“My funeral would have been cheaper,” says a Miami, Florida woman treated after being bitten by a stray cat. Her hospital bill totaled $48,512!
Jeannette Parker, 44, was only trying to help a stray hungry kitten while visiting the Everglades National Park last September. She was bitten when she tried to feed it some tuna.
Jeannette realized how serious a cat bite can be and paid a visit to the emergency room. She never even saw a doctor but was given two injections, with one of them being the first in a series of rabies shots. Jeanette was sent home with an antibiotic as well.
When the bill arrived, Jeannette learned she owed the hospital $48,512. The immune globulin alone was $46,422.
In an interview with 10News Jeannette stated
“I saw that immune globulin was expensive, but it wasn’t that expensive. I sat on it for a while because I was upset. Finally, I went by the hospital to confirm, and they said, ‘Yes, that is right.'”
Mariners Hospital is part of Baptist Health South Florida. They explained the bill reflected rates at the time the immune globulin was administered. If Jeannette had been bitten (and treated) just one month later, her bill would have been around $9,000.
Jeannette’s insurance NPR left her paying $4,191 to finish her deductible for 2018 and she had to pay 10 percent of the charges accepted by her insurer, NPR confirmed.
When all was said and done, Jeannette told the media her funeral would have been cheaper than being treated for a stray cat bite.
