It's more than just diagnoses and antibiotics. It's monitoring the child for 2+ days. And broad spectrum antibiotics than can kill resistant staph infections I imagine aren't cheap either. Not to mention you can't just administer them. You have to monitor their effect continuously to make sure they actually are having an effect.
As to happening to anyone yes in the same way that anyone could get hit by a car. It's a rare occurrence. most people will not be getting staph from a bug bite. It's totally possible that 23k is an egregious amount to bill for his treatment but I think you are going about making that argument from the wrong position.
Are you capable of diagnosing an MRSA Staph infection? What all exactly is involved in diagnosing it? Looking at it? or do you need complicated lab tests? Does it require a consult with someone who specializes in infectious diseases or can just anyone do it? How do you dispose of medical waste from treatment? Are there any complicated regulations that increase the cost there?
All of these questions should be what fuels the debate around medical billing. The fact that you as a patient have very little visibility into all of that is in my mind the issue.
Arguing about how anyone could be hit with life threatening illness or injury is a potent and emotional distraction.
As to happening to anyone yes in the same way that anyone could get hit by a car. It's a rare occurrