ULPT Request: How would you avoid paying at an urgent care?
Posted by A_0F_i_n_@reddit | UnethicalLifeProTips | View on Reddit | 38 comments
[removed]
Posted by A_0F_i_n_@reddit | UnethicalLifeProTips | View on Reddit | 38 comments
[removed]
AdGlad8276@reddit
Bruised bones can take a long time to heal and there’s not much they can do for you at urgent care or ER. Unless you think it’s broken (in which case you need an x-ray), the treatment is really just symptomatic management (rest, heat, NSAIDs, etc). If you don’t have insurance, you’ll be expected to pay at the time of the visit at urgent care (as opposed to billing you later). If you go to the ER, you’ll end up with a massive bill
kdwhirl@reddit
Even if it is broken, nothing to do for it - just takes longer to feel better (6-8 weeks instead of 2+ weeks).
MoonGloam@reddit
I broke my tailbone in December and went to the ER. They did an xray and found a fracture and basically just told me that they felt really sorry for me.
- Stay ahead of the pain. Take tylenol and ibuprofen on a regular schedule. Use ice packs.
- Get a donut cushion and bring it everywhere with you.
- Try to avoid sitting on it as much as you can. I found the most comfortable position for me was lying on my side with my knees bent with a pillow between my knees for the first few weeks.
- When you need to get up from a sitting position or laying down, turn to your side and push yourself up with your hands.
- Avoid bending as much as is reasonable and do NOT get on your hands and knees, that one will HURT.
- Drink lots of water and try to eat a healthy diet. Sleep a lot if you are tired. I was very tired and slept a LOT after I broke it, probably because my body was working to heal. Try to get enough calcium.
- Listen to your body. A broken tailbone that doesn't heal correctly can cause long-term pain. Do NOT try to power through the pain. If an action or a certain position hurts, that means that's something you can't do right now.
Your tailbone might be bruised, it might be broken, all a diagnosis can tell you is which one it is but the treatment is the same.
It will take 8-12 weeks to heal if it's broken. It took me about 6 weeks to really get much range of motion back. If you are still in pain and struggling with motion in a few weeks, that's normal.
Just_Getting_By_1@reddit
I broke my tailbone and can tell you they heal on their own, it just takes time. You don’t have scam medical, it just takes about 12-14 weeks (in my case at least, and I live in a country with proper medical care) Oh and one tylenol with one ibuprofen, the combo works quite well.
Quirky-Invite7664@reddit
Google “tailbone cushion.” That’s what you need.
If it still doesn’t improve over time (weeks), might need to see a Pain Management person who does steroid injections. Or see a DO - they can work magic!
Urgent Care can’t do anything for you, treatment wise.
Overall-Equal-7808@reddit
they pretty much never fully heal. i (most likely, never got it checked) broke my tailbone slipping on the floor in my basement 10 years ago and its still tender if you put pressure on it.
my advice is to not go at all. and take a (safe) hefty amount of painkillers instead
SlashNreap@reddit
Ask your friends to drive you to El Greco.. The doctor, not the painter.
CMWalsh88@reddit
Unless you think there is a piece broken off and will require surgery there isn’t any urgent care is going to do. It’s in a spot on the body that you don’t cast and just wait similar to ribs. Get a doughnut to sit on. It’s going to be months before it’s good.
BoozeIsTherapyRight@reddit
Tailbones take forever to heal and a doc can't do much. Use your money for a donut pillow instead.
MjrGrangerDanger@reddit
Keyhole pillow. Donut pillows are for your genitals.
BoozeIsTherapyRight@reddit
Coccyx cushion!
TeachingClassic5869@reddit
I work at an urgent care. Where I work you’re not getting seen unless you have active insurance or you pay cash up front. We verify your insurance in real time prior to being seen. If it is not active, or if the name on the insurance does not match your photo ID, you get turned away. Urgent cares are not obligated to provide care. You would have to go to an ER. They must provide a medical screening exam to anyone who comes in, regardless of ability to pay. If it’s an emergency, they must stabilize or transfer you.
sparklekitteh@reddit
Having broken my tailbone myself (yay roller derby) there's literally nothing they can do. They can't splint or do surgery, and they generally don't give out pain killers. Get a donut pillow, take some Advil, and wait it out.
i-am-foxymoron@reddit
Go to the emergency room, they have to treat you.
BoozeIsTherapyRight@reddit
They only have to stabilize you and keep you from dying. An owie tailbone isn't in that category.
