My ONE HOUR visit (my husband timed it) to the emergency room last summer for a slash (3 stitches) between my thumb and forefinger (durned avocado seed!)....cost $1300 - my husband's company got it negotiated down to about $1100, and then the insurance paid about $900. When I got the bill I had a question about some of the items (I had requested an ITEMIZED bill).....they ended up telling me they would forgive the $240 I was supposed to pay (they had ignored my letter for a long time and I sent THEM a BILL for my time in responding to their stupid bills and trying to send me to Collection.) Anyhow....ONE HOUR at the rack rate was $1300. But, they must have a lot of profit margin built it, because ultimately they got paid about $900 - plus a fee for the Physicians Assistant.
Oh, and I saved myself about $75.....I took the stitches out myself a couple of weeks later, using the kit(scissors, tweezers, etc) we TOOK home with us from the Physician's Assistant who had put the stitches in. (He said we were paying for it, and my husband asked if we could have it - he thought the scissors would be great for fly fishing). NO, I never saw a REAL Doctor.
LESSONS LEARNED:
Everything is negotiable
Always ask for itemized bills - even if you have insurance
Take everything in the room that a nurse/doctor opens with you - it's yours.
And, of course, have insurance.
Question - was your own doc or whoever covers after hours unavailable? Do you have a Doc-In-the-Box nearby?
The ER is meant to handle whatever comes in - they have to be prepared to run a gazillion tests should you pass out while you look at them stitching you up. If they don't and you do have a heart irregularity, you can sue them.
You got out in an hour? Wow! They must not have been that busy that day. Nonetheless, they had to have sufficient staff available to cover an onslaught of 5 or 10 patients at the same time (or more, depending on the ER).
Hospitals have to charge ins. cos. and those who can pay enough so they can cover expenses for the ones who can't pay. Those and malpractice ins. costs are most of what you paid for.
Why didn't you go to a walk-in clinic? I know those aren't available everywhere, but they are a good deal where they are. I wouldn't use one for a serious illness, but I do use them for routine problems. They're cheap, for sure.