SquirrelWithATophat
22132
1034
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https://www.kptv.com/2024/11/11/cyclist-billed-1862-using-ambulance-that-ran-him-over-lawsuit-says/
Basically a 71 year old Oregon man was out riding his bicycle in October of 2022 and was hit by an ambulance. The ambulance then took him to the hospital and he was later billed $1,862 for the ambulance ride.
He is suing the ambulance company for $997,000 for the bill, medical expenses and pain & suffering.
Vonmonj
Should be able to sue for the audacity on this one
gorillaClutch
Time to call Luigi
flacoloco
not even a cool million, fuck that, its 8 figures or 9.
RaZorHamZteR
In Norway it's free to get hit by an ambulance. Huzzah!
DJOldguy
"Quite right too... can't have freeloaders using the system whenever they feel like it." Trump says with complete backing from HHS nominee RFK Jr.
furrykef
They'd most likely have saved a lot of money if they'd just never charged him for the ride and paid his hospital expenses. When you piss people off, that's when they lawyer up.
SpaceHaggis
Drumbing up buisness
Bowtie8bit
The legal system is just as awful, but should get this guy taken care of. They hit him, it's a slam dunk.
PrinceMaxx7
When I herniated a disc in my back and was waiting for workmans comp to schedule an MRI and couldn't drive to the hospital TWO miles away, I called for an ambulance. The only thing they did to me on the way was check my blood pressure.
6 weeks later, I got a bill for $500 for the 2 mile ambulance ride. Fortunately, it was workmans comp, so I just sent the bill to them.
Hatsodoom
Shit at this rate you'd fare better taking a fucking Uber or Lyft.
insaaanity
I wonder if this is to circumvent some bureaucratic hurdle, e.g. "our own insurance won't cover the cost unless there are costs to cover, you ultimately won't need to end up paying".
ArgentXero
That's the same as the police too. Increase their budget paid by tax payers to hire more police. More police means more lawsuits they need to pay out to the tax payers that pay them because people feel the need to do crimes because programs that helped them were cut to increase the police budget.
mirrorz
There was a movie called Ambulance with Eric Roberts about 35years ago where an ambulance was driving around kidnapping diabetics for some doctor to experiment on. Eric Roberts was basically stalking a lady who gets abducted and he does everything to try and solve her disappearance. The only thing that seems far-fetched about it now is that they didn't bill their victims. Stan Lee was Eric Roberts' boss too.
literallymike
Medical business*
Frederf
Bonks 4 Stonks
Imfamousdante
Business has been slow and their supervisor wants them to get out there and drum up some more business.
TheChunguskaEvent
business development
tanebot
Powerless to *help* you.
Arcman304
It wasn't like it was the driver that charged him. Your broken system is your broken system at work.
rumandbass
It's like a mission in Grand theft Auto
palonoctisursa
Oregonian here, to be fair bicyclists in this state are dickheads that constantly push their luck especially in Portland. I once had to slam on the breaks to not hit a bicycle that blew through a four way stop
alwaysupvotethegoat
Hellcare
United Scams of America
Free Luigi
Arrest the serial mass murdering corporations
Rynestrm
So if he doesn’t win, then that’s a way for them to make money. They just drive around hitting people and taking them to the hospital. That isn’t such a long shot with US healthcare.
SploogeMcDuck316
infinite money glitch!
DoctorCaptainProfessorAmazing
This is basically a real life version of a GTA hidden car mission.
fformulaa
Some ambulance drivers would even say...
NaughtButOne
Drivers maybe not; EMTs are in the same boat as doctors. There are bad eggs, but mostly they're good people trying their best under corrupt, evil organizations. The groups that run ambulance services in the US are ... Maybe not *quite* as evil as 'health' insurance co's, but by god, they want to be.
imnotinthewitnessprotectionprogram
Old story, new hat
https://www.nytimes.com/1908/02/02/archives/dog-a-fake-hero-pushes-children-into-the-seine-to-rescue-them-and.html
Magjee
Sonicschilidogs
Remember when firefighters were private entities and they used to commit arson to get business, and would physically fight other fire departments in front of burning buildings.... Good times ahead folks!
WorkerLurker
Dalmatians are bred to be biters attached to the hydrants for this reason.
zoeytg
I get that you might not be serious. But I work in Healthcare and interact with EMTs all the time. Garunteed the people who hit him were not happy that happened. It's not our choice if a patient is billed or not.
torisenblack
I've worked in and around EMTs for a long time, and I can guarantee that at least 75% of their brain power was devoted to trying to sleep with anything that moved, and about 20% of what's left is probably untreated PTSD from the one(s) they couldn't save. The other 5% is probably food.
Partial /s 🤣
TiredBanana
That is an important point. The news seem to constantly put this on the EMTs while the hospital administration should be called out.
