Reply #81: They didn't do an MRI, but they did some stress test via a [View All]

[napi21]

nuklear imaging machine. It was similar to an MRI machine.That test alone was $2,500, but THAT still leaves $6,000!!!! That test was certainly the biggest chunk of the bill, but lab fees, and interpretations, etc made up the rest. I've beenrying for a number of years to figure out just WHO is gaming the system, and this is the first time I actually have first hand proof of real charges! Something is very wrong, but I STILL don't know WHO is gaming the system!

I have no problem with Drs making a nice buck. They have atremendous responsibility in their hands, and they deserve fair compensation. So do the nurses, and all the other assistants. BUT, I wasn't the only patient there! I was an accountant for 40+ years, and I understand overhead and how it has to be spread across all costs to recover it. Something is still very wrong. The test that cost $2,500 took about 15 minutes, and believe me, there were patients waitingin a waiting roomto be next. If I assume an 8 hour day, with even 20 minutes per patient, allowing 5 minutes for one to leave the area and the new one to come in, we're talking about $60,000 per day for ONE area, using ONE machine. I realize this kind of equipment is very expensive, and I have no idea what life they expect from it. But at $1.2 million per month, I have to believe it's overhead would be covered in a short term.

I guess the other problem I have is really accepting that they really had to do THAT test at all. I realize I'm second guessing the medical community here, and that's probably notreasonable on my part, but let me relate another situation thathappened to me about 4 years ago.

Ihad contracted a winter cold from someone, andas withall colds I've had, I took the std self treatment of Theraflu andfigured it would go away intwo weeks. Well, the darn cough stayed! When I got a feaver along with the cough, and had it for 3 days, I decided it was probably something that wasn't going to go away by just taking asprin. So I went to the local doc. He did his listening andtemp taking and stuff, wrote some things in the file and said, I want you to go to XXXX and get an xray. OK, I did, and they found it was pneumonia. When I talked to the Doc, he prescribed something to cure it, and said Iknew that's what it was!

Now, WHY did he send me to the clinic for an xray???? What happened to the docs who used to do their own tests, say, here's what's wrong, here's your prescription, now go home and take it?????

I think there are a lot of unnecessary tests done just to play CYA! The Doc says, yes, I knowthere's 99% sure that's the problem, but Ooooo, what if I'm wrong???? I could get sued! OK, if I get sued, I can prove I did EVERYTHING including the darn xrayas my proof!

Do you understand what I mean?