My Hospital Experience Why we need healthcare reform

[princeofvegas 0]

I am one of the unlucky "few" who does not have health insurance coverage or cannot afford it at the moment. Maybe "few" is a bit of an understatement though. Haha. About a week and a half ago I blacked out, no explanation, no memory of what happened, just a complete blackout. A relative arrived about 2 and a half hours later than I remembered only to find me on the kitchen floor dazed and confused when I was woken up.I was immediately taken to the hospital where they immediately admitted me because they had no idea what was wrong. When I was admitted, I was asked whether I had taken any drugs. I informed the doctor up front that I had taken some Valium about a week prior to help me sleep, which had been prescribed by my dentist. They went about their business. They kept me for 3 days while constantly running tests on me. They ran just about every test you could possibly imagine, all the meanwhile racking up my hospital stay that I would not be able to afford anyways.At the end of the third day, a doctor who I had never met before came in and told me that all the tests were negative and he was discharging me. He made a huge deal about the fact that I had taken Valium ignoring the fact about how long ago I had taken it and that there was a prescription for it and even at one point calling me a "user". I am no such thing, I only take something when it is prescribed to me.Granted to say I was pissed off when I left the hospital when they couldn't find out what was wrong with me and still required me to pay $2500, which I really didn't have to be spending in the first place, as a "down payment" on my services received. WHAT SERVICES?!?! A doctor just came in, called me a drug user and discharged me. Mind you I did not once ask for any form of pain killers or drugs beyond Tylenol for my headache while I was there.1 week later I was able to get a follow up appointment with a family physician that cost me $180 for the visit. Within 2 hours after examining all of my reported symptoms and test that I had done at the hospital he was able to conclude that I had suffered a seizure. This finding was also confirmed by my EEG that was done while I was still AT THE HOSPITAL!!So I ask you, the hospital kept me for 3 days at a cost of about $15,000 and in the long run I get a solid diagnosis from a family doctor for only $180. Can anyone see where this is totally messed up? Thoughts and opinions?

[jlhaslip 4]

I'm glad to be Canadian.Our Health isn't perfect, but this whole deal would have cost you zilch in my country.Well, monthly premiums are about $50 for a single person and if you earn less, you pay less.I wonder what your hospitalisation would cost under the proposed new system?

[kleong 0]

Why is the hospital unable to diagonse your problem, that is strange. But most importantly, you are well and you are aware of your condition.

[anwiii 17]

this whole post is funny reading to me. i can't really take any of it seriously. first of all, valium is a narcotic and addicting both physically and psychologically. why is your dentist prescribing it to you to help you sleep?!? it's mainly used for anxiety and/or depression. if i had a family member that i care about go see a dentist and the dentist was prescribing crap like that, i would make SURE my family member that i care about switches dentists. also, there are better meds than valium for depression, anxiety, and/or sleep disorders that are far more safer to take than valium there has to be more to this valium story because i just started laughing when i read that your dentist prescribed it. now your hospital bill is no surprise. i was born and raised in the u.s. and without insurance for most of my life so it comes to no surprise what hospitals charge....especially if it's an emergency room visit. but you were in there for threee days? what for? it wasn't because of a seizure. that's for sure. you could have left anytime you wanted to despite their recomendations. usually, they'll keep ya for 3 hours while they run some tests and release you. also, in the united states, if you are unable to pay your bill, there are programs out there that can help you pay it. you don't have to be insured. then there's medicaid. if you are low income and unable to pay, you can apply. if you're approved they not only pay your current bills but the bills from 3 months or so previous to when you applied.now if you have a doctor, why are you getting prescriptions filled through the dentist haha that doesn't make a bit of sensealso, a seizure doesn't normally cause unconsciousness and a person can usually feel one coming on. you didn't. that's a bit strange. usually when a person has a seizure, they have a history of siezures. in your case, maybe stress related which causes depression and/or anxiety which causes panic attacks or seizures....and in your case, problems sleeping. i wouldn't call your doctors diagnosis "solid" either. sometimes it take a little time to find out what the problem is. that's why for you, i recomend seeing a D.O. who will usually care more than an MD and has the time and patience to diagnose the TRUE problem and work to help resolve it.so yea, when the doctor judged you, it was something i was already thinking. pill popper or selling on the streets. come on. it's your dentist. he should be prescribing at the most a pain killer.....but normally just some antibiotics....not anything for sleeping disorders. there are doctors more qualified for those types of meds.i dunno....i just couldn't take that post too seriously except for the fact that you were found 2 1/2 hours after you passed out. that's some serious stuff you really need to look in to so it doesn't happen again. especially if you drive and have the possibility of it occuring when on the road and not only injuring you, but other people.

