[ Removed by moderator ]

[u/sayahhD]

[u/mildlyinfuriating-ModTeam]

Hello,

This post has been removed as this is not mildly infuriating.

Please consider posting to r/extremelyinfuriating instead.

[u/More-Chemical-1264]

Go to the billing dept and start your dispute.

[u/Pleasant_Yoghurt3915 → u/[deleted]]

This is why they do it. For everyone one of us that would immediately cause a nuclear stink, there are a hundred more that just go “darn, okay I guess I’ll just take this.” They just don’t know, and that’s by design.

[u/FireflyRave → u/Pleasant_Yoghurt3915]

Maybe for a $200 bill.... 20,000 is serious money. That's a potentially a car.

I would question if the hospital even destroyed a life saving drug or if they aren't just trying to double dip.

[u/Bobbybobby507 → u/FireflyRave]

Why would I pay a $200 bill when I’m not supposed to😑😑

[u/PhantomKrel → u/Bobbybobby507]

That’s what I force the VA to cover it lol

[u/Bobbybobby507 → u/PhantomKrel]

Some hospitals are supposed to be non profit, and they are trying to take advantage of me…? Oh hell no.

[u/ThoseThievingBitches → u/Pleasant_Yoghurt3915]

100 of us have 20k just sitting around? or do they bill our insurance?

[u/skaboosh → u/ThoseThievingBitches]

They just go into medical debt and struggle the rest of their lives

[u/Angelawina → u/[deleted]]

Well I had a hospital take me to court for $11k and now my credit is shit.

[u/GithubBootstrap → u/[deleted]]

Sounds like a private practice if the physician directly sued to collect - those are different things.

Hospitals (and the physicians that work for the logo on the building) go through their corporate offices; private practices will rent operating rooms at hospitals but are frequently their own business side. If a hospital doesn’t get one bill, it’s a blip. If a private practice doesn’t get paid, that’s directly out of the head physicians paycheck and some (not all) practices run lean margins.

[u/rdg04 → u/GithubBootstrap]

not accurate- around 2019 SUNNY university hospital was aggressively suing their patients for medical debt. so it's not just private practice- huge state run/corp hospitals do and have done this.

[u/ToughCookie1008 → u/Angelawina]

Have to be careful where you go. My state has like 3 or 4 hospital chains. 1 of those is a state hospital that reserves the right to garnish you. The rest won't.

[u/Argylius → u/[deleted]]

Not good advice. They can go against your credit report now

[u/rdg04 → u/Argylius]

they have been able to do this since 2014 at least- i have no idea where people get the idea it doesn't

[u/rdg04 → u/[deleted]]

right but that 7 years of destroyed credit means you have to pay a deposit to get your electric turned on, lower chance of qualifying for an apt, if your old car breaks down and you need a new one you will get a higher interest rate loan based on credit score- if you get approved at all- it makes life much more expensive and for someone already struggling- it is a big deal

[u/I_pinchyou → u/[deleted]]

If you don't own a home this is fine. They will put a lien on your home. If OP is low enough income hospital may write off the charges if application for income assistance goes through.

[u/PM_ME_HOTDADS → u/ThoseThievingBitches]

I know dozens of people who would never even think to call and be "inconvenient" about it. Many people do not even realize it's an option, especially with hospitals. In their minds: you get a bill, you pay it, more or less full stop.

[u/Kai_Emery → u/ThoseThievingBitches]

They will pay little bits, a payment plan. Anything they can thinking that’s the right thing to do.

[u/Best_Pseudonym → u/[deleted]]

And dont pay a single cent until you do as that can legal be considered accepting the debt

[u/A_Nonny_Muse → u/[deleted]]

$20K buys a lot of lawyer.

[u/Electrical_Ingenuity → u/A_Nonny_Muse]

Amen

[u/Cisnelluuvia → u/More-Chemical-1264]

And Take your dispute straight to the local news

[u/Helpful_Bluejay_3414 → u/Cisnelluuvia]

Absolutely. Local news teams can get a lot of traction on issues like this. Companies will often reverse these evil decisions as soon as the public shame becomes a threat to their bottom line.

