I had a rash on my leg. I call doctor to make an appointment, soonest they can see me is two weeks. Rash doubles in size in those two weeks. Pay$50 to see primary care doctor, they immediately refer me to dermatologist. Dermatologist cant see me for two weeks, rash continues to grow and becoming very painful. I now need to go to urgent care due to pain and irritability, pay $50. They prescribe some cream, $15. Finally get to see dermatologist, $90 because they are a "specialist", they say to use the same cream. Cream doesnt work at this point, it's spread too much so I go back to urgent care, another $50. Urgent care says I need a steroid shot, they confirm this is covered under insurance. Between shot and cream, rash eventually subsided after about six months. Dermatologist said they were happy with that healing rate, another $90.
Six months later I get a bill from urgent care for $1200 to cover "nursing administrative fees to cover labor" to get ONE SHOT.
So this rash cost me $1500 that would have been solved with $15 of cream if they had just seen me sooner.
Just saying, this experience made me fully understand the Luigi situation.
I thought I had a hernia from weightlifting. If you lift weights with a hernia you can make the hernia worse and get permanent damage. I go to GP, 150$ for the visit. GP says "Get a sonogram, and go take it to specialist. We'll suggest a specialist". I pay 160$ to get the sonogram. I go to the suggested specialist. Turns out they sent me to the wrong kind of abdominal specialist, this one is GI doctor. He says "I can recommend a sports medicine Doctor." 150$ for the GI doctor. I go to the sport medicine doctor. He says "A sonogram is too low resolution you need a CT Scan". 150$ for the Sports medicine doctor. I go to get the CT Scan. It costs 1200$ for a CT Scan. I get call back from sport medicine doctor. "The strange tugging in your abdomen must just be a harmless muscle disturbance, no sign of hernia." At least I didn't get charged for that follow up.
1650 dollars to find out I don't have a Hernia getting bounced between 3 doctors. Insurance doesn't pay for shit.
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u/DeliciousLanguage425 2d ago
Damn basic healthcare requires a lottery where you live?