Sticker Shock: The Alarming Reality of Emergency Room Bills for Abdominal Pain in the US
Healthcare in the US: A Personal Experience
Emergency Room Costs and Experiences in the US
In Korea, the exodus of residents has led to a shortage of doctors in large hospitals, causing chaos in emergency rooms and operating rooms. In contrast, in the US, people rarely visit emergency rooms for minor illnesses due to the high medical costs. As a student in East Lansing, Michigan, I experienced the US healthcare system firsthand when I visited the emergency room for a kidney stone.
I had signed up for BCBS (Blue Cross Blue Shield), a health insurance company, according to the school regulations. However, I had never dreamed of visiting a hospital before due to the expensive medical expenses. When I was in a really urgent situation, I had no choice but to go to the emergency room.
After the CT scan, various treatments, and finding sedation, I was finally able to leave the emergency room at 6 a.m. The cost issue remained, and about two months later, I received an email and text message settling the cost of the emergency room visit and treatment. The total bill was $9,378 (about 12.55 million won), but fortunately, most of it was covered by health insurance.
According to Mira, an American healthcare information site, emergency room costs are divided into four categories: triage fees, facility fees, professional fees, and supplies. The average cost of an emergency room without health insurance is $2,715, but if additional measures such as surgery are required, the cost can soar to $20,000.
In the US, for non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries such as fever, back pain, and fractures, you can use an urgent care center instead of an emergency room. Urgent care centers are more common than emergency rooms and are less expensive. Emergency situations are classified into two categories, so it is rare to visit an emergency room for a minor condition.
Mira is a membership-based service that provides affordable medical services to people who lack or have no health insurance. It provides detailed information about the complex US health insurance system to help people access medical services.
As a student in the US, I learned that having health insurance is crucial to avoid high medical expenses. The US healthcare system is complex, but understanding the costs and options can help individuals make informed decisions about their healthcare.