Good Samaritan Jeannette Parker, trying to help a stray kitten, got bitten, and ended up as another recipient of “surprise ER billing.” Jeannette needed to be treated, but had no way of knowing in advance she’d be overcharged 10-fold for a rabies drug. Had Jeannette’s employer used Medxoom, she could have taken just a few minutes to look at ER stitches and rabies pricing available to her nearby. Medxoom allows patients the ability to know about how much their plan’s hospital visit will cost before visiting and allow patients to choose a hospital accordingly, lowering a patient’s out-of-pocket expenses and employer’s healthcare expenses.
From NPR:
“Patient: Jeannette Parker, a 44-year-old state fish-and-wildlife biologist. Insured through the American Postal Workers Union because her husband works for the federal government at Everglades National Park.
Total bill: $48,512, with $46,422 of that total for one preventive medication
Service provider: Mariners Hospital, part of Baptist Health South Florida, a faith-based nonprofit chain with eight hospitals and a variety of other facilities
Medical service: Parker’s wound was examined, and she received the first in a series of rabies shots, as well as an injection of 12 milliliters of rabies immune globulin, an antibody that kick-starts the immune system to provide protection from the virus until the vaccine kicks in.
What gives: The average wholesale acquisition cost for the 12-milliliter dose Parker received would have been $4,335. Perhaps the hospital erred when billing, adding an extra zero? No, said Baptist Health. When you are potentially exposed to a fatal disease, you need treatment. In the moment, it’s hard to shop around or say no to high prices.”
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