Imagine the Charge If a Doctor Showed Up - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

tv star collector · 12-14-2008, 01:47 PM

When Amber Joy Milbrodt, 29, broke her leg in September, she went to the
emergency room at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. She waited and
waited, yet she was never called to see a doctor. Finally, after 19 hours,
Milbrodt limped out of the hospital, untreated and in disgust. Two weeks
later, she received a bill for $162 from Parkland. For what? While Milbrodt was
in the waiting room, a nurse took her temperature and blood pressure and
inquired about her level of pain. That, Parkland officials said, was worth billing
for. "They didn't do anything worth $162," Milbrodt says. "Checking your blood pressure is not something they can charge you for." However, Parkland
did relent under media pressure and announced that it will now charge patients only after they've received treatment. "Our decision was based on
what is best for our patients rather than on financial considerations," said John Dragovits, the hospital's executive vice president and chief financial
officer.
-- Michelle Diament
AARP Bulletin (December 2008)

TripperFan · 12-14-2008, 01:53 PM

Wow - imagine what Jackie Kennedy got charged! No wonder she never changed her outfit that day - she couldn't afford to after that kind of gouging.

TJL · 12-14-2008, 02:35 PM

Holy cow, they must have been really busy not to have noticed that his poor woman was sitting there waiting for 19 hours.

They sure did notice her enough to send her a bill.

Doodyville10019 · 12-14-2008, 02:42 PM

Oh wow! $162 just for taking a person's temperature, cheking their blood pressure and asking one or two questions. If I could charge like that just for writing letters to clients at work I'd be a millionaire by now!

catlover79 · 12-14-2008, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJL

Holy cow, they must have been really busy not to have noticed that his poor woman was sitting there waiting for 19 hours.

They sure did notice her enough to send her a bill.

They always do.

dawsongirl · 12-15-2008, 12:11 AM

*cough*LAWSUIT

Lee · 12-15-2008, 07:13 AM

Her leg will probably never heal

Chocoholic · 12-15-2008, 04:18 PM

This is one case where I hope there's a lawsuit. That is absolutely ridiculous! What were the doctors and nurses doing, sitting around watching Scrubs?

AB · 12-15-2008, 05:51 PM

Good grief!

catlover79 · 12-16-2008, 12:15 AM

I'd take the characters on Scrubs any day before I'd go to these people.

12-14-2008, 01:47 PM	#1
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,487	Imagine the Charge If a Doctor Showed Up When Amber Joy Milbrodt, 29, broke her leg in September, she went to the emergency room at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. She waited and waited, yet she was never called to see a doctor. Finally, after 19 hours, Milbrodt limped out of the hospital, untreated and in disgust. Two weeks later, she received a bill for $162 from Parkland. For what? While Milbrodt was in the waiting room, a nurse took her temperature and blood pressure and inquired about her level of pain. That, Parkland officials said, was worth billing for. "They didn't do anything worth $162," Milbrodt says. "Checking your blood pressure is not something they can charge you for." However, Parkland did relent under media pressure and announced that it will now charge patients only after they've received treatment. "Our decision was based on what is best for our patients rather than on financial considerations," said John Dragovits, the hospital's executive vice president and chief financial officer. -- Michelle Diament AARP Bulletin (December 2008)

12-14-2008, 01:53 PM	#2
TripperFan In God's Arms Now Forum Star Join Date: Sep 14, 2003 Location: Heartbreak Ridge Posts: 12,086	Wow - imagine what Jackie Kennedy got charged! No wonder she never changed her outfit that day - she couldn't afford to after that kind of gouging.
	__________________ If I don't see you in this world, I'll meet you in the next one.....don't be late James Marshall Hendrix Voodoo Chile The Forum Legend formerly known as TripperFan "religion is for people who are afraid of hell--spirituality is for people who have been through hell"---anonymous

12-14-2008, 02:35 PM	#3
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,588	Holy cow, they must have been really busy not to have noticed that his poor woman was sitting there waiting for 19 hours. They sure did notice her enough to send her a bill.
	__________________ "I think I'll stroll up to the front to see how the shooting's going..." - Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce Read my blogs! http://centralparkamisguide.com/ http://dvdcriticscorner.com Visit me on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=641138880 Hey, I do the tweet thing too! http://twitter.com/TomLevier My shop of handmade items! http://www.etsy.com/shop/ColdGarageCreations

12-14-2008, 02:42 PM	#4
Doodyville10019 Meet my new friend Sparkie! Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 08, 2008 Location: Competition Square, located in Doodyville Park Posts: 877	Oh wow! $162 just for taking a person's temperature, cheking their blood pressure and asking one or two questions. If I could charge like that just for writing letters to clients at work I'd be a millionaire by now!
	__________________ Hi! Hey! Hello again, here we go again!

12-15-2008, 12:11 AM	#6
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,140	coughLAWSUIT

12-15-2008, 07:13 AM	#7
Lee veteran member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 23, 2001 Location: Pulaski, Tennessee Posts: 4,768	Her leg will probably never heal

12-15-2008, 04:18 PM	#8
Chocoholic Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 01, 2000 Location: Between a rock and a hard place. Posts: 11,235	This is one case where I hope there's a lawsuit. That is absolutely ridiculous! What were the doctors and nurses doing, sitting around watching Scrubs?

12-15-2008, 05:51 PM	#9
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,428	Good grief!

12-16-2008, 12:15 AM	#10
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	I'd take the characters on Scrubs any day before I'd go to these people.