For crying out loud! Woman billed for crying during medical examination

Woman billed for crying. Picture: Pexels

Woman billed for crying. Picture: Pexels

Published May 19, 2022

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Whether you have medical aid or not, doctor’s bills can leave you feeling ill.

From the initial examination and diagnosis to treatment and medication, the cost of medical care can be astronomical.

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of having even the smallest procedure done, you’d be blown away by just how detailed the bill is.

From the number of needles used to every cotton swab or bandage, everything has a price tag.

So it’s no great surprise that a woman was billed $40 (about R650) for “crying”.

Outraged by the medical bill her sister received, Camille Johnson (@OffbeatLook) took to Twitter to share a breakdown of the bill which included a cost of $40 for what is described as brief emotional/behav assmt (behaviour assessment).

Along with a picture of the bill she tweeted, “My little sister has been really struggling with a health condition lately and finally got to see a doctor. They charged her $40 for crying.”

In a follow-up tweet she continued by explaining why she sought medical attention.

“She has a rare disease so she’s been really struggling to find care. She got emotional because she feels frustrated and helpless. One tear in and they charged her $40 without addressing why she is crying, trying to help, doing any evaluation, any prescription, nothing.”

In another tweet she says, “They charged her more for crying than they did for a vision assessment test. They charged her more for crying than for a haemoglobin test. They charged her more for crying than for a health risk assessment. They charged her more for crying than for a capillary blood draw.”

Of course tweeps have responded to her post by sharing their own experiences.

One saying: “My 9-year-old had an extremely high fever with Covid the week before last. This is what came in the mail yesterday and look when they want the full payment"

While another responded, “Yep. My daughter was charged $44 for ”skin to skin contact“. In other words, when they flopped my grandson up on to her chest after the umbilical cord was cut. I guess the cheaper alternative was letting him fall on the floor?”

Here’s what a few other tweeps had to say.