Woman billed $83K for scorpion anti-venom that costs $100 per dose in MEXICO

Marcie Edmonds/via Facebook

Marcie Edmonds, 52, was stung in her abdomen last June at her Ahwatukee Foothills home in Phoenix.

An Arizona woman says she's still reeling from a scorpion sting she suffered last year after she was billed $83,046 for an anti-venom drug that costs just $100 per dose in Mexico.

Marcie Edmonds of Phoenix was stung in her abdomen last June while she was ripping open a box of air-conditioner filters in her Ahwatukee Foothills home, the AZ Central reported.

The 52-year-old decided to seek treatment at the Chandler Regional Medical Center after she found herself struggling to breathe and walk within an hour of the sting.

When she arrived at the hospital with the help a friend, a doctor administered two doses of the scorpion anti-venom Anascorp through an IV drip.

But the doctor never told her how much the drug would set her back, claims Edmonds, who was discharged three hours after she was admitted.

It wasn't until weeks later when she got the medical bill that she realized how much her quick stint in the hospital cost.

"Everyone I talk to says, 'You've got to be kidding,'" Edmonds said of her $83, 046 bill.

Anascorp, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last year, is sold by distributors to Arizona hospitals for about $3,780 per dose, the Arizona Republic reported.

But a poll done by the newspaper last November found that hospitals in the area charged anywhere from $7,900 to $12,467 per dose.

Chandler Regional Medical Center, however, declined to tell the newspaper, how much it charged. Edmonds says she was charged $39, 652 per dose.

Edmond's insurance, Humana, covered $57, 509 of the charges. Now, she's being asked to foot the remainder - $25, 537.

Chandler Regional told AZ Central in a statement that bill covers the out-of-network costs for Edmond's treatment since the hospital doesn't fall under Humana's network.

"We believe no one should delay seeking needed medical care because they lack insurance or have high medical costs," a spokesperson added.

croberts@nydailynews.com

Source: http://feeds.nydailynews.com/~r/nydnrss/news/~3/iBCMPkAtJEc/story01.htm

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