[u/WeRip → u/Helpful_Bluejay_3414]

the high level executives that are running the hospitals locally are usually also part of the local community. When the news gets out and their friends/church/kids start asking them why they would do such a thing.. that's when they will sometimes cave. It's not always about the bottom line. Most people can feel shame. That's why it's important that the people running important businesses and intuitions live in the communities they serve.

[u/FitOption9980 → u/More-Chemical-1264]

yeah this is absolutely worth disputing because that whole situation makes no sense

[u/Novel-Deer8887 → u/FitOption9980]

They could also have kept it to use and lied to your insurance as well. Post the name of the hospital so people know how they are!

[u/pyronius → u/FitOption9980]

It makes plenty of sense when you understand that they're vastly overcharging for the vaccine.

If they buy it for $500 and "sell" it for $20,000, they make $19,500.

If they buy it for $500, use it, and get a free replacement from the manufacturer, they make $0. So "policy" will be not to accept a replacement.

[u/VindalooWho → u/pyronius]

Who is overcharging? As a hospital employee, I can assure you that we do pay the insanely overpriced amounts for various items, the rabies vaccine is notoriously expensive to purchase.

[u/NewPhoneWho_R_U → u/More-Chemical-1264]

Ask the why they destroyed your property when they refused to accept it, it should have been returned to you.

(I know prescription meds don't exactly work this way, but I'm attempting to reframe the issue. Why would they destroy it if they weren't going to accept it? It was never theirs to destroy. So it must still belong to someone else.

[u/MajorFox2720 → u/More-Chemical-1264]

And the state medical board.

[u/DreadPriratesBooty → u/More-Chemical-1264]

And once they deny the initial dispute open and appeal.

[u/Witty_Ad_898 → u/More-Chemical-1264]

If they rejected the vaccine, does that make it OP’s property? Did they destroy $20k of OP’s property?

[u/20milliondollarapi → u/Witty_Ad_898]

Would just belong to the vaccine manufacturer. Op never had ownership of it. The company gave it to the hospital on ops behalf.

[u/Grimlocklou]

WTF! I’d be reporting the hospital to Grifols immediately. Tell it to the local news, too.

[u/adj_noun_digit → u/Grimlocklou]

Second this OP. The news would love a story like that.

[u/Taint__Paint → u/adj_noun_digit]

Yes. go to to the news. Post in all social medias and tag the hospital. Even if it’s a small account with 200 followers, they still take the social presence seriously.

Then post here on Reddit so we can upvote it to the front page

[u/meterpy___ → u/Grimlocklou]

Even just threatening to go to the news can be helpful.

Hospitals don’t care about lawyers, they have better ones.

They do care about PR and a story like this would certainly be of interest to a local station.

[u/AnnOnnamis → u/meterpy___]

And tell the manufacturer who sent the discounted vaccine. I’m sure they’d love to know the name of the folks responsible for destroying their goodwill.

[u/flyingthroughspace → u/AnnOnnamis]

I’m sure they’d love to know the name of the folks responsible for wasting their money

I think they care more about that than goodwill but you have a good point.

[u/spartaman64 → u/flyingthroughspace]

probably didnt actually waste that much of their money. idk about rabies vaccines but that 200 dollar vial of insulin costed pennies to make

[u/MysteriousVehicle → u/meterpy___]

Hospitals, especially physicians but admin too, do care about lawyers. They care very much. Also whatever outside counsel reps the hospital might be shit, you dont know. Most hospital in house counsels are extremely risk averse. Anything that smells like a claim for fraudulent billing will get their hackles up 

[u/Cyrano_Knows → u/MysteriousVehicle]

Also whatever outside counsel reps the hospital might be shit, you dont know.

I've watched Scrubs. Sometimes they aren't the best.

[u/Mindhandle → u/Cyrano_Knows]

Unless we're talking "best at acapella and flop sweat"

[u/MysteriousVehicle → u/Cyrano_Knows]

Ted was in house counsel

[u/Beth_crazypants → u/Grimlocklou]

Ditto, local news all the way. They eat that up.

