Comment on Number 1 🏥
mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 month agoMy wife has epilepsy. She has a medical alert bracelet for it. If she has a seizure in public, she doesn’t need an ambulance ride unless she hurts herself or is actively seizing for more than 5 minutes. But that won’t stop some well-intentioned bystander from saddling her with a $5000 ambulance bill while she’s unconscious. Because a seizure leaves you confused and disoriented for ~45-60 minutes afterwards.
So even if her seizure only lasts 2-3 minutes, she’ll be out of it for a while afterwards. And EMTs can 100% use her disorientation to justify throwing her in the back of the truck, even though she doesn’t need it and the hospital won’t do anything for her. But that won’t stop them from billing for the ambulance ride anyways.
oatscoop@midwest.social 1 month ago
It’s unfortunately legally required to transport someone that’s not A&Ox4.
It’s annoying when we know someone really doesn’t need to go, but if we don’t the responders are looking at losing their job, license, a lawsuit, or even being criminally charged.
Venat0r@lemmy.world 1 month ago
How is an ambulance ride $5k though? Do EMTs make like $2500 p/h?
webadict@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Lmao, EMTs make like $20 an hour, it’s straight fucked.
Iunnrais@piefed.social 1 month ago
Hahahahahaha no.
oatscoop@midwest.social 1 month ago
There’s greed (particularly with overpriced private ambulances) but ambulance are legitimately expensive to operate in the USA.