Great Point

Carsten made a great point in an earlier post about the patient who came to resolve her diarrhea. It goes like this:

Wow, $400? That same workup at my facility would cost:ED Facility fee: $465ED Physician fee: $120Venipuncture: $47IV Fluids: $175CBC: $52Comp Panel: $110Stool Cx: $145Various other lab tests: $100+U/S Facility fee: $2,200U/S Radiologists fee: $150CT Facility fee: $3,500CT Radiologists fee: $200I didn't do the math, but getting clost to $10,00, and the patient was cured using an OTC medication that costs a few dollars.Isn't it great that we provide care for those who are unable to pay in the most expensive way possible - the ED?And the lawyers keep trying to say that defensive medicine is a myth.

I'm sure it costs close to the same at the Mad House. I guess my conservativ figure of $400 was, well, optimistic.

Update: Symtym decided to examine the post quite carefully, even threw in a few pennies of his own. I especially like where he says "effieciency and internist should not be mentioned in the same sentence", ouch!

Nick, for a second even thought I softened up a bit (Check out his comments)