In January 2014, I was in the Sutter Coast Hospital Emergency Room for four hours. While there I received a Cat Scan, and IV’s for medicine. The staff were great and took great care of me, however; they never produced a diagnosis, let me go home, end of story.
I received an invoice of the hospital care provided to me.
My Anthem Blue Cross insurance was charged over $12,000.00 for that four hour visit. My out of pocket cost including my annual deductible was $2,900.00 dollars.
In Feburary 2015, I woke up out of a dead sleep in excruciating pain. I got up, got dressed and drove 1.5 hours to Grants Pass Oregon to receive care and treatment. While there I received another Cat Scan, Iv’s with morphine, and was in the Emergency Room for exactly 4 hours.
Today I learned that the total cost billed to Anthem Blue Cross for the same treatment as above was $4,933.00. My out of pocket cost including my annual deductible will be $1,486.60.
Now I don’t recommend that you jump in your car and drive 80 miles to get to a reasonably priced hospital that is 80 miles away, but somehow, this overcharging of the consumer based upon our rural area needs to stop.
Even the California Department of Corrections is smart enough to take inmates out of state for treatment, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure the savings just crossing the state line for medical help. In the mean time, the people of our community need to seriously discuss, brainstorm, and find a resolution to end this atrocity of screwing the consumer because we chose to live in a rural setting.
Linda Sutter
Crescent City, Ca
Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences. What an expensive way to treat pain.
Raggedy,apparently, you encountered two life-threatening situations:
1.Misdiagnosis and even worse treatment for something you did not have.
Can it be assumed Sutter refunded the money they charged to treat you for something you did not have? They sent you home and
2.What happened next? You became symptomatic and found a Dr. in Eureka. Did he do different tests that gave the correct diagnosis?
WE CAN BEAT THIS SLOPPY EXCUSE FOR HEALTHCARE. IF FOLKS WILL DO JUST WHAT YOU AND LINDA DID. WE CAN EDUCATE EACH OTHER. SUPPLY, TO YOUR LEVEL OF COMFORT, THE INVOICES, THE TESTS, THE DRS. NAMES. LEARN HOW TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR YOU. YOU DESERVE THE BEST!
NOTICE I DID NOT SAY REGIONALIZATION, SOMETHING, GOOD ENOUGH, I SAID THE BEST!
Please watch Hot Coffee on Netflix. You will see the situation that was exploited by Carl Rove, He represented the cigarette industry who had just been outed for lying about adding addictive ingredients to tobacco. They were going to be, and should have been, sued for millions! He went on a campaign to put a ceiling on awards given to people who were harmed from others irresponsible actions. His campaign ASSIGNED BLAME TO VICTIMS FOR the VERY LARGE AWARDS THEY RECEIVED FROM INSURANCE COMPANIES AS THE CAUSE
OF THE INCREASED RATES PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY for insurance.
Unfortunately, A path has been created for unscrupulous medical personnel and professional LOOPHOLISTS WHO MANAGE HOSPITALS AND YOUR HEALTH CARE. THEY NO LONGER
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BEING HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR IGNORANT, NEGLIGENT, UNTRUTHFUL
ACTIONS. THIS HAS BECOME A COST EFFECTIVE ISSUE. IF THE AMOUNT BEING SUED FOR
IS LESS THAN THE MONEY THEY CHARGE YOU AND THE INSURANCE CO. THEN THEY ARE DOING GOOD BUSINESS.
AND IT COULD BE WORSE! It could be CRITICAL ACCESS.
THE ONLY THING THAT WILL MAKE IT BETTER IS GET RID OF THE UNSCRUPULOUS, APATHETIC MEDICAL PERSONNEL.
DO NOT GO TO ANY DR OR DENTIST WHO ARE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SUTTER. THEY MAKE THE POLICIES THAT CREATE WEALTH FOR MANAGEMENT AND RISKS TO YOUR HEALTH. THEY BEG YOU TO BE PART OF WE AND ME OR YOU AND US??? ALL YOU ARE IS MORE MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS. AND IF YOU DIE, THAT’S ONE LESS PLAINTIFF LOOKING FOR AN ATTORNEY, WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND SINCE THERE IS A CAP ON THE AWARDS AND IT IS NO LONGER COST EFFECTIVE FOR A LAWYER TO SUE FOR MEDICAL MALPRACTICE.
I’M RETIRED AND LOVED WORKING UNDER THE POLICY, IF I CAUSE HARM TO A PATIENT I COULD BE SUED. I WORKED WITH VERY COMPETENT PEOPLE, UNDER POLICIES DESIGNED TO RESTORE HEALTH V. CREATE WEALTH EVEN IF IT IS AT THE RISK TO YOUR HEALTH OR LIFE.
NOTICE, WHEN THE BIG SHOTS FROM SUTTER AND THE CITY COUNCIL HAVE TO MOVE DUE TO HEALTH,
(AND SUTTER CAN NOT HANDLE THEIR HEALTH CARE) YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR BIG RED FLAGS WAVING FRANTICALLY, WARNING YOU THIS IS A LIFE AND DEATH ISSUE, YOUR LIFE OR DEATH.
AND THE WONDERFUL PERSONNEL WOULD LOVE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FOR A HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATION CONCERNED WITH PEOPLE AND THEIR HEALTH. THAT TOO IS REWARDING.
Hi Linda,
I would love to talk to you about this. Please contact me if you are interested.
Sutter Coast was already sued for this in 2009. You think they’d know better.
I was taken by ambulance there a few months back with severe weakness. Long story short, I was given an EKG, an IV, blood tests and an enema and sent home. They told me I had a vaso-vagal attack and to drink plenty of water.
What I actually had was a life-threatening problem that had to be diagnosed by a Doc in Eureka. Sick and tired of Sutter. I don’t give a crap what happens with regionalization, anything would be better than what it is now! (Although I must say, there are some great nurses as well as other employees working there)