Oh NOES! A fambaly has to pay for health care!

Posters note - they got away cheap. It must have been a tour helicopter. Had it been a medevac helicopter it would have been $40,000 each.


http://www.wflx.com/story/26081729/family-poisoned-by-fished-charged-40000-for-helicopter



Family poisoned by fish charged $40,000 for helicopter ride to hospital

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (WFLX) - The medical bills are growing for a Florida family poisoned after eating a fish they caught in the Bahamas.

The four started vomiting non-stop, and they were flown to Miami where doctors recognized the symptoms.

After all that, the Manatee County family was left with a bill of $10,000 for the helicopter to pick each of them up from the Bahamas -- that's a total of $40,000.

Vid at link

_______________________________________________
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”

I just went and replied that 40K was better than dead.

The article seems to slightly imply they shouldn't have to pay that much. I wonder why childed famblehs are never supposed to pay for anything?

I'm betting they piffled at the notion of purchasing travel insurance, which would have likely covered something like that.

Probably nothing to laugh about, but Dh and I have a weird sense of humor - the cost of an ambulance ride that covered about 1000 feet.

He had an appointment to have the staples (STAPLES!!! *aaaaugh* :kill ) removed from his neck following a Carotid Endarterectomy. The pain and likely a bit too much pressure on the artery by the nurse caused him to keel over. Worst 5 minutes of my life, seeing him turn absolutely white and then collapse. An ambulance was called as the cardiologist and nurses worked to bring him around. I don't know what other patients thought, seeing a guy being wheeled out on a stretcher from the office. Bet the cardiologist had some 'splainin' to do with the rest of the afternoon's patients eyes2

The distance between the doctor's office and the emergency room was traversed by crossing the road and turning into the parking lot of the emergency room. Took them about 1 minute. Cost: ~$600. Of course, there were the tests done by the EMTs at the office and Dh getting hooked up to oxygen, but still ....

I opened the bill (later paid in full by insurance), choked a bit, then cawed with laughter. "Hey Dh!" I called, "come see how much that hop, skip and jump in the ambulance cost! All because that idiot nurse did the Vulcan Death Grip on your neck!"

I feel like travel insurance would have covered something like this. Oh well, that's a risk you take when you don't buy it.

I just mentioned this in the thread about the pastor with $200k in debt, but the mother of a high school classmate of mine died on a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic and probably would have lived if she'd been able to get to a decent hospital. Instead of bitching about the cost these people should be grateful to have recovered.

I had full travel insurance for the US and must pay over $4000 upfront (insurance will reimburse) for two hours in ER, blood tests and four abdominal xrays. I can't imagine anyone not getting travel insurance.