Utterly Surprised!

Skip K

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Watching a show on venomous snakes and was absolutely amazed at the cost of treatment for venomous snake bites. One person who had complications from a rattlesnake bite...needing more than one course of treatments and other related hospital charges ...had a bill (before insurance I’m guessing) ...over 300k. Each vial of anti venom ( and usually way more than one is needed) was varying but all seemed to be at least 5k or more. I had no idea about this. Guess I was damn lucky a couple years ago tramping around the tall grass near a pond at Cape Hatteras and was in the process of putting my foot down...not paying attention and looking at turtles in the pond of course...when my Spider-Man sense starting tingling...and I looked down and saw my foot was coming down on...and was about 12 inches above... a massive basking Water Moccasin. After a high pitched girlie noise...I leapt on the one leg...about 3 foot up and back ( impressive for being 6’4 - 230lbs and old). It never seemed to be prepare to strike though. But after watching the show...and the massive venom load Water Moccasins deliver...woulda been a hell of vacation expense considering the nearest hospital is about an hour away...for treatment and probably an air lift to the hospital.
 
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Maro2Bear

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Watching a show on venomous snakes and was absolutely amazed at the cost of treatment for venomous snake bites. One person who had complications from a rattlesnake bite...needing more than one course of treatments and other related hospital charges ...had a bill (before insurance I’m guessing) ...over 300k. Each vial of anti venom ( and usually way more than one is needed) was varying but all seemed to be at least 5k or more. I had no idea about this. Guess I was damn lucky a couple years ago tramping around the tall grass near a pond at Cape Hatteras and was in the process of putting my foot down...not paying attention and looking at turtles in the pond of course...when my Spider-Man sense starting tingling...and I looked down and saw my foot was coming down on...and was about 12 inches above... a massive basking Water Moccasin. After a high pitched girlie noise...I leapt on the one leg...about 3 foot up and back ( impressive for being 6’4 - 230lbs and old). It never seemed to be prepare to strike though. But after watching the show...and the massive venom load Water Moccasins deliver...woulda been a hell of vacation expense considering the nearest hospital is about an hour away...for treatment and probably an air lift to the hospital.


Wow, that is quite the expense. Other than milking venomous snakes to make the anti-venom I guess they didnt say why it was so expensive? I too have been inches away from putting my boot on both Timber Rattlers & Copperheads. Amazing how fast & high one can jump.

Look twice, step once I guess!
 

Maggie3fan

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Watching a show on venomous snakes and was absolutely amazed at the cost of treatment for venomous snake bites. One person who had complications from a rattlesnake bite...needing more than one course of treatments and other related hospital charges ...had a bill (before insurance I’m guessing) ...over 300k. Each vial of anti venom ( and usually way more than one is needed) was varying but all seemed to be at least 5k or more. I had no idea about this. Guess I was damn lucky a couple years ago tramping around the tall grass near a pond at Cape Hatteras and was in the process of putting my foot down...not paying attention and looking at turtles in the pond of course...when my Spider-Man sense starting tingling...and I looked down and saw my foot was coming down on...and was about 12 inches above... a massive basking Water Moccasin. After a high pitched girlie noise...I leapt on the one leg...about 3 foot up and back ( impressive for being 6’4 - 230lbs and old). It never seemed to be prepare to strike though. But after watching the show...and the massive venom load Water Moccasins deliver...woulda been a hell of vacation expense considering the nearest hospital is about an hour away...for treatment and probably an air lift to the hospital.
hahahahahahaha...oh maybe ha! Oh gosh I'm mostly laughing at your "high pitched girlie noise". I normally don't mind snakes at all. But a few years ago I was driving thru the Mojave. I decided to stop and take a short walk. I kept hearing the dry grass rattle but, sometimes I'm more blonde than I look, and finally I looked around and omg...yep a HUGE Western Rattler, I made no noise at all, I turned around and ran like a cheetah outa there. My brief impression? He was bigger than I thought, bigger around than my arm, very muscular looking, and his face...? Holy Sh*t!!! Red glowing eyes, tongue out and flicking. He was tasting me on the air, and believe you me, an air taste is all he got. I kinda thought bout it later. I'm thinkin a snake that size "could" have struck me while I was turning around to run. Wow...
 

Tim Carlisle

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Wow. I've been bitten by a copperhead and a water moccasin when I was a teenager. I grew up a navy brat, so was treated in a naval hospital (no bill). Had no idea treatment would be so munch!
 

Skip K

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Wow, that is quite the expense. Other than milking venomous snakes to make the anti-venom I guess they didnt say why it was so expensive? I too have been inches away from putting my boot on both Timber Rattlers & Copperheads. Amazing how fast & high one can jump.

