Still suffering a bit with the remains of this cold, but I’m well enough to work on paying some bills. If you remember, I had to make a trip to the local emergency room just to get some pills because our pharmacy closed with my pills inside. Well, in this week’s bills is one from the ER doctor for over $300. Now, let me refresh your memory:

He came into the exam room and asked what was I there for.

I told him I just needed three pills – THREE – to get me through until the next morning when I could get the rest from the drug store. These aren’t party drugs, but immunosuppressants – things transplant recipients take to keep them from reject the organ. Kinda necessary.

He listened to my lungs, more out of needing to do something than any medical reason. That’s the feeling I got as he kinda stood there looking a little baffled.

Then he went out to write the Rx, came in to verify which pills I actually take, then took 20 minutes to write the Rx.

For this we’ve paid the co-pay and over $100 to the ER because our insurance didn’t cover it. Now the doctor wants almost $400 for that little bit of effort.

I called the billing company today and was told it was based on a code for whatever I was treated for. Okay, so the code for “I should have known when the drug store closed on Fridays and shouldn’t have left my pill bottle there, could you help me?” costs almost $400 for 20 minutes????????????????

Maybe some one out there can explain this to me???