the Cost of Emergency Medical Procedures

I was working on a friends car and had it jacked up and blocks under the frame. Somehow the jack kicked out and so did the blocks and I had a full size sedan laying on top of me. So I tried to wiggle my way out from under it, wasn't working, then I remembered my cell phone fell and it was laying to my left a little bit. luckily I was able to reach it and call my friend, well my friend called 911, I wasn't to happy about it but I knew I was hurting. So a few minutes later there was almost a dozen emergency vehicles there and a air ambulance on its way. I had to argue that I didn't want to be flown in just for the fact that it is so expensive. So they took me by ground to the emergency room. Do to the type of injury they called a "trauma alert" So when we got to the hospital they had the trauma room full of various types of Dr's and nurses. I am a emt and I know how things go when we go on a call and give medical care, but being the one getting care you have a totally different look on the situation. I was on the backboard, surrounded by fellow firefighters and emt's I knew I was in pain but not sure how much, and was more worried about where my cell phone was so I could call my fiance. They had me stripped to my birthday suit, had blood drawn, drugs pushed and several x-rays and cat scans done. My vitals where soso on the way down, but when I was in the machine getting the catscan done I crashed, I remember laying then then nothing until I woke up in my room several hours later. I ruptured my spleen and was bleeding out quickly, and it didn't start to bleed untill I was in the cat scan machine for some odd reason. After I was released from the hospital and was almost healed up the bills started to roll in. I was floored how much this costed me... WITH insurance! But what is our option? hold our from going to the hospital when we need medical attention? I was going to do that, and if I would have I wouldn't be here typing this right now.

The service was very professional, speedy, and friendly. I went to a excellent hospital. I couldn't have asked for a better medical staff that was attending. Yes it was expensive, but I'm still here... It's only money.. you can always get it.. but you only live once!

Don't hesitate from getting medical attention if you are worried about the costs, It's better to be in debt than dead.