Stung by scorpion, stunned by 83k chrg for 2 shots

[kwillia]

An Arizona woman is wondering what hurt more: getting stung by a scorpion or seeing her hospital bill after treatment.

Marcie Edmonds says the bill from Chandler Regional Medical Center was more than $83,000. That includes two doses of anti-venom at nearly $40,000 per dose.

The Arizona Republic (Scorpion sting leaves Ahwatukee woman with a big bill) says Edmonds' insurer has paid more than $57,000 and the suburban Phoenix hospital is asking Edmonds for the balance of about $25,000.

Scorpion sting leaves Arizona woman with huge bill - Yahoo! News

[Lurk]

Under Obamacare this would be disallowed under the Death Panel system as too expensive. She'd be expected to die quietly and with no muss.

[b23hqb]

Obama: I promise there will be two free anti-venom treatments available to every household, but only if you vote for me! Remember, my sting is worse than anything you can imagine!

[sockgirl77 (Premo)]

[desertrat (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Lurk

Under Obamacare this would be disallowed under the Death Panel system as too expensive. She'd be expected to die quietly and with no muss.

Die from a scorpion sting? Not very likely,

They really should have warned her about the cost. That is ridiculous.

[bcp (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Lurk

Under Obamacare this would be disallowed under the Death Panel system as too expensive. She'd be expected to die quietly and with no muss.

BS, You are so full of it.
She would not be expected to die quietly under obamacare.
They would give her a sound proof room to die in and be as loud about it as she wanted. Compassion for everyone, she gets to scream in pain, others wont have to hear it.

now stop spreading lies.

[bcp (Premo)]

Originally Posted by desertrat

Die from a scorpion sting? Not very likely,

They really should have warned her about the cost. That is ridiculous.

Actually, if she was stung by the Bark Scorpion, that could kill her.
And yes, it is in Arizona.
other than that? not likely unless she had some other serious underlying problems.

[jetmonkey]

Originally Posted by kwillia

An Arizona woman is wondering what hurt more: getting stung by a scorpion or seeing her hospital bill after treatment.

Marcie Edmonds says the bill from Chandler Regional Medical Center was more than $83,000. That includes two doses of anti-venom at nearly $40,000 per dose.

The Arizona Republic (Scorpion sting leaves Ahwatukee woman with a big bill) says Edmonds' insurer has paid more than $57,000 and the suburban Phoenix hospital is asking Edmonds for the balance of about $25,000.

Scorpion sting leaves Arizona woman with huge bill - Yahoo! News

The Arizona Republic reported last year about the pricey markup Arizona hospitals were charging for the antivenom made in Mexico. Pharmacies in Mexico charge about $100 per dose.

What, insurance company executives can't wet their beaks?

[desertrat (Premo)]

Originally Posted by bcp

Actually, if she was stung by the Bark Scorpion, that could kill her.
And yes, it is in Arizona.
other than that? not likely unless she had some other serious underlying problems.

Very unlikely unless she was a kid or 80 years old and frail. Can be serioud, but not usually. I guess it must have been hurting a lot though.

[nhboy (Premo)]

Link to original article.


"Toxicologists refer to the American Southwest as the "Venom Belt" for its many venomous spiders, snakes and scorpions. In fact, doctors estimate there are about 250 severe scorpion stings a year in this country.

Most of those stung are children in Arizona, but the U.S. ran out of its own supply of scorpion antivenom nearly a decade ago. Mexican doctors, however, have been treating stings from venomous creatures for years, and what they've learned may now save American lives.

Just last week, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug made in Mexico for use in the U.S. to treat severe scorpion stings. It's called Anascorp and was developed by a company called Instituto Bioclon.

"Without antivenom, if you've got that bad of a sting, you accept intensive care or you risk death," says Dr. Leslie Boyer, a pediatrician who directs a venom research center in Tucson.
Ryleigh Wagley is the youngest patient in the U.S. to receive Anascorp, an antivenom against scorpion toxin. She was just 25 days old when she was stung by a scorpion in her crib. Her doctor credits the drug with helping save her life from the potentially deadly sting.
Shots - Health Blog
Scorpion Venom Meets Its Match

Drug companies in the U.S. have little incentive to make antivenom, because it's expensive and there simply aren't enough patients to guarantee a profit. "We in Arizona felt very isolated; we felt abandoned," Boyer says. "This was an orphan disease."

That was until Boyer took a trip south of the border and discovered that Mexico has a far bigger scorpion problem.

In Mexico, a quarter of a million people are stung by scorpions each year. Some clinics in central Mexico can have dozens of scorpion sting patients per night in the summer."