Medical bills are the worst. They are insanely expensive and a true pain in the you know what. Medical bills affect just about every adult in the United States, there are billions of dollars worth of medical bills in collections and or outstanding.
Recently, Bernie Sanders tweeted this question: “What’s the most absurd medical bill you have ever received?”
Here are some of the responses. Warning: this article will contain some heartbreaking content, but this is the harsh reality of the system…
1.
$10K to pay for our daughter's neonatal care one year after the fact. She died thirty minutes after birth and our insurance wouldn't pay because we failed to add her to our policy.
— didderbops (@didderbops) September 15, 2019
2.
In 1991, at age 21, I broke my neck in a diving accident.
$1.2 million for eight months in hospital.
After months of fighting with Blue Cross and Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, I owed $250,000 after insurance.Filed medical bankruptcy at 23 years old.
— Troy Rudd ✊Squad Affiliated? (@troyrudd) September 15, 2019
3.
Attempted to charge me $600 to remove stitches. I did it myself in 4 minutes. That’s $9000/hr.
— Kelp_Paddy (@calico_rising) September 16, 2019
4.
It was hot. I hadn't eaten. I fainted.
Ambulance shows up, they pull me in there with a/c blasting and stick an IV in my arm and pump me full of fluid.
In 15 minutes I was 90% good.
I'm still taken to the hospital.
3 hours of tests later I'm declared okay.
Bill: $12,000. ?
— Vince Nicholas (@vincenicholas) September 17, 2019
5.
— ?Becca ???? (@Becca2400) September 15, 2019
6.
Where to even start…
I got billed $3k a YEAR after my son was born because the insurance company deemed the emergency c-section "unnecessary".$9k ($3k which I had to pay upfront) for a miscarriage.
$500 for the ultrasound that confirmed my baby had passed in womb.
— Conz Preti (@conz) September 16, 2019
7.
$16,000 for all the work done related to a kidney stone
It involved me sitting in a room, drugged up, and the doctors not knowing what was causing the pain
After they figured it out they sent me home with painkillers, said they can't do anything for it, and sent me a 16K bill https://t.co/usqUJfqeYO
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) September 15, 2019
8.
$11k bill for an allergy attack that I already treated with epinephrine before getting to the hospital. Stayed overnight. Charged $1k per hour for observation. And they gave me eggs for breakfast. Which I'm allergic to.
— Benjamin Shapero (@realBenShapero) September 15, 2019
9.
$35k+ for an ectopic pregnancy. No ins. Have surgery or die when it ruptures. Made my X take me home a day early because I knew every extra minute there would bury me in debt. I should’ve been healing and grieving but was worried abt the bill. Beyond time for #MedicareForAll
— Nunya Biznass ? (@NunyaBiznass462) September 16, 2019
10.
$8000 ER visit after my abuser set my house on fire.
— ? (@RealMuse87) September 16, 2019
11.
$480,000 for my Dad's spinal fusion surgery. That's more than we paid for our house. It was "in-network" too.
We refused to pay & told the hospital they had to work it out with Horizon, but they kept sending us the bill for months. Eventually they stopped. Who has $480,000?
— Samuel Douglas (@CANCEL_SAM) September 15, 2019
12.
$35,000 for addiction treatment. Out of pocket. It's the best money I ever spent, but quality addiction treatment should not be limited by class. Addiction is treatable. Everyone deserves the opportunity.
— One step ahead of the Qs?️ (@artisteboy) September 15, 2019
13.
$1,400 for a fucking bandaid was billed as part of the final bill total was over 40k
— Admiral Byrd was right! (@S00TY83) September 16, 2019
14.
I would’ve paid anything for my son to be born healthy. But just did not expect that. 1st bill was $22,000 but were able negotiate down to $15,000 bc it was private pay. Made payment plan & paid it off
Daughter was born under Obamacare thank god! Insurance had 2 cover EVERYTHING
— Texan (@Texan_21C) September 15, 2019
15.
$12,000 for less than 1 hour in the ER. Lower back strain. The doc touched my back for all of 3 seconds, wrote me a prescription for lidocaine patches and steroids and said, "have nice day" ?
— JE Cooper (@je_cooper) September 15, 2019
16.
My daughter, Shalynne's, $350k medical bill to die a needless death. Treating her and saving her life would have only cost $1,500. All because she couldn't provide proof of insurance.
— Amy Vilela (@amy4thepeople) September 15, 2019
17.
The bill for the loss of our pregnancy at 17 1/2 weeks.
Ins. paid all but 2000, the ambulance was an addl $1600.
So, on top of the emotional toll it cost me $3600.
I still owe them most of that money. Every bill and call is a reminder of losing my baby girl ? #MedicareForAll pic.twitter.com/HkVjyG5Ur0— ~ Valerie ~ ? (@MysV4Bernie) September 15, 2019
18.
$800 for a psych evaluation which consisted of them asking me "are you gonna kill yourself" and thats it.
— Jenna (@spookyslore) September 16, 2019
19.
$20,000 after my baby Anthony died at Tarzana Medical Center which was 15 minutes farther than the hospital where he was born where we were insured (Kaiser). He choked on his formula and was unconscious then died.
— Amy Sterling Casil (@ASterling) September 15, 2019
20.
I lost consciousness and my in-laws called 911. The 2 area EMTs arrived with 2 separate ambulances and fought over my unresponsive body. Eventually they decided which would claim my body and both sent me bills!
— Darcys34 (@Claudia0167) September 16, 2019
21.
$1,000 to have a surgeon walk in the room (late) for 1 whole entire minute and say “yeah your nose is broken” and leave
— andrea mendes (@AndreaMendes) September 15, 2019
22.
What am I supposed to do ? pic.twitter.com/KgOQIVlw7j
— J. Coleslaw? ?? (@Time2fresh) September 15, 2019
23.
When my best friend died 2 weeks after his 30th birthday, he had a bill of over 2 million dollars.
— Josh, fount of optimism ?️? (@abortu) September 15, 2019
24.
$115k for an emergency c-section to save mine and my son’s lives. Luckily we have “excellent” insurance and only had to pay about $10k ???
— Margaret Wilson (@margaretcoucher) September 16, 2019
25.
$1600 for out of network anesthesia. Everything was supposed to be covered, and he used out of network anesthesiologist.
— Kuato Lives #medicare4all or stfu (@LivesKuato) September 15, 2019
26.
I spend approximately $5000 every year between me and my two sons. This is for normal stuff. Check-ups, walk-in visits, the occasional ER visit, antibiotics, etc. My employer pays my premiums.
I'm terrified about what an actual emergency would do to us.— ?PapaMafmatik? (@mathrok) September 16, 2019
27.
Wife just got $80 bill for “long visit”. She was literally there for 5 minutes.
— Red Dad ☭ (@RedDad777) September 16, 2019
28.
JUST ONE?
22k for being checked out after being rear ended.
45k for a surgery that took about 2 hours for two surgeons.
32k for a surgery that the doctors spent probably 20+ hours dealing with administration and insurance and took about 3 hours.
100k medical bankruptcy. FML
— ??️?Harmonee Us?️??️?#PrideMonth (@Harmoneee_Us) September 16, 2019
29.
I can't pick just one, but the total is pretty absurd. pic.twitter.com/MyDM7KWhUd
— LaDawn Stuben (@ladawn) September 15, 2019
