Cost of Morphine

[PJmomrunner]

I just received the Explanation of Benefits for the administration of morphine relative to my husband's recent ER trip. The charge was $1,926.35! Now, this was ONLY the bill for the morphine administered at the local ER during the six hours we spent there before transfer. I doubt this will sound right to anyone, but is it in line with charges you all have seen for morphine?

 

[sue943]

Crikey, how much did they give him?

 

[Nan]

YIkes, I would sure give the hospital billing dept. a call and question that one! I can't say from personal experience, but that seems a tad (!) on the high side! Sounds like enough morphine to keep an entire (small) town pain free.

 

[Ross]

No, it's way out of line. Lyns bill showed about $12 for each injection.

 

[JohnnyV_46]

Did they buy like a truckload from some illegal source south of the border or what? That really sounds rediculous.

 

[hensylee]

also call your insurance and let them check. They will probably deny this claim, but you do have to get it reduced by the hosp or they'll keep on chargin.

 

[PJmomrunner]

Whew! This EOB is just the beginning and, having never had a major hospitalization before, I knew I was out of touch, but $1900 seemed a bit much! Interestingly, Ann, the insurance already paid! I will check it out, though.

 

[Ross]

Whew! This EOB is just the beginning and, having never had a major hospitalization before, I knew I was out of touch, but $1900 seemed a bit much! Interestingly, Ann, the insurance already paid! I will check it out, though.

Does the bill show what the insurance company paid? I guarantee it wasn't even close to that amount.

 

[PJmomrunner]

Insurance paid $1629.70. There was a $115.57 discount and I owe $181.08. Seems like either the EOB is not a complete explanation or something is wrong. (Under "procedure description" EOB says "MORPHINE SULFATE IN")

 

[Ross]

When Lyn wakes up, I'll find her bill and make sure of what it says, but I can say with certainty that that is way over charged. How many injections did he have altogether?

 

[marky]

Wow... He must have been feeling good with that amount!!
It could reflect the administration fee.. meaning the iv lines, the doctor that administered it, and the pharmacy fee..

they have lots of interesting ways to claim for money!

my last bill was for my accomodations! Made it sound like I was at a hotel..
and it was only for my accomodations... bed/food/etc.

 

[PJmomrunner]

How many injections did he have altogether?

Two or three injections would be my guess.

 

[PJmomrunner]

Wow... He must have been feeling good with that amount!!

He never actually was "feeling good". He was pretty loopy, but was in quite a bit of pain the whole time. He was asked where his pain level was on a scale of 1 to 10 and, before he had any drugs, he would say "7 or 8" (which was nutty because his teeth were clenched and his face was all scrunched up and he would shed the occasional "I'm not really crying" tear--he said later he figured 10 was passed out) and later when he was on the morphine he would say a 4. (BTW, he fractured his acetabulum, which is the socket part of the hip/pelvis, and his pubic bone.) He had a ton of dilaudid at the hospital he was transferred to over the course of the first four of his six days there--can't wait to see that bill!

 

[marky]

Whoa that sounds like a very painful injury!!
and yes your bill will probably be equally as painful..
How is he feeling now?

 

[PJmomrunner]

He's been working from bed since the day he got home with occasional face-to-face meetings at home, but today is his first day back at work. He's probably fine, but I'm worried about him. Sitting up takes a toll and he's not done it for more than four hours yet, and when he did he was in too much pain to sleep that night. He took a vicodin last night because of pain related to some swelling, but that was the first dose in three days. I've called the doctor about the swelling and some numbness in his thigh that's probably related. All-in-all, he's doing well, but I'm worried he's pushing it. How are you doing, Marky? I hope your fluid problems are over with.

 

[JimBob]

Ugly, Ain't It!

Ugly, Ain't It!

OK - let's see. 2 quarts of morphine at $800/pint - sounds about right! The way that the hospitals charge these days, I'm not surprised about ANYTHING.

My VR hospital bill was over $180,000 - not including ER charges, ER doctor, ER-X-rays, ER radiologist, parking lot attendants fees and landscaping surcharges - alright, so they threw in the landscaping. The total bills came to more than $235,000!!!

I came home from the hospital a year ago yesterday. My birthday is in August and when my wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday last year, the answer was easy - MORPHINE!!!

If you can get your hands on a pint of that stuff they charged you for, hey, my birthday is next month!!!