The reason my user name is “Med Tent Man” is that I received a bunch of flak for getting two IVs after a mere Olympic distance triathlon in July. Crossed the finish line after melting down on the 10km run, sat down, stood up and sat down again. They took me on a stretcher about 10yds to the medical tent, where I was monitored for a while. I felt pretty crappy, I must say. Finally, I agreed to an IV, which perked me right up. I got two of them, felt better, signed some forms, and left giving them my thanks. This was July 26.
Today, my wife informs me that we have received a bill from them; included in the bill is an item that appears to be a mileage charge ($18), and another for an emergency charge ($2,500!). There is also a credit of $1,900 that covers most of the preceding charges (I haven’t seen the bill yet), but still leaves over $600 for me to pay for two IVs and a fun stretcher ride.
Is this for real, race directors? I was never informed that any services provided would be charged, nor was any insurance coverage information requested. Should I have expected this? Did the guy with the road rash get charged, too? I did not fill out any form for USAT (which seems to be required if I were to avail myself of their excess insurance “benefit”).
Is it possible that I received a bill for someone else?
I’m just stunned.
(edit)
The hospital/medical center that provided these (what I thought were) volunteers indicates that the charges were for a 911 call. “There was no 911 call”. “Yes, there was a 911 call”. “No, they were on the race site, as was I: there was no 911 call”. Sheesh. And they have no supervisor there today to answer any further questions.
Ken,
I’m not an RD, but I’ve worked at IM medical and several other events. Typically you aren’t charged for anything supplied on site including transport because it has all been donated… including supplies(IVs), ambulance, and professional fees. Once you move from the event site to a hospital ER you are on your own insurance coverage or personal pay.
It might be that your race contracted with a physician or hospital to be on site and provide fee for service care … meaning nothing was donated and someone was there to make some money. It would be unusual for an event to be covered that way … but it would explain your unexpected bill. The difficult part comes in that you now have to bill your insurance … and hopefully the providers were contracted with your insurer or you may actually have to pay those high charges (insurance contracted rates are typically much lower). This all should have been clearly communicated to participants as it makes your financial risk at an event like this much higher … probably something for us all to be aware of if this is all confirmed to be the fact. Maybe you’ll get to find out what your USAT insurance does for you.
I will have to say I’ve never seen someone need IV’s from an Oly … but I’m sure you’ve taken enough crap about that already:-)
Dave
Ken,
I’m not an RD, but I’ve worked at IM medical and several other events. Typically you aren’t charged for anything supplied on site including transport because it has all been donated… including supplies(IVs), ambulance, and professional fees. Once you move from the event site to a hospital ER you are on your own insurance coverage or personal pay.
It might be that your race contracted with a physician or hospital to be on site and provide fee for service care … meaning nothing was donated and someone was there to make some money. It would be unusual for an event to be covered that way … but it would explain your unexpected bill. The difficult part comes in that you now have to bill your insurance … and hopefully the providers were contracted with your insurer or you may actually have to pay those high charges (insurance contracted rates are typically much lower). This all should have been clearly communicated to participants as it makes your financial risk at an event like this much higher … probably something for us all to be aware of if this is all confirmed to be the fact. Maybe you’ll get to find out what your USAT insurance does for you.
I will have to say I’ve never seen someone need IV’s from an Oly … but I’m sure you’ve taken enough crap about that already:-)
Dave
Thanks for the info. Lessee: supervisor at health facility is not in today. Race Director is on vacation until Sunday. Left message at USAT’s contact for athlete insurance. Nothing on race web site about it. Not my day.
As for the IVs: it was a pretty warm and very humid day; the water temp was 77.9 (they said), so that hurt in a wetsuit; I was hammering to win my AG (I did) and to beat a particular clydesdale (didn’t by :07) in another wave; didn’t drink enough on the bike. I don’t know why it was just me that day (out of some 750 entrants), but that’s the way it was. Did I need the IVs? Just lying there wasn’t helping much, so I did it.
Another reason why the Obama Health Care Reform should be passed!
In all seriousness, if the event was USAT sanctioned and you are a USAT member or paid the one day fee (which USAT sanctioned tris require participants to do), then you should be covered but will have a deductible to pay.
The USAT website says:
"When athletes purchase a USAT annual license or one day permit, a portion of those fees cover the cost to provide them with excess medical insurance. This coverage only extends to their participation in an USA Triathlon sanctioned event and is only available after the injured party has filed with any primary insurance policies. A deductible does apply for this excess coverage."
sadly, before you accepted anything, you should have asked: “will this cost me anything?”, and then had them (the care providers) sign a form for you in triplicate confirming that reply.
At IM Switzerland this year, they indicated in the race guide that there would be a charge of 80 CHF (about 80 bux) for IV’s. At least they indicated so up front…
The beer in the post race tent, though, was free and REALLY good.
Another reason why the Obama Health Care Reform should be passed!
Not helpful for Ken because he’s too old. They’d just have said he’s too old to be worth the cost of a couple IV’s and left him laying where he fell … hopefully he would have come around on his own
Dave
Yep, it is for real. That is why I as an RD do not use the USAT’s insurance and instead insure everyone and everything. If it was just medical “assistance” there would not be a USAT incident form.
Another reason why the Obama Health Care Reform should be passed!
Not helpful for Ken because he’s too old. They’d just have said he’s too old to be worth the cost of a couple IV’s and left him laying where he fell … hopefully he would have come around on his own
Dave
They did ask me to move back from the finish line a bit. Probably felt I was ruining some finishing photos.
Yep, it is for real. That is why I as an RD do not use the USAT’s insurance and instead insure everyone and everything. If it was just medical “assistance” there would not be a USAT incident form.
Isn’t whether the on-site medical staff charges the athletes a matter between the RD and the chosen providers? Do your EMTs or whatever at the medical tent charge to the athletes or the RD for IVs?
Another reason why the Obama Health Care Reform should be passed!
Not helpful for Ken because he’s too old. They’d just have said he’s too old to be worth the cost of a couple IV’s and left him laying where he fell … hopefully he would have come around on his own
Dave
They did ask me to move back from the finish line a bit. Probably felt I was ruining some finishing photos.
That’s what you get for doing pushups at the finish…
Since charging for on-site medical care is not the common practice, I agree that receiving a $600 bill for this is outrageous. I wonder if you can make the case that you did not give informed consent (key factor = “informed”) for any medical procedures since you had no reason to think you would be paying cash for it.
If medical treatment is deemed “emergency”, then as a general rule it can be done without informed consent, but you usually have to be pretty out of it for that to apply.
Since charging for on-site medical care is not the common practice, I agree that receiving a $600 bill for this is outrageous. I wonder if you can make the case that you did not give informed consent (key factor = “informed”) for any medical procedures since you had no reason to think you would be paying cash for it.
If medical treatment is deemed “emergency”, then as a general rule it can be done without informed consent, but you usually have to be pretty out of it for that to apply.
Just a thought.
William
Well, that all depends on how the release that he signed was worded. You do read those, right?