The key words in the law are "emergency condition." If it's not an emergency, they don't have to treat you.
https://www.cms.gov/priorities/your-patient-rights/emergency-room-rights
whatshamilton@reddit
They’d take an X ray maybe and say yup, confirmed it’s an owie tailbone, take Advil, refer to primary care. That’ll be a $400 copay and 12-15 hours of your life.
Apprehensive-Ad-3552@reddit
Except OP doesn't have insurance, so it'll be more than $400. The 12-15 hours is legit though.
SlickMcFav0rit3@reddit
They have to stabilize you, so it depends what you need.
If you have a broken tailbone, they might do an x ray to see the extent of the damage.
With that injury, you probably just need rest and pain killers. It's POSSIBLE you shattered some bone/tore some ligaments and need surgery. But they won't do that surgery.
i-am-foxymoron@reddit
A friend of mine went to the ER, at a private hospital (Kaiser), that he isnt a member of, for a shoulder he hurt over a decade ago. They treated him (x-rays & an rx sent to the pharmacy) and without any identification.
whatshamilton@reddit
Yes that is stabilizing. As in they won’t perform long term care/treatment. They’ll do an x ray an refer you to ortho if you need ortho. Their job is to get you able to get to your primary care or specialist. Not to get you through to whole again.
thiccglossytaco@reddit
Anything to do with spine or back they will likely refer you to a hospital. They're not equipped for that sort of thing.
DemDelVarth@reddit
Man, i truly feel bad for you Americans.
sintaur@reddit
What really hurts is we Americans spend about twice as much as similar countries. That is, we spend about $15k/year per person. The next closest peer country spends $10k/person.
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20other%20large%2C%20wealthy,Related%20Content:
sparkly_wolf@reddit
Yeah, my advice would be not live in America!
Gold-Acanthisitta545@reddit
Chiropractor
b0sscrab@reddit
Since this is ULPT….
find somewhere with wet floors from mopping or weather.
Perform a slip and fall.
Find a lawyer and do not mention the prior injury.
Go to all new doctors, different network.
Sue.
Live the American dream.
daphuc77@reddit
Go to an ER to avoid paying.
emorrigan@reddit
It sucks, but all they’ll do is take an xray, tell you it’s broken, and maybe prescribe some Advil. That’s it. If I were you, I wouldn’t even go.
whatshamilton@reddit
Tailbones are one of the bones they really will be able to do nothing for. They take forever to heal, don’t always heal completely, and there’s no form of splinting/casting they can do to influence how it heals. Take anti inflammatory, sit on a donut pillow, and reminisce about life before this was a problem.
Illuminate1979@reddit
"That will be $1300, please!"
judithsparky@reddit
Broke my tail bone, sat on one butt cheek for 30 years.
Vegetable-Branch-740@reddit
I badly bruised my tailbone rollerblading and it took forever to feel better.
Shell-Fire@reddit
I broke my tailbone in college. It still hurts 30 years later. Yeah. Nothing can be done except get a cushy donut to sit on.
Don't even waste your money. Google broken tailbone. Nothing you can do.
radical_left_lesbian@reddit
This thread is America in a nutshell and I hate it
chunkytown11@reddit
Seriously with all this life changing debt , why wouldn't you invest in moving too , getting a visa too literally any other country that has healthcare.
MsBeef@reddit
I fell and bruised my tailbone while pregnant. It was excruciating! I was luckily in a position that I was able to go to a pelvic floor therapist. They did these massages around my tailbone, never over the bone about 3 weeks after my injury.
Apparently, the muscles clenched after the injury to protect the bruised bone. Once the bone wasn’t as tender, my muscles couldn’t release, and most of my pain was in trying to stand up after sitting. Using a lacrosse ball would likely give you similar release. It was amazing! If you have a partner or trusted friend I would recommend that over trying to go to urgent care.
Catzsocks@reddit
Urgent cares are setup like profit machines, they won’t let you. Emergency rooms actually have access to more equipment and the hospital is so big they make it possible to skip out if you give fake info.
LetThemEatVeganCake@reddit
I broke my tailbone a few years ago and they did an xray, but the only thing they really recommended was ibuprofen and physical therapy after like 3 months. The physical therapy didn’t help at all. It took about a year for the pain to go away completely. It will frankly be a waste of money to go to the doctor for this. There isn’t anything they can do for a tailbone.