I don't feel like I should have to pay this?

Question

I recently finished treatment for Stage 4B NS Hodgkin's Lymphoma. At the beginning, I had no insurance and had no money because I had to quit my job for being so sick all the time. So I was forced to see a Nurse Practitioner at the local clinic. One misdiagnosis after another and 3 useless chest x-rays later, I owe them a little over $200, plus another $200 for the radiologist for the stupid x-rays I didn't even need.

I really don't feel like I should have to pay the nurse practitioner. The best thing she did for me was refer me to a specialist. She spent 3 months pushing me aside, telling me I was too young to have anything wrong with me and basically calling me a hypochondriac. I had ALL of the classical Hodgkin's B-symptoms and my mother-in-law had to ask for all of the tests that she didn't do.

So my question is; should I still have to pay the nurse practitioner? She did absolutely nothing and I would probably be dead had she not sent me to someone else.

I don't mind paying the radiologist, because I was referred there and he was just doing what orders said.

Answer 1

    What do you mean the X Rays were unnecessary?  Just because they didn't show what your problem is, doesn't mean they are unnecessary.  Medicine is not an exact science.  When you present to a health care provider for diagnosis, they need to rule out everything they think your symptoms indicate you have.  The Nurse Practioner was simply ruling things out.  This is standard procedure.  When her tests showed nothing, then she referred you to someone who ordered more tests, which gave you a confirmed diagnosis. I notice you aren't objecting to his bill.  Is your thought process that you should only have to pay the health care provider who gave you the diagnosis?   She did her job.  You have no grounds for a lawsuit.  

Answer 2

Even the "nothing" is something. Common things being common, it's perfectly appropriate and needed that the likely things be addressed before the less likely. Every encounter in medicine is like that: common things masquerading as the uncommon, and vice versa. There's really no practical alternative to using statistical analyses to guide testing and treatment. It's the very basis of modern medical practice. Unfortunately, from your perspective, it looks terrible. But while she was "dismissing" your concerns in your eyes, she was almost certainly analyzing the data and likelihood ratios without causing you what would have appeared at the time to be needless worry about the unlikely possibilities in the differential diagnosis. The post-hoc analysis is a bit unfair to her.

Answer 3

It is unfortunate but you probably do have to pay her.  You can contact her and express that she did not diagnose your illness and that she seemed to ignore the symptoms and try to work out a reduction in the fees, but in the end you are likely to have to pay her.  Even a doctor is practicing.  We had something similar and the doctor prescribed a medication that sent my husband to the hospital.  It caused atrial fibrillation and the internet said it was not to be given to someone with history of atrial fibrillation but it was.  Almost killed him. He is still having problems with his heart almost a year later and it all seemed to stem from that change in medication.  But doctors won't support most malpractice suits. Malpractice is for negligence and there are a lot of medical errors and they are not so great as to be negligent enough for malpractice.   It is a shame but that is about how it goes.

Good luck to  you.  

Answer 4

You got to pay her, but you could sue her for misdiagnosis, it's not really practical unless you suffered needlessly from her misdiagnosis.

Answer 5

"Forced"?  you got served, you pay for the service rendered...

Answer 6

The Nurse was probably just following established protocol. (her job) She didn't write the rules. Go after her Boss. But you'll need a good lawyer that will cost you more than $200. The system is stacked in their favor.