Out-of-pocket hospital costs without insurance: What to expect?

I have an upcoming hospital stay, but I don't currently have supplemental health insurance. Since my admission is less than 30 days away, I won't be able to secure a new policy in time.😢

Does anyone happen to know what the typical daily costs look like?

Chloe Gomez6 said:I have an upcoming hospital stay, but I don't currently have supplemental health insurance. Since my admission is less than 30 days away, I won't be able to secure a new policy in time.😢

Does anyone happen to know what the typical daily costs look like?

Why wouldn't you make it in time?? Usually, getting a policy finalized takes maybe ten days or so, and honestly, just being admitted for a single day at the hospital will cost you $33 plus all those tests and procedures where your out-of-pocket copays can end up being quite expensive.

So, my shelf was actually delivered, but I didn't have it... well, I didn't realize it had even arrived. Honestly, I’m just not one of those people who remembers to check the mail every single day. Anyway, this nurse at the hospital was asking about $40, and I didn't really have everything squared away since I'd been out hiking in the Rockies. She ended up noting down that I hadn't paid yet and mentioned a bill would be sent to my home address. I haven't seen anything in the mail so far, though. So... is it possible they saw I have supplemental insurance and just haven't charged me yet? Or is it more likely the bill just hasn't shown up in my mailbox yet?

I read somewhere that insurance coverage doesn't actually kick in until 30 days after you sign the contract. It’s designed specifically to stop people from gaming the system—you know, paying the premium in the morning and rushing to the ER by the afternoon.

And honestly, that’s exactly what I was planning to do.😂.

If you get your payment in today, the coverage kicks in starting July 1st, 2009...

Well, I'm heading out next week. To be honest, I actually knew about it a month ago, but it completely slipped my mind.

Zachary Kern6 said:If you get your payment in today, the coverage kicks in starting July 1st, 2009...

Wait, how does July 1st work if it isn't for 30 days? Does that mean July 8th??

Not exactly, it should be the first day of next month... I'm pretty sure that's how they decided on it... though it wouldn't be hard to double-check the details on the Medicare website

Zachary Kern6 said:Not exactly, it should be the first day of next month... I'm pretty sure that's how they decided on it... though it wouldn't be hard to double-check the details on the Medicare website

I mean, if you just happen to stumble upon an aunt who thinks she knows everything, one of them was trying to convince me just 15 days ago that the maximum I’d have to pay was $1000. But then I actually looked things up online, and it turns out there are separate limits for everything—like $1000 for surgery, $1000 for hospital stays, $1000 for various tests... so the total bill they hand me when I'm discharged could end up being way higher than $1000

So, I spent an entire month stuck in the hospital without any supplemental insurance coverage... Just my luck, right? During that whole month, I had to go under the knife for surgery and dealt with endless rounds of scans, tests, whatever else they throw at you... And since I didn't have that extra coverage, I ended up having to foot the bill for $1000 out of my own pocket..

For a single hospital stay, they can bill you up to $1.00, even if the total cost was way higher—which is likely what happened with Jeffrey Parker25!

The second round? Another 3,000 or so per visit. 🙂

I actually signed up for my supplemental coverage back on July 20th, and the whole process was pretty smooth—you just head in, they set up your policy right then and there, and then you wait about a week for the actual bills and your card to arrive at your house. Mine finally showed up on August 19th, so you basically get a full month of coverage starting from the moment you officially open the policy.

Freshly discharged from the Mayo Clinic.... I ended up there with a broken ankle, spent 6 days bedridden plus surgery. Right when I walked through the doors, they told me exactly how much it was going to cost in dollars. Apparently, this injury costs this much, you know, the surgery plus all the meds used until you get discharged $645. I didn't have any supplemental insurance. stupidstupidstupidstupid

Back in February 2008, I ended up with a broken ankle. Between the surgery and spending four days at the hospital, the whole ordeal cost me about $133.
If you’re a government employee, you’re covered for the entire day under the collective insurance plan. You're entitled to compensation, and the company actually covers your out-of-pocket medical costs. Just check with HR or payroll—assuming, of course, you work for a state agency.

I was hospitalized for seven days, and upon discharge, I paid $233 for my stay. They told me the surgical costs would be mailed to my house. It’s been two months now, but I haven't received anything yet.

rapidcrane42: Just got out of the hospital... I came in with a broken ankle, stayed 6 days, and had surgery. As soon as I arrived, they gave me a total in dollars for what I’d owe. Basically, the injury cost this much—covering both the surgery and all the meds used until discharge. $645. I didn't have supplemental insurance. Total headache.

Does that $645 include the room and board, or did you pay for that separately? Also, does anyone know how long it usually takes for the bill to arrive at your house?

Chloe Gomez6 said:I was hospitalized for seven days, and upon discharge, I paid $233 for my stay. They told me the surgical costs would be mailed to my house. It’s been two months now, but I haven't received anything yet.

rapidcrane42: Just got out of the hospital... I came in with a broken ankle, stayed 6 days, and had surgery. As soon as I arrived, they gave me a total in dollars for what I’d owe. Basically, the injury cost this much—covering both the surgery and all the meds used until discharge. $645. I didn't have supplemental insurance. Total headache.

Does that $645 include the room and board, or did you pay for that separately? Also, does anyone know how long it usually takes for the bill to arrive at your house?

They don't calculate it that way anymore. They aren't billing for the room itself, but rather the injury treatment. Like... the stay plus the surgery plus the meds... all in one. At least, that's how it works at the Mayo Clinic. And yeah, I had to pay right when I left because otherwise, they won't even give you your discharge papers. Maybe my situation is different since I was an emergency case... I guess I don't know. It might be best if you just call Medicare to find out what's going on.

Not sure if this is the right subforum for this...
Does anyone know where I can find out how much certain medical services actually cost if you don't have supplemental insurance?

Has anyone here gone through a laparoscopy followed by a three-day hospital stay without using supplemental insurance? I'm trying to get an idea of what the total bill actually looks like.

analogviper2 said:Has anyone here gone through a laparoscopy followed by a three-day hospital stay without using supplemental insurance? I'm trying to get an idea of what the total bill actually looks like.

$1000, believe it or not.

That’s the absolute ceiling, though it might end up being a bit lower. If you've already got an LPSC on the books, I’d say try to get that squared away ahead of time...