I was prescribed for migraines started making me lose my sight over the course of a couple of hours (I got better ). Instead of doing a simple pressure exam, that the on call eye doctor told him to first, (that consists of blowing a tiny puff of air into your eyes to check pressure) the first thing the doctor did was give me a spinal tap. ?

Well, to be fair, an ER doctor who has never seen you before and has only your account of your medcial history, has to rule out other serious possibilities before releasing you - for liability reasons.

This is why people using ER's as primary care is driving up insurance and health care costs. Not saying you were, but many do.

I would be compromising myself to say exactly what professional status I have in the medical field. However I will just point out one thing. It isn't only the Emergency rooms that have extremely inflated prices. Leave out all the tests leave out all the hospital rooms and outpatient facilities. Then examine this one thing.
Say a single Aspirin tablet. -----Now you can buy 100 generic tabs at the dollar store for a buck.
perhaps two at the most. that puts the price of that tab around 1-2 pennies each.. that is per tablet.
but if you are given one in the hospital and you look at your bill closely you will see a charge for a generic aspirin tablet of around 4-7 dollars per tab! That is just one tiny little drop in the bucket.
Now consider a second thing such as say a test: In this case a Cardiac Cath.
We have a local hospital well known for cardiac care. they do more than perhaps 30 cardiac characterizations daily raking in thousands of dollars per test. did you know appx 80% of those tests come back negative?
that is 8 out of ten dangerous heart caths show no anomaly at all! Who knew?
Now they make tens of thousands of dollars putting a patient at risk, and exposing them to dangerous drugs and there was truly no need even to do the test in a large percentage of those cases.....
If the Dr suggests any test that is expensive and or dangerous, be certain you have a direct indicator that test is needed.
The ER is a very unsafe environment. Every single person working there is in constant danger, from f being injured by someone who has gone completely bonkers to some of the most dangerous diseases and chemicals known to man. If there were any place in the entire Hospital that there should be inflated prices it is the ER. but there is no need for it anywhere else.
I couldn't begin to tell you of the medical personnel that have become infected with HIV, Hepatitis, Airborn and blood related diseases. Just being in an ER places everyone at risk especially the staff. If you do not need to go there. don't.
I do not agree that in the ER everything is inflated beyond the need. There is great danger there, and every single medical person in that environment is basically in danger....
Do keep in mind however that the field of medicine is the one business where a Dr, hospital, nurse, and other therapists get paid irregardless of the outcome of your illness.
You may remain ill or even die..but they will get paid either way.
Not so with auto mechanics, construction workers, or nearly any other field.
If you want a paycheck regardless of the outcome of your work. The field of medicine is the way to go.
If you like working in a dangerous setting for lots of money, the ER is the way to go. But it is a gamble for every person there.
DH

You also need to realize that many of the patients in the ER, shouldn't really be visiting an ER.

They have the flu, or a cold, or they sprained their finger. They should be going to an urgent care facility.

Also, many of those same patients don't have the money to pay.

So, hospitals have highly trained personnel to deal with true emergencies treating people without insurance and/or means to pay.

So, all the prices get jacked up to cover for those who can't pay.