How Much for a Semi-private 2 Day Hospital Room????
By NailTech
@NailTech (6874)
United States
August 31, 2012 7:21pm CST
It cost me $16,000 for a two day stay in a semi private room at the hospital for me this summer for my cyst removal operation. That isn't including other expenses and it is 20% off the whole price without insurance. Does this sound remotely right to you or should I dispute this outrageous bill??? I keep reading online where the stays are cheaper where they are. I'm in the states, but how much different could it be from state to state? This is just so depressing for me.
1 person likes this
7 responses
@CookingIsMyPassion (653)
• United States
1 Sep 12
There is no universal cost for hospital stays, doctor visits or tests exactly. Each state can do their own thing and the same goes for insurance companies. They do have a range that they have to stay within, some are higher than others. It is outrageous that some of the more simple conditions wind up cost a fortune.
My Dad had an operation and the surgeon changed $9,000 an hour. My Dad was in there for 9 hours. That was an insane bill when they received it. He survived the operation but coming home to a bill like that could do more damage than he had before going in.
You can dispute it but I haven't heard many cases if any where the bill gets lowered - they have us between a rock and a hard place for sure.
1 person likes this
@NailTech (6874)
• United States
1 Sep 12
Yes outrageous indeed. So did your dad have insurance at least? I would have wanted to die first rather than have the operation. I wonder what life will be like 100 years from now when I'm not around. Just kills me to think of the poor animals (cats and dogs who can't find homes these days) and how they will be treated, etc too.
@CookingIsMyPassion (653)
• United States
1 Sep 12
He did have insurance but that was just the one doctor (surgeon)- there was a whole slew of others that put in for charges too and the hospital on top of that. It is a nightmare for everyone and he was retired on social security so there was still a huge bill that had to be paid regardless.
Some day and it would be nice to see - when all charges are universal or calculated by what peoples income is so that we can get treated and not spend all the rest of our lives trying to pay it off.
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
3 Sep 12
You want a reference point, I need a shot every 3 weeks. It would be $6000 each shot in the USA. I don't have to pay because we have good health care in Israel.
@NailTech (6874)
• United States
3 Sep 12
I am very very grateful you have that. I once heard of a guy here who had to sell his house in order for his grown adult daughter to get a similar shot that cost ( at the time)$2,000. a month for some kind of illness she has. Sad here. Be grateful for you have where ever you are, it could always be worse somewhere else.
@celticeagle (159105)
• Boise, Idaho
1 Sep 12
It sounds expensive. I haven't been in the hospital since the 1980's so I don't know what the cost is now. I would wonder what this includes. Around the clock nurse, equipment, etc. Or just the room. And you don't have any insurance do you? It is pretty outrageous. I am disputing a medical bill I got too. It was $193.41 for a office visit discussing my depression. I am going to fill out a request form and have the medical department send me the transcript so I can see what it was exactly. Did you ask for an itemized bill? I remember in the movie Murphy's Romance where James Garner's character visits Sally Field's character in the hospital after she was run off the road by a teenage driver. She is sniffling and feeling sorry for herself and he offers her a kleenex from a box on her bedside table. She says: " No! It costs ??.?? for that!" I always thought that was a cute scene.
@NailTech (6874)
• United States
1 Sep 12
It would have included the 'round the clock nurse at least. I didn't bother her much during the night though. No no insurance, and they even wanted to keep me another day. That is when I got myself up and walking so I wouldn't have to pay even more. I feel like they might have left me there til the weekend in fact. And this was all needless, as I got out of bed myself and walked around and home with no problem. If I would have been lazy and stayed in bed I would have been there longer. I think the itemization was on the back of the bill. I didn't see the movie Murphy's Romance but I have always liked Sally Field.
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
3 Sep 12
You poor thing. That is a huge chunk of money. With the prices of medical care in the states, I'm glad I left.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
2 Sep 12
Hi Nailtech, you are not likely to get more discount even if you go all the way to dispute the bill.
Just pay the bill, and get on with life.
There is no point in getting so upset when you are the one seeking treatment, and choosing the semi-private room in the first place.
After all, we do not know if you have existing condition, such as high blood pressure or other condition, that requires more testings to be done before the surgery.
I think after this incident, you will get wiser, and ask for an estimated cost before you make such decision.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
10 Sep 12
Cr ap! That sounds like a fortune just for a cyst removal...how big was the cyst and where was it?
If I went into hospital for that surgery, I would not have to pay one red cent because I am a low income earner.
I could not handle any sort of bill for an amount like that...I would simply be unable to pay...what would happen to me then?
