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Accident on Stuart


Thinker

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I don't think I saw this posted last week:

 

from here

 

"September 10: A Seattle climber fell about 70 feet on the lower portion of Razorback Ridge on Mt. Stuart, breaking his foot. His partner was able to lower him about 200 feet to the glacier and called CCMR at 6:00pm. Pete, Gene Ellis, Tom Ettinger and Freeman Keller flew to the site where Pete held the Huey's skids toed in to the glacier while the victim was loaded into the helicopter. The victim was flown directly to CWH, arriving after dark. The mission time from lift off at Olds to landing at CWH was 37 minutes!"

 

I heard this guy had no insurance and is considering going to Asia (Thailand?) for surgery. Seems like cost for what he needs is aprox 50% what US hospitals would charge. The info I got is third hand. Anyone have any corroborating info?

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quote:

Originally posted by Thinker:

I don't think I saw this posted last week:

 

from

 

"September 10: A Seattle climber fell about 70 feet on the lower portion of Razorback Ridge on Mt. Stuart, breaking his foot. His partner was able to lower him about 200 feet to the glacier and called CCMR at 6:00pm. Pete, Gene Ellis, Tom Ettinger and Freeman Keller flew to the site where Pete held the Huey's skids toed in to the glacier while the victim was loaded into the helicopter. The victim was flown directly to CWH, arriving after dark. The mission time from lift off at Olds to landing at CWH was 37 minutes!"

 

I heard this guy had no insurance and is considering going to Asia (Thailand?) for surgery. Seems like cost for what he needs is aprox 50% what US hospitals would charge. The info I got is third hand. Anyone have any corroborating info?

Thinker, your comment re. no-insurance-needing-surgery stuff is new, but check out this thread started by Freeman on 9/12: Self Rescue/Partner Rescue

 

This will surely spur discussion, but if he needs surgery, he can't be denied care here in the U.S. due to not having insurance. Yes, after his care here he'll be billed by the many different parties, but if he plays the system right he can cut down on the cost here and still get what is likely the best-quality care in the world.

--pindude

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OK, I'm putting the pieces together now. When I first read the other post I thought it was a hypothetical situation, but in retrospect it was a bit more than that.

 

Seems like the injured climber might be trying to be responsible rather than trying to play the system, I like him already.

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At places like Harboview, where lots of this kind of surgery (no insurance, self pay, etc..) is done, as long as a person is making a good faith effort to pay the bill, they won't give him a hard time. After looking at the cost of the plane ticket, living expenses while recovering, etc, is it really going to be that much cheaper?

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quote:

Originally posted by Thinker:

Seems like the injured climber might be trying to be responsible rather than trying to play the system, I like him already.

I didn't mean to insinuate irresponsibility on the part of the injured climber in re. to skating out of medical bills. I agree with Ice Girl, that with expenses for going overseas, etc., and factoring in quality of care and risk, it is likely a cheaper proposition for him to receive his health care here. The health care system here in the U.S. certainly has to be played for patients to get the best medical benefit. In re. to paying the costs, hospitals and care-givers will write off care for patients who can't afford it, but it is not ordinarily done up front. I have been out of the game for a few years (I was on the hospital/health administration side, and was a part of writing off many patient's bills), so don't know all the current ins and outs. Whoever the guy is, he hopefully will get good advice on just what course of action to take.

 

--pindude

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This is totally off the record, but I was in the ER with this person after the accident while he was discussing his options with the orthopod on duty. The doc recommended that he have the surgery and that he would be covered if it was done that evening at Central Washington Hospital. He was also given a referal to an orthopedic surgeon in Seattle who could do this work.

 

In a subsequent discussion with his partner I was told that he will have the surgery done (I was under the impression in Seattle). He had several fractures of the metatarsils (sp, I'm not a doc), the heel bone was "pulverized" and there was some ankle injury.

 

The ER in CWH is the primary care facility for about half the population of Wenatchee who have no insurance - and none are denied treatment.

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I actually tracked down my source on this and talked to a family member. The climber is on his way to Thailand right now. Seems Thailand is marketing/targeting foreign tourists for many kinds of surgery....started out as elective surgery (sex change, etc.) and is expanding to cancer, trauma, etc. I'll post an interesting link when I find it again.

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