[princeofvegas 0]

In response to anwii, You seem to be jumping the gun as well, 3 weeks ago I had my 4 wisdom teeth and a broken tooth pulled in one visit. Oxy based narcotics do not have the same effect on me as they would many other people, in fact, they have almost no effect on me. Valium was prescribed to help me sleep at night so that I could avoid taking high doses of highly addictive pain killers. It was a personal choice made by me and me alone. Since the drug was not in my system, even in trace amounts, it should not have been taken into account in coming to a diagnosis. In fact they would not have even known about it had I not been honest and up front with the admitting doctor.As for being passed out for 2 and a half hours, apparently when someone suffers a seizure if there is no one there to immediately wake them, 9 times out of 10 they fall into a deep sleep until being awaken. It is something that is going to take some work to get under control. My primary doctor was obligated by the state when I was diagnosed to medically suspend my license and notify the DMV, which has already been done. Yes another kick in the nuts because now I am stuck relying on city transportation and friends and family.Unfortunately I do not qualify for any state medicaid or welfare because simply, my gross income is way over what they consider poor. I have done pretty well for myself in video production, however, with an ex wife, alimony and child support I am still unable to afford decent insurance. It is completely my fault for not having insurance and I will pay my bills (even though most Americans would just write it off to bad debt and ignore the collection notices). And for confirming the diagnosis, the ER doctor apparently was not qualified to look at my EEG so in turn he ignored any results from it. However, at my own expense yet again, and in order to get my license back I will be seeing doctors at a local neurology office. Just do not go making assumptions about someone being a drug addict based on information you do not know.One thing that I forgot to address, the reason that I was kept there for 3 days was because I was admitted on a Friday evening, which meant that I had to wait until Monday for some tests to be done, because as you should know being raised in America, it is near impossible to get anything done with a doctor after 5pm on a Friday. I know I could have left at any time, however, since I did not know what was wrong with me and if I was going to black out again I would have rather been at the hospital that home alone.

[anwiii 17]

i never made assuptions. it looks like you are though. i told you what my first thoughts were and that there had to be more to the valium and dentist story. i never assumed you were an addict or otherwise. and just like you, i don't like people accusing me of doing something i did not do.your dentist sounds creepy to allow you to make the choice to take valium. like i said, i wouldn't EVER let a family member continue to see a dentist that could prescribe that to their visitor. there are sleep meds to help one sleep and can put you out pretty quickly that aren't narcatic or addicting.your doctor actually notified the dmv?!? that sucks! i really never heard of that before especially since you don't seem to have a history of it.i thought maybe you bumped your head and went unconsious during the seizure from a head wound which would also explain maybe why they held you for 3 days. but i guess that isn't the case. in any case, sounds like your doctor is thinking it coulda been an epileptic seizure which if you don't have a history, you could have something more deadly like a tumor or something. i hope you figure out what caused it. i guess it's time for the eegs, cat scans and blood work now...since you can't even afford insurance and certainly can't afford your current bill, aren't you afraid that they will refuse to run tests? usually the only way to get those tests done if you can't afford them is if you're admitted to the e.r.

Edited April 9, 2010 by anwiii (see edit history)

[Mich 0]

I was recently at the Desert Springs Hospital in Las Vegas for treatment on a Saturday night. It took 8 hours to diagnose a broken bone in my foot. They were 3 nurses short on staff, they said. Anyway, if you got charged so much for your stay, I dread seeing my bill. Although, I do have insurance and I hope all things are covered.

 

I do know when you owe a hospital you are not charged interest. Any payment you can afford they have to accept as long as you make it every month. I am sorry to hear of your health status, seizures are very serious. My broken foot will heal in time, how lucky for me. Good luck!