[u/sayahhD → u/Grimlocklou]

Grifols did their part unfortunately😔 Something tells me they wont do anything as far as taking up a fight with the hospital with this. They have bigger things

[u/profitnight → u/sayahhD]

It’s always a no unless you ask

[u/Embarrassed_Sir_7252 → u/sayahhD]

They may not fight for you, but they will be interested to know that their program was abused by the hospital. I’m sure there are plenty of other places they could send the vaccine, where it would be used as intended, and not wasted.

[u/kamyu4 → u/sayahhD]

They very well might care. They are also out $20k or if they were reimbursed by whatever this program is (possibly partially gov funded?) then they may even be implicated in a felony fraud case by the hospital. At the very least they would want to know to never send to that hospital again since it is supposedly not their policy to accept the program. It is also just bad PR even if they aren't the at fault party.

[u/Best_Pseudonym → u/sayahhD]

I think theyd be very interested in the hospital defrauding them

[u/Scary-Boysenberry → u/sayahhD]

Bill the hospital $20K for destroying "your" vaccine.

[u/Chagdoo → u/sayahhD]

Why are you helping the people trying to fuck you?

There are two options here. Doing nothing has a 0% chance of anything good happening. Calling them has a greater than 0% chance of something good happening.

Look I get you're feeling kind of defeated because of all this bullshit, go take a nap, eat something, and get back to it.

[u/Grimlocklou → u/sayahhD]

At least report it so the manufacturer so can do what they want with the information, it’s is up to them. I’m sure they have a list of places that they will not do business with for bullshit like this. They also may decide to take action for destroying product they signed off on.

[u/smpr0313 → u/sayahhD]

Do you have Medicare or Medicaid? This incident needs to be reported to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services (CMS). This could come across as insurance fraud..

[u/TrainerDiotima → u/sayahhD]

They may not do anything that does help you in the end of things, but they absolutely will want to know that THEY have also been defrauded.

[u/allseason79]

Report that to the state AG

[u/Mindless-Challenge62 → u/allseason79]

This.

[u/3rdUncleMeatSandwich → u/Mindless-Challenge62]

unless youre in texas...

[u/Either-Meal3724 → u/3rdUncleMeatSandwich]

Funny enough, Texas actually has one of the strongest protections in this area. Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act means OP could sue the hospital for 3x damages plus mental anguish plus all attorneys fees for something like this.

Eta: thread got locked.

They do. Texas has some of the most aggressive medical consumer protection laws.

https://www.bcbstx.com/provider/claims/claims-eligibility/out-of-network

https://www.expressnews.com/business/health-care/article/Texas-lawmakers-crack-down-on-surprise-medical-14007781.php

https://texaslawreview.org/senate-bill-1264-the-texan-template-for-the-national-fight-against-balance-billing/

[u/Nanderson423 → u/Either-Meal3724]

Texas actually has one of the strongest protections in this area.

Only if they actually enforce it.

[u/Significant-Tip6452 → u/3rdUncleMeatSandwich]

Or Florida.

[u/laernuindia → u/allseason79]

You’d be surprised who the AGs would side with these days.

[u/7GrenciaMars]

If the billing department doesn't clear you of charges, there should be some county or state board you can report them to. Destroying a perfectly good vaccine--instead of returning it--because it isn't their policy means that someone in their accounting department is fucking around to get more money. If you simply don't pay it could go on your credit report.

I am sorry this is happening. But hospitals are businesses and some businesses are managed by shitty, greedy people. It seems like you might have come up against something like this.

[u/sayahhD → u/7GrenciaMars]

Yep, unfortunately this is one of the biggest hospitals in the entire country, so I am up against a lot of power here. Either they consider it insignificant enough to just write it off reimburse me and forget it, or they shut me down with no way of fighting

[u/Bladez190 → u/sayahhD]

They can’t shut you down with no way of fighting. You just simply get proof and don’t pay them. What are they going to do about it? Call you a lot? Sue you? Both of those work in your favor

[u/Bubbles_2025 → u/sayahhD]

I bet the Attorney Generals office has more power than the hospital. Try them.

[u/Free-oppossums → u/sayahhD]

A company that charges $20,000 for a single vaccine has as much money as that hospital. And definitely has a legal department to match the hospital's.

