Next up in our "What's Worse?" series. Guy has pneumonia, comes home and gets a $44 million bill from the hospital. But at least he got cured, right? They made a clerical error, it's not their fault the guy almost dropped dead. Plus what is an "almost asthma attack?" Is it news if I'm almost scared? Maybe it is. What if he got home and just got a regular bill, and nobody ever heard about it? At least this guy had his moment of fame? Isn't that what this is all about? Who gives a shit about pneumonia or whatever. What if the pneumonia got really bad and he got home and got a really big bill for thousands of dollars, and the bill was real? Would that have been worse than getting totally cured, getting the scary letter, and really owing $300? I would say so. It's all about perspective man. Either way, in the grand scheme of things, this is a downer, but now we all know it could have been worse, and no one would have known.
A Bronx man says he nearly had an asthma attack after opening his mail to find a $44 million medical bill from a local hospital.
Unemployed doorman Alexis Rodriguez, 28, received the astronomical bill after receiving successful treatment for pneumonia at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital last week, The New York Daily News reports.
"I almost had an asthma attack," said Rodriguez, who apparently is not the only patient to receive an outsized bill. The firm responsible for the botched billing, PHY Services, was reportedly inundated with complaints and has since apologized.
"If you are calling with respect the billing statement for services provided at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital, please disregard the statement," said a recording for concerned callers, "you will be receiving a new statement shortly."
PHY is blaming the mistake on a "system error" that resulted in the bill's invoice number being mistakenly placed in the "amount due" field.
As for Rodriguez, he owes no more than $300 for outpatient services.
[ABC News]
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