The Billing Problem: The High Cost of Antivenom
The Medical Procedure
When Brigland Pfeffer, two years old, was playing with his siblings in their San Diego backyard, he stumbled upon a small rattlesnake coiled by the firepit. His mother, Lindsay Pfeffer, noticed a pinprick of blood between his thumb and forefinger, and immediately called 911. An ambulance transported Brigland to Palomar Medical Center Escondido. The emergency room staff struggled to insert an intravenous line to administer antivenom, an antibody therapy that disables certain toxins. A doctor asked permission to try a drastic measure, a procedure that delivers medicine into the bone marrow, which eventually worked.
The Final Bill
The total bill came to $297,461, including two ambulance rides, an emergency room visit, and a couple of days in pediatric intensive care. Antivenom alone accounted for $213,278.80.
The High Cost of Antivenom
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States every year. About five people die. Not all emergency rooms keep costly antivenom in stock, which can add big ambulance bills to already expensive care. It often takes more than a dozen vials, typically costing thousands per vial, to treat a snakebite.
Manufacturing and Hospital Markups
The manufacturing process of antivenom, which involves milking venomous snakes, extracting antitoxins from animals, and processing the antibodies, hasn’t fundamentally changed since the 19th century. However, hospitals markup the price to balance overhead costs and generate revenue. Brigland received Anavip at two hospitals, which charged different prices: Palomar charged $9,574.60 per vial, and Rady charged $5,876.64.
The Resolution
The insurer covering Brigland negotiated down the antivenom charges by tens of thousands of dollars, and the family paid $7,200, their plan’s out-of-pocket maximum.
The Takeaway
- "Time is tissue" – get to medical care as soon as possible if bitten by a snake.
- Not all emergency rooms have antivenom, so it’s best to go to a large hospital, which is more likely to have it in stock.
- When the bill comes, be ready to negotiate, as providers know their charges are high and may be willing to take less.
FAQs
Q: What is antivenom?
A: Antivenom is a medication used to treat snakebites, made from the antibodies of animals that have been immunized with snake venom.
Q: Why is antivenom so expensive?
A: The high cost of antivenom is due to hospital markups, lack of competition, and manufacturing costs.
Q: How many people are bitten by venomous snakes each year?
A: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States every year.
Q: Can I compare the charges against average prices?
A: You can use cost estimation tools like Fair Health Consumer or Healthcare Bluebook to compare charges against average prices.