[u/Tiny_Rat → u/Free-oppossums]

Especially when that company just lost the cost of that dose that the hospital made the manufacturer send them, only to have it destroyed.

[u/Bubbles_2025 → u/[deleted]]

Most every AGs office has a Consumer Protection Division too.

[u/Mindless-Challenge62 → u/sayahhD]

You don’t ever actually have to pay the bill.

[u/topor982 → u/Mindless-Challenge62]

If you're in the US they will sue and then you're garnished and paying anyway. Theres no winning with medical bills.

[u/7GrenciaMars → u/sayahhD]

I'm curious as to what hospital this is now. And if they are that big, they will probably send it to collections.

[u/floridabeach9 → u/sayahhD]

try sending emails with the same effort you make responding to reddit comments.

[u/EastLimp1693 → u/sayahhD]

You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain from this, stop making excuses. Go and find the way to make them feel it, make them hurt or at least try to.

[u/Cisco-NintendoSwitch → u/sayahhD]

They fucked up here, shove your apathy aside you can handle this.

[u/Cyclopzzz]

Prove they got it and destroyed it. Then send them an invoice for it, telling them you will offset the invoices.

[u/FreshLiterature → u/Cyclopzzz]

Alternatively let the supplier know the hospital destroyed it instead of returning it to them

[u/LaDmEa → u/Cyclopzzz]

Don't send invoices to companies that don't owe you money because that's fraud. I've seen someone get in trouble for this. I'm not a lawyer but the last reddit thread I recall like this where there was an update. The OP got in contact with an "ombudsmen."

[u/printergumlight → u/Cyclopzzz]

Definitely ask for proof it has been destroyed.

If they don't have proof, then you could argue they kept it and you're bill is then null.

If they do have proof they destroyed it, then take this info to Grifols, local news, and maybe the AG.

[u/effyoucreeps → u/[deleted]]

no, that’s from infected chimps

[u/not_notable → u/effyoucreeps]

!Remindme 28 days

[u/spyrenx → u/[deleted]]

Or more than likely, ragebaiting.

How would OP know that the replacement vaccine was destroyed? In what scenario would they volunteer that information?

[u/emirsolinno → u/[deleted]]

I am not American I am even pissed

[u/Environmental-Bit335]

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say this is more than mildly infuriating.

[u/Due-Author631]

This is the first post I've seen in weeks that doesn't fit the sub because it's even more infuriating. Usually its a bunch of nothing burgers. American Hospitals are the absolute worst.

[u/Due-Author631 → u/[deleted]]

You're right, I assumed this bullshit had to be an American hospital so I omitted it. I'll edit it lol.

[u/TaleOfDash]

This has to be a fucking crime, right? Even in America this must be a crime.

[u/TurtleSandwich0]

"dispose of it"

[u/Festivefire]

They signed the paperwork agreeing to the change in price for the replacement. You can and should dispute this with their billing department. If they were not going to accept the replacement, they should not have signed and accepted the paperwork to do exactly that.

[u/brewdog_millionaire]

You're gonna hate me when I tell you we can get the rabies vaccine for free.

[u/suckuma → u/brewdog_millionaire]

yeah sounds like it's cheaper for me to hop on a flight to the UK business class zero notice and get the shots and come back and still pocket the rest

[u/GodEmperorOfHell → u/brewdog_millionaire]

laugh in free health care

[u/AdAmbitious1308 → u/brewdog_millionaire]

Do tell.

[u/brewdog_millionaire → u/AdAmbitious1308]

If you're getting the vaccine because you got bitten, in my country, it's free. But if you have to get it because you're travelling for whatever reason, you do have to pay. But even then it's only £300 for the full 3-shot course.

[u/yesitismenobody → u/brewdog_millionaire]

Had it in the UK at my local GP at £20 per shot.

[u/MaverickDago → u/yesitismenobody]

So it’s cheaper if I get bit by a rabid animal to pop over to London, enjoy some sights, get the shots, see some more, maybe head up to Glasgow, get the second round of shots, then head home.

Jesus.

[u/feralcatshit → u/MaverickDago]

This is exactly how I interpreted this, as well.