Clippyjustwantedtohelp
Ambulance drivers get billed by their ambulance company, when red light cams ticket them. j/s.
notasnowmanipromise
Death race 2000 mixed with the Canon ball run
wkearney99
without a link to garbage fox: https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2024/11/ambulance-hits-oregon-cyclist-rushes-him-to-hospital-then-sticks-him-with-1800-bill-lawsuit-says.html
Zerod
Sheeet.. around here they'l come flying in helicopters, treat you, keep you for observation while feeding you, then help you get home if needed, aaaand it'l cost you about... nothing.
ElbowDeepInAJedi
What in the reverse ambulance chasers bullshit is this?
vosuraekira
Chaser Ambulances.
TheGreyGryphon
To be clear even in healthcare having Canada we pay for ambulance rides. At least in Hicksville Alberta
fractalsphere
Friend of mine years ago BROKE HIS ANKLE and insisted he get an Uber to the emergency room instead of $1500 for the weeeeewoooo bus
Feralkyn
Honestly that's a better choice even in a country with healthcare if it's an option. Not WRONG to call an ambulance but if it's not lifethreatening or a risk of worsening the injury I'd just do the uber so I'm not potentially taking an ambulance from someone with a real medical emergency
Feralkyn
or rather, from someone with a life-threatening one
fractalsphere
Only in the USA would this be an opinion. Any other country it would be "absolutely call the ambulance, those are medical professionals and that's their job"
Feralkyn
I'm actually in Germany! In fact I made a post, or rather a comment, recently on how wild it is that the -cost- is even a concern, as I had to call an ambulance for my s/o less than a month ago. The "what will it cost?" was never even a consideration and for that I am grateful.
It's more about taking the professionals FROM someone who might be stroking out, for example.
swedeonamoose
Yikes and i got mad about the $40 bill i got from the ambulance once.
Andied
But that is how it starts. Small amounts getting bigger until this happens.
scoutMoonDiver
The Houston Fire Department ambulance service charges about $2,500 to transport someone to the hospital.
cactuskid1956
That will get you 2 aspirin in hospital today
pvtsquirel
I've got ambulance insurance, but I honestly have no idea what it covers or how I'd go about using it if I needed to, I didn't get a card or anything, our system is stupid
Scobragon
Yeah, the 50 euro bill i got, that included strong painkillers intravenously suddenly don't seem too bad.
controlsthepresent
The first thing you say when you get hurt in the US is "don't call the ambulance" - it's wild over here. A Life flight from a rural highway in a heli is $50k and no insurance covers it.
FreaksOnWheels
We have those regularly in my area, including from rural hospitals to mine. Without coverage, many more people would die. I’m so thankful to have UHC
shitheadtookmyname
UHC means United health care? Like the CEO that just got capped?!
FreaksOnWheels
Haha universal health care.
captainhappen
I think he means universal health care.
KommanderKayriel
Hope you mean universal health care and not United Healthcare.
FreaksOnWheels
I do. I should have foreseen confusion!
dtallen243
Cyclists should not be on roads if there's not a bike lane/side walk. If going to ride on road, stay close to the sides so that motor vehicles have enough room to pass
dingybasement350
Free Luigi.
DrewThe3DPrinterGuy
ATastyCorpsesicle
Problem is they do not and will never give a shit enough to have that kind of self-reflection.
JaceCameron
I feel you need to hear the good word of Akumetsu
DidItForScience
I mean a lot of ambulance services in the US are unaffiliated with the hospitals and are private for-profit businesses that don't necessarily pay EMTs and paramedics that great.
DrewThe3DPrinterGuy
Oh yeah I know I live in a not as populated area and a bunch of the smaller towns have to group together to even get any ambulance service at all, and it's all for profit ones. I live less than 2 miles to the hospital here, and it still costs multiple thousands of dollars for an ambulance. Shit is bonkers.
DidItForScience
You know Drew, it really is bonkers. But on a lighter subject... how has 3D printer tech advanced since the Ender 3 took off? Are there others that are about the same price but better yet?
DrewThe3DPrinterGuy
I think both my printers are better than an Ender 3 and both cost less. I have been a big fan of Sovol3D. There have been some issues but I've been able to work through them, for the most part. My SV01 still has an issue with prints that cover a huge surface where specific parts of it are underextruding and I've tried nearly everything and talked to support and just not any luck. I don't really keep up with the day to day advances anymore, was super into it around 2019-2020 but I've slowed down.
DidItForScience
What is your proudest creation?
demoncatmara
Is the ender 3 any good still? I dare not unbox mine yet as living with a vandal but was hoping to do some cool stuff with it, nothing too detailed
DidItForScience
I have no idea. That's why I was asking the other guy about 3D printers!
DrewThe3DPrinterGuy
I think it's a decent entry level printer, or it used to be. My SV01 was a CR10 knockoff. Nowadays I think you can get better ones for the same price? But TBH I don't really follow all the different brands and stuff. I have heard the bambu are really nice but expensive, till something breaks then it even more expensive lol.