Look twice, step once I guess!
I’m guessing the expense comes from first the amount of time and effort it takes milking snakes and that different snakes produce different amounts. I don’t know the mechanics behind injecting horses with venom and how they harvest the antibodies but assume it’s complicated. They say for heavy envenomation it usually takes 4 vials or more. With serious bites...there might be a need to airlift a patient...which one said could be 50k alone. Insurance I’m sure can negotiate prices though. Some snakes develop a hemotoxin AND a neurotoxin venom...which can complicate things even more. Imagine if it’s a dry bite...can they tell before treating? I always thought...you get bit...take your your time getting to a hospital...get a shot...and go home. I was wrong on just about every count
 

Skip K

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hahahahahahaha...oh maybe ha! Oh gosh I'm mostly laughing at your "high pitched girlie noise". I normally don't mind snakes at all. But a few years ago I was driving thru the Mojave. I decided to stop and take a short walk. I kept hearing the dry grass rattle but, sometimes I'm more blonde than I look, and finally I looked around and omg...yep a HUGE Western Rattler, I made no noise at all, I turned around and ran like a cheetah outa there. My brief impression? He was bigger than I thought, bigger around than my arm, very muscular looking, and his face...? Holy Sh*t!!! Red glowing eyes, tongue out and flicking. He was tasting me on the air, and believe you me, an air taste is all he got. I kinda thought bout it later. I'm thinkin a snake that size "could" have struck me while I was turning around to run. Wow...
Lol...your Guardian Angel was looking out for you. The first show I watched was about venomous snakes in Fla...the second show was about venomous snakes around Arizona. They showed 6 different Rattlesnakes from that area and said there were many more variants. The person who had the super expensive bill was bitten by one of those rattlesnakes. I’m glad it didn’t tag you...or you might have a different story to tell
 

Skip K

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Lol...your Guardian Angel was looking out for you. The first show I watched was about venomous snakes in Fla...the second show was about venomous snakes around Arizona. They showed 6 different Rattlesnakes from that area and said there were many more variants. The person who had the super expensive bill was bitten by one of those rattlesnakes. I’m glad it didn’t tag you...or you might have a different story to tell
And I’ll tell you this. I have no problem with snakes and have relocated copperheads and rehabbed seriously injured non venomous snakes getting bit several times in the process...but almost stepping on that monster water moccasin ( knowing what it was) give me a whole new perspective! Lol
 

Markw84

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I’m guessing the expense comes from first the amount of time and effort it takes milking snakes and that different snakes produce different amounts. I don’t know the mechanics behind injecting horses with venom and how they harvest the antibodies but assume it’s complicated. They say for heavy envenomation it usually takes 4 vials or more. With serious bites...there might be a need to airlift a patient...which one said could be 50k alone. Insurance I’m sure can negotiate prices though. Some snakes develop a hemotoxin AND a neurotoxin venom...which can complicate things even more. Imagine if it’s a dry bite...can they tell before treating? I always thought...you get bit...take your your time getting to a hospital...get a shot...and go home. I was wrong on just about every count
Read a study on this a few years back. According to the study, Less than 1/2 of 1% of the cost comes from the people milking the snakes, collecting venom, injecting the sheep and then making the antivenom. About 2% is clinical trials to determine the effectiveness. About 25% - 30% of the cost goes to wholesalers, middlemen, FDA approval, attorneys, etc. The rest - over 70% - is added on by the hospitals administering the drugs. A single vial of antivenom 5 years ago ran about $20,000. In Mexico the same vial ran $100-$200.

Gotta love our system of approving and dispensing drugs!
 

Maggie3fan

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I looked at an ER bill not too long ago and they injected me with a $25. med, and I was charged $175 for some inexperienced teeny bopper to make 3 attempts to hit me, yet they get so freakin insulted why I offer to hit myself, as I can do it quicker and with less pain. In fact that ER has ejected me more than once, and one time was because I REFUSED an Oxycontin injection. They said .I was refusing "standard" medical care....
 

queen koopa

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Read a study on this a few years back. According to the study, Less than 1/2 of 1% of the cost comes from the people milking the snakes, collecting venom, injecting the sheep and then making the antivenom. About 2% is clinical trials to determine the effectiveness. About 25% - 30% of the cost goes to wholesalers, middlemen, FDA approval, attorneys, etc. The rest - over 70% - is added on by the hospitals administering the drugs. A single vial of antivenom 5 years ago ran about $20,000. In Mexico the same vial ran $100-$200.

Gotta love our system of approving and dispensing drugs!
I felt this was the case..... western medicine ???
 

queen koopa

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I looked at an ER bill not too long ago and they injected me with a $25. med, and I was charged $175 for some inexperienced teeny bopper to make 3 attempts to hit me, yet they get so freakin insulted why I offer to hit myself, as I can do it quicker and with less pain. In fact that ER has ejected me more than once, and one time was because I REFUSED an Oxycontin injection. They said .I was refusing "standard" medical care....
They didn’t get the money they wanted from you. Again ???? in a way its criminal.
 
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