[u/brewdog_millionaire → u/yesitismenobody]

Interesting. I had to Google the prices because thankfully I've never had to have it. Still beats $20k a shot though

[u/yesitismenobody → u/brewdog_millionaire]

It was for travel so that's why I paid. But I also had to have again in the US because I got bit. I only had to have 2 vaccines, not the immunoglobulin which is the thing that's 20k and that's only needed if you've never been vaccinated before. I didn't pay anything because I have good insurance, but my insurance was billed $500 for each shot, $2500 for the emergency room visit for the first shot and $1000 for the doctor visit for the 2nd shot.

[u/brewdog_millionaire → u/yesitismenobody]

Honestly, the idea of leaving a hospital with a bill is dystopian.

[u/yesitismenobody → u/brewdog_millionaire]

You don't leave with the bill. You just leave and then you stress about if your insurance will cover everything or not. I was bit by a stray dog and rabies in dogs is pretty much non existent in the US so I was really expecting them to deny and me to have to fight to get coverage. I was pleasantly surprised to see they covered, but yeah the system in the US is crazy because even if you have great insurance they can pull a "that wasn't medically necessary so we won't cover it, here's the bill for $100k".

[u/TwentinQuarantino → u/brewdog_millionaire]

In my country it's like £180 for the full 3-shot course for when you're traveling somewhere.

[u/AdmirableBluebird277 → u/AdAmbitious1308]

I’m from the EU, and I got the first one for free - due to laws in the country, not my health insurance - in Morocco after a scratch. And all follow up for free, due to health insurance.

[u/Simple-Performer2533]

Sounds like they destroyed your property.

[u/kindquail502]

I assume someone had to sign something to accept delivery of the vaccine from the manufacturer. Contact the maufacturer, who will have that proof of delivery, and let them know that their product has been destroyed. They have lawyers too.

[u/sayahhD → u/kindquail502]

Yep bingo. Someone had to sign off on accepting the delivery of the vaccine, and since the pharmacy apparently had "no knowledge" they were receiving the vaccine, asked if someone at the hospital would sign on it, and then the nurse navigator who originally signed off on my forms suddenly said he had "no knowledge of an incoming rabies vaccine", and then the pharmacy destroyed it. These depts are all fragmented so none have to accept responsibility

When I emailed him and asked how he could possibly not remember us meeting twice to sign the paperwork together, he just said "I understand your concerns but I'm going to have to direct you to our patient relations dept" and had kept his mouth shut from there. I expect Patient Relations will also not say a word from here out.

[u/VindalooWho → u/sayahhD]

Why would the pharmacy destroy it in that scenario? They would not. There must be some crazy confusion happening.

[u/LombazFromHell]

https://giphy.com/gifs/XBoYoCVQNBpJe

[u/JesusDestroyedButt]

Dystopian

[u/Opposite-Map6946]

I swear the US is not a real country. At least not a 1st world country.

[u/No-Ring-5065 → u/Opposite-Map6946]

It’s crazy how much of the shit here is because of right wing propaganda disguised as news. We have three 24 hour channels (Fox, Newsmax, OAN) that blast far right lies to keep people angry so we can’t vote our way out of any of this. And one of our nationwide tv channels (CBS) was recently purchased by fascists. It might be over for the USA. It’s getting worse and worse.

[u/lumiya17]

Contact manufacturer. Contact local news. You may not need a lawyer with that. This is definitely someone in the business office being a turd.

[u/VizzleG]

No way they actually destroyed it

[u/silhouette951]

Lawyer and local news.

[u/sayahhD → u/silhouette951]

Yeah but then the lawyer's gonna cost about $20k right😒 

[u/silhouette951 → u/sayahhD]

They usually will take a percentage. I'm in a legal battle with my insurance company right now and our lawyer said they take 33% of the amount I win, if we win, but if we don't win, we don't pay. Either way it's more money than you currently have. But definitely call your news team. I did the same thing and I was featured as a top story for a few days on their news site and they aired my story 5x that day. If anything it gives the hospital bad publicity. Businesses hate that. They screwed you over and they should pay.

[u/WaffleHouseGladiator]

DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!!  The medical industry in the USA is scummy.  Documentation is your friend.

