When Giants fan Bryan Stow of San Francisco attended a baseball game on March 31 in Los Angeles, between the L.A. Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants, he never dreamed that his attendance at the game would end up costing either him, or the Dodgers, $50 million.
While walking through the parking lot of Dodgers Stadium after the game in March, Stow was savagely beaten and put in a coma for several months. He is still in the hospital recovering from his injuries, which include cuts to his tongue, eye and a slit to his nose, ear and lip. He also dealt with multiple infections caused from the injuries.
Now, the hospital is charging Stow $50 million for his stay and care, according to papers his attorneys filed in Los Angeles on Friday.
While there are many culprits here, from the Dodgers Stadium owner, who cut back on lighting and security, to the actual attackers, the health care system is ultimately responsible for inflicting perhaps the worst injury on Stow ”“ a $50 million debt.
The health care system is broken and in order for it to be fixed, we must start with the cost. No one should ever be charged $50 million for medical treatment. Most Hospitals are typically nonprofit organizations that don’t pay taxes, yet they charge outrageously expensive medical bills for their services.
And it’s not as though patients can shop around for care when they need it. A person doesn’t end up in a coma and say “Hey, can I please see your rates compared to the rates of the hospital down the road?”
The United States is dealing with a health care crisis as millions of Americans are unable to afford either insurance or medical care. We must make it a humanitarian mandate that medical costs are affordable. When that happens, health insurance costs can be adjusted and can also become more affordable for struggling families.
Insurance companies are partly to blame, but do fall victim to a hospital’s charges. Many times, a hospital can charge an insurance company a ridiculous fee and the insurance company will pay the claim with an adjusted amount that is based on that original charge.
A few years ago, a local newspaper account shared the story of a man who owned a small painting company, who admitted he couldn’t afford health insurance. One day, he stepped on a nail while working and needed urgent medical care. He went to the hospital, saw a few nurses, one doctor and received a tetanus shot. A few weeks later he received a bill for more than $1,000. The hospital charged him $1,000 for seeing a few nurses and a doctor, having his blood pressure checked and receiving a shot, all of which took about 30 minutes, he said.
He complained to the hospital’s administration and said he would not pay that amount for what he deemed simple medical care. A few days later he received a revised bill from the hospital. He only owed a little more than $100.
If he had insurance, the hospital would’ve billed the company $1,000, and the company would’ve paid some portion of that ”“ but most likely more than regular people could afford. Obviously, the hospital didn’t need to charge $1,000 as it was fine with the patient only paying $100 after he questioned the original charge.
As long as insurance companies pay the high prices demanded by hospitals, the cost of health care will continue to be too expensive for most Americans to afford.
Health insurance should be affordable, and medical care should also be in line with reality.
In Bryan Stow’s case, his lawyers are suing the Dodgers and financially strapped owner Frank McCourt to pay for the medical costs, but they should also be suing the hospital for price gouging.
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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Editor Al Edwards, on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via e-mail at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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