Cost of Rattlesnake bite in US hospital

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2012/05/31/dnt-snake-bite-bill.kgtv

$143,00.00 yesh add to that it look's like he had the rotten luck of being tagged by a Helleri.

don't know how they have the nerve to charge that much
with only one night in hospital it was obviously a a fairly innocuous bite despite being such a dangerous species and last time I saw a price for Crofab was something like $800 a vial so how many vials if indeed any did they administer? it's legalised theft the insurance pay it and tax payers have to compensate with higher premiums. What would have happened if the guy had no insurance?

What would happen ?....You die !

Albert J. Montejo wrote:: What would happen ?....You die !

so a foreign visitor and complete innocent and by that I mean someone who wasn't provoking or handling the snake would be simply left to rot -literally!! that'll do wonders for international relations.

I think that is only when you don't have a health-insurance.

Johann Prescher wrote:: I think that is only when you don't have a health-insurance.

sorry i don't understand what you are saying ?

Well, what I am trying to say is, that most treatments in a hospital are very expensive. I know that a health-insurance is not obligated in all countries. Here in the Netherlands it is, here we also have an own-risk. That are the costs you pay. Only one time in a year.

So in my case, I pay 130 euro's each month to my health insurance.
If I get bitten, I also pay my own risk (about 330 for 2013)

And when my treatment in the hospital costs 10000 euro's, I still pay 130 euro's each month, and only one time 330 euro own risk.

So people who get a bill that high, don't have a health insurance.

(Another possibility is that snakebite treatment is not in its policy.) But when you keep snakes which bite will harm you, I recommend a good health insurance! Wink

I hope I made myself clear. Tu comprendres Micheal? Wink

Well this is the highest cost for a snake bite ive seen yesh that's a lot of cash for sure. I don't know what would suck worse the bill or getting tagged by a Helleri.

The health industry in the US has many problems, but it is innacurate to say you will be left to die if you do not have insurance. Emergency rooms are REQUIRED by federal law to treat anyone who shows up and needs care.

It depends on which level you would like this question anwsered yes the " non-profit" hospital is required by federal law to admit a patient they deem has "life threatening" injuries and stabilize them but actual treatment is all together different.

Tim Hallam wrote:

Albert J. Montejo wrote:: What would happen ?....You die !

so a foreign visitor and complete innocent and by that I mean someone who wasn't provoking or handling the snake would be simply left to rot -literally!! that'll do wonders for international relations.

well, that what i call a stupid medical system!
every bite from a venomous snake should be considered a life threatening situation and medical care should be given free...

Alan Schezar wrote:: ... every bite from a venomous snake should be considered a life threatening situation and medical care should be given free...

Money must come somewhere, even for free services. Or what's your idea about running a high quality medical facility without anybody paying for it?

Peter

It's rather complicated to explain and again not so complicated to understand but hospitals and medicine are a business all over the world and a rather prestigious one at that.

All countries are run the same way services must be paid for usually through taxation of it's people. Depending on how much they tax you is how far the goverment raises her veil from it's face to make it more acceptable to it's citizens.

Usually smaller countries need to tax more and larger or more financially sophisticated ones less hence the terms socialism , communism or worse dictatorship.

If it had been a Polylepis or Oxyuranus bite on someone with our serpent hobby, I can't imagine how high the bill would have been at that hospital. But that would be "theoretical", because getting a "venomous reptile permit" in California by "non-professionals" is next to nil.

My guess is that it could easily reach a quarter of a million dollars US. However that hospital could only see a bite from those species on a "professional" in a research center or zoo. However in some other states in the US, where a permit is accessible or not required would be a different story. An expensive lesson without some specialized insurance in place. pirat

I think a polylepis bite with its chiefly neurotoxic components would not reach these prizes stated here for rattlesnake bite treatments. Treatment could be done by using antivenin much cheaper than rattlesnake antivenin (especially in comparison with CroFab) or perhaps by artificial ventilation alone. A couple of days days intensive care on a emergency room can be on the hospital bill anyway....
Could be a complete different story in Oxyuranus bites.

I'm pretty sure i've heard of treatments costing up to $600'000 which is crazy and unfair.

Stupid healthcare system in the States, not sure what will happen when Obama's new policy comes into action fully in 2014.

Well, when I see this I'm happy I live in Sweden, free health-care, and it wouldn't cost me a dime to get bit, more than my life if I have really bad luck.

Obamacare I don't want the governments already over involved as it is and all it knows how to do is spend money and write stupid regulations. Like the recent stupid and broad based python ban so I really don't trust them with healthcare. I just want them to leave me alone the last thing I want it more beurocratic regulation's and more big brother looking over my shoulder.

Joel Power wrote:: Obamacare I don't want the governments already over involved as it is and all it knows how to do is spend money and write stupid regulations. Like the recent stupid and broad based python ban so I really don't trust them with healthcare. I just want them to leave me alone the last thing I want it more beurocratic regulation's and more big brother looking over my shoulder.

The government-run healthcare systems are working with greate effect everywhere else in the industrialized world. The problem with the US system is that even the government funded medicare is paid through private insurance companies which makes it appear inefficient to voters in the US. In reality, if the government cut out private corporations and started its own simple pay system it would be much more fair for everyone and the quality of health care would increase.

What is truly inefficient is the money paid by ordinary Americans to healthcare institutions that gets skimmed off the top to pad shareholder's bank accounts.

I don't know about you, but I would be insulted and offended if some corporation was trying to make a profit of the illness and misery of me or my loved ones. In a truly just and equal society, basic needs like healthcare should be the same quality for everyone regardless of how much money a person has walking into a hospital.

I trust politician's about as far as i can throw them which isn't far I don't trust government either.

So does that mean that you trust money-hungry corporations more than politicians? At least politicians are accountable to you through the democratic process, corporations are accountable to their shareholders and don't care about you unless you have money for them.

Look dont try to understand The United States of America unless you were born here, this is not a country for slackers or feeble minded nor feeble bodied indiviuals, if you are (feeble) you will get run over, and the places that you can hide are getting fewer and fewer . So stay fit and keep up.

Cutting out private insurance companies will put even more people out of work and create even more people looking for handouts and a free ride.

Further more as the previous poster already stated the money has to come from somewhere.

The United States of America is the most modern country in the world and evolving at a mesmerizing rate of evolution dont be fooled by what you read, see or hear in the news .

Quote :: if you are (feeble) you will get run over, and the places that you can hide are getting fewer and fewer . So stay fit and keep up.

Quote :: this is not a country for slackers or feeble minded nor feeble bodied indiviuals

Most modern country? Still living in the wild west, where only the fittest and strongest can survive and feeble people get run over?

To be a "modern" country or a modern society does not only depend on technical issues (even if i doubt you are the "most modern country" in these).

The social value of a country or a society is measured in what this country or society is doing for it's most feeble members as well in how it's handling minorities and people with different colours and different ethnic origin.

I'm not going to judge if you are in the first place under these criteria.....

Politician's care about politician's so I don't trust them at all with my healthcare period. Plus they love to ban dangerous animals like highly venomous snakes which did happen in Alabama.

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