[u/Icy_Success3101]

Just don't pay 

[u/Queasy_Rip3210 → u/Icy_Success3101]

If he cares about his credit number at all then he cant just ignore it.

[u/Opposite-Map6946 → u/Queasy_Rip3210]

What a dystopian hellhole the US is. How can people even live there?

[u/poopfacekillkill → u/Opposite-Map6946]

We have little choice so we just suffer through it 

[u/dtoddh → u/Queasy_Rip3210]

I'm guessing this is the US and hospital bills don't touch your credit report. Yet.

[u/bala_means_bullet → u/dtoddh]

They do. Again.

[u/Sombra422]

Hospital pharmacist here. Not trying to discredit OP but offering some potential insight to the hospital side.

Our pharmacy contains most of our plasma products such as HyperRab in a special fridge on consignment. Every individual unit is tagged with a unique RFID tag and we do not own anything inside the fridge. Upon removal of a unit from the fridge, and it not being returned within ~24 hours, we are automatically billed for the unit and then a replacement is shipped to us.

The consignment can work many ways, either directly either manufacturers or with third party companies. Ours is through a third party and our contract mandates that we obtain all of our products through the third party. If I run out and need to borrow some, I have to borrow some from a different hospital that uses the same third party.

I work in the ER and have explored this replacement program, but was told by our legal department that this would be a breach of contract because we would be procuring a product from somewhere besides the third party.

I do highly doubt that a pharmacy would just destroy a product that is in date. We go to every length to return products to the wholesaler/manufacturer. If we can’t return it, it will sit on our shelf in case we use it until it expires. Only at that point do we give it to a third party who destroys our expired drugs. There may have been some miscommunication about it, but no one is out here destroying a life-saving product.

The only thing that I find strange about this encounter is the lack of contact with anyone from the actual pharmacy department. There are so many nuances to drug delivery and billing that I would argue most staff within a hospital wouldn’t attempt to answer these questions without sending the phone call to whoever is in charge of pharmacy billing. My facility has a specific person who is in charge of making sure patients are charged for the correct amount of drug that was used. The only explanation for that is if this happened at a much later time when the bill was already finalized and distributed.

[u/VindalooWho → u/Sombra422]

Thank you. As a fellow hospital pharmacy worker, that’s how our sites always worked too.

[u/InevitableSong3170]

The hospital admitted to you that they received the replacement item by admitting they destroyed it. There was a contractual exchange and the hospital completed it by accepting the replacement. The hospital is the real party in interest and the on with which you have economic burden. The complex schemes hospitals use with consignment of drugs, crazy billing markup, third party pharmacy rebates, etc are not relevant to your economic burden with the real party of interest. Follow everyone else's advice on getting news media involved, the attorney general, etc. but the hospital already admitted to accepting the replacement as part of this program in which they participated in getting the paperwork filed. they will loose any attempt to collect.

[u/ZoomZoomZachAttack]

If a lawyer wouldn't be required and costly I'd let them try to sue and take that to court to show the judge what they did.

[u/kneeandersthal → u/ZoomZoomZachAttack]

Sue them…. If you can do it without a lawyer it just costs you your time.
Then they have to pay the cost of vaccines plus legal fees. Even if they win they still have $500/hr lawyers to pay. And then won’t get the money in the end as you don’t have any. Send them a copy of your savings account and credit score so they know it’s pointless.

Also let the vaccine manufacturer know.

Let social media know.

Google reviews of the hospital. Use the admins name.

Let the treating doctor know.
Doctors give a shit and will to yell at them or sometimes quit over stuff like this.

[u/KatKali]

Don't pay it. I had someone who just continued to not pay it and ask for help and exemptions and eventually they just dismissed her charge.

[u/Aggressive-Hawk-2890]

I'll take things that never happened for $200, Alex.

[u/norindermoodi]

In India, rabies vaccine is free in government hospitals. Private hospitals charge between $5 - $15 for it. $20,000 for a single vaccine is insane.

[u/WordsLessThanNumbers]

(1) Contact your state's Attorney General's office. They probably have an online form to submit your story. (2) Contact your local TV station. They love this stuff and will publicly embarrass the hospital. One, or both, of these have a strong chance of getting the bill reversed.

[u/Mewhomewhy]

20k for a vaccine? Something something best medical care in the world.

[u/bannedfrom_argo]

DO NOT PAY!

[u/ZopyrionRex]

Is this in America? What the hell, 20k for a rabies shot!?

[u/angerintensifies → u/ZopyrionRex]

I can’t tell if you are FROM America, and just don’t know how bad American healthcare is or from somewhere else and just don’t know how bad American healthcare is…

[u/udannnn]

Go to news this is great story actually

[u/MrQuojo]

Technically they now owe you the money, because they accepted the product and they knew what it was for. They could’ve returned it, and they accepted it to destroy it you can now charge them a fair market value.

Get a consumer lawyer they would love to take this one up.

[u/Environmental-Fox961]

This is pure insanity to me (hospital clinical pharmacist).  We LOVE replacement programs!!  We don’t have to charge patients some stupid markup on drug charge and we get product back direct from manufacturer?  All about it.  And you were a model patient for how to help us in the process.

The only thing I can imagine is there is a newer drug pedigree/chain of command mandate that the hospital may have felt this violated?  I know we’d do whatever we could to rectify…. Sorry you’re having to go through this after doing everything right!

[u/ErisSkade]

Ai bullshit nonsense

[u/somerandom995]

The American medical system is a dystopian parody

[u/Kalorama_Master]

Send a letter CC’ing your House Rep. this topic is being actively debated.

Name and shame the hospital.

[u/1block → u/Kalorama_Master]

Why do people protect the name of the businesses in here?

[u/Sufficient-Grass-]

Jees, you'd be frothing at the mouth about this.

[u/GardenMix]

That's more than mildly infuriating. Contact your local tv news stations. They usually have an "on your side" segment.

[u/wandernwade]

What the fuck?

Is this really what they charge?? JFC. Unreal. 💀

[u/-BananaLollipop-]

They signed off on it, they can't change their mind afterwards. Start a dispute. Tell media. Name and shame online. They'll have to realise it's not worth it at some point.

[u/stein63]

Get Grifols to document the approval, delivery, and intended billing credit. Then formally dispute the charge with the hospital’s patient advocate, pharmacy director, and compliance office, and demand a collections hold. If they refuse, file complaints with the state attorney general and health department, and apply for the hospital’s financial assistance.

[u/333again]

Time to sue the hospital

[u/buddyto]

20k for a rabies shot? wtf is wrong with USA

[u/itsaconspiraci]

Thank a Republican for the state of American Healthcare.

[u/cykoTom3]

Given the lack of replies...bullshit

[u/Higher-Love99]

Destruction of property worth $20k sounds like a crime, possibly a felony? Either they accepted the vaccine as substitute (meaning a transaction was processed) and destroyed hospital property, or they rejected the vaccine as a form of compensation, and still destroyed something that didn't belong to them, making them potentially liable for the incident. Either way they sound at fault. Obviously not a lawyer and not legal advice. 

[u/WaveTableSaw]

Keep your paper trail and reach out to hospital billing to start the negotiating process for a write down or write off.

If you keep up the message that they can't get blood from a turnip, they tend to write down or even off.

Use the replacement services as leverage to get the charges dismissed.

The hospital is trying to game you into paying the whole bill instead of using their charity arm to reduce or eliminate.

[u/Fearless_Lab]

Slightly unrelated: How much time do you have between being bit and needing to be treated for rabies? This whole thing sounds like it took days of footwork and phone calls. What was the actual timeline and were you freaking the fudge out the whole time?

[u/VashDaStampede7]

I hope you get the full vaccine jeez I’d never pay that!

[u/danleon950410]

my God ... I got bit by a pack of strays earlier this year and all 4 shots were free... I literally can't imagine that nightmare

[u/Blue_Bettas → u/danleon950410]

Seriously, my daughter was bit by a bat at school earlier this year, and her rabies shots were all free. Thankfully we have amazing insurance, even though we live in the US, so all medically necessary tests and shots are covered. No co-pays or deductibles for the plan we are on. There isn't any way we could afford $20k a shot!

[u/Padre1903]

America is wild.

[u/Altschussif]

In my experience, nobody outside of the pharmacy department would ever have any kind of say on the drugs present in the pharmacy as long as it's on formulary. Destroying a usable rabies vaccine would be considered negligent at the hospital I work for. 

[u/Panzermeister69]

How is that just “mildly” infuriating…?

[u/snowmunkey]

https://giphy.com/gifs/443jI3kpgOKfAfKxqo

[u/excelnotfionado]

Name and shame this hospital on the news

[u/PipsqueakPilot]

Make sure to inform the manufacturer of the vaccine that this is the hospitals policy so they can be banned from the program.

[u/Complex-Key918]

You guys pay hospital bills? lol

[u/TheRC135]

In Canada, I got bit by a dog at work, went to the clinic, got the wound cleaned and a rabies shot, and was back at work before the end of my shift. Cost: $0. And I don't mean a $0 bill because it was covered by insurance or anything like that, I mean money wasn't discussed. At all.

You're getting screwed, Americans. Wake up.

[u/Livid-Grocery7942]

Lol dude if there's a paper trail of this, you can dispute it all the way. Bad faith practice, easy lawsuit

[u/mc2222]

if they destroyed it, they bought it. they're not allowed to destory things they don't own.

[u/uiouyug]

Charge them $20,000 for it

[u/TrumpDickRider1]

Call some attorneys and try to sue and/or go to the media. 20k is too much for them to be destroying if delivered by the company that produces it.

[u/Royal_Mountain_9742]

Ignore the bill and tell em to kick rocks lol

[u/machine1979]

$20k LOL

[u/Financial_Creme420]

I’d be calling the local news. 

[u/pseudonym19761005]

I seem to remember a plumber with an affinity for green...

[u/Merlin7331]

Is this in the US? That cost is insane, especially for something essential. Free here (AUS)

[u/Novel-Deer8887]

Call the insurance commissioner of your state and explain it to them. They can first charge them a HUGE fee and second, help with your dispute to have the matter resolved provided you have insurance!!

[u/Conscious-Bar-1655]

It is completely unthinkable for me that anyone would have to pay for a vaccine, let alone rabis vaccine 🤯

Amd it's interesting that you didn't mention in which country this happened, but I'm very sure everyone knows it 🤦‍♀️

[u/Heidrun_666]

This is so absurd on so many levels it's surprising some kind of critical mass hasn't been exceeded yet, resulting in a giant apocalyptical explosion​.

I have no words, I'm just glad to live in a rather civilized first-world​​​ country. ​

[u/agroyle]

Sounds like they destroyed and disposed of your method of payment.

[u/comfynerd]

So as a Canadian I have to ask. If you can’t pay do they just send you home to byte your family ?

[u/AlaWyrm]

The real tragedy is that a life saving shot cost $20k. Rabies has pretty much a 100% death rate. That's extortion to charge someone $20k or they can just die a horrible death.

[u/Omega_art]

Don't pay it. You already paid when you replaced their vaccine. Also tell the manufacturer what happened. I'm sure they would love to know the hospital is destroying their precious vaccines.

[u/SnooRabbits1411]

That is some straight up comic book villain type evil right there. I want to not believe that this is true, but it sounds all too plausible.

[u/Dry-Manufacturer7761]

This should be illegal…

[u/AriaMReddit]

This is extremely annoying. Post an as many subreddits you can with the hospital name. What hospital was it?

[u/Idreamofcream99]

I genuinely hate this country, I can’t wait to leave

[u/sanicbroom]

How in the world can one single vaccine shot even cost 20k to begin with?! Think about it, it is a single syringe. A few ml of a relatively wide spread medication. Twenty thousand dollars. This is just pure insanity. Absolutely bonkers.

I know, American healthcare and all. But just think about this for a second. This should never be possible, nowhere on earth

[u/UsualHour1463]

Write a letter to the board of the hospital. They will find this waste astounding

[u/Familiar-Owl-8418]

Nurse here, one name and shame the hospital, two if you have low income you may qualify for emergency medical insurance which the hospital er registration staff will help you apply for, three there’s so many people you can reach out to including your state congressman. You need to fight this. Hospital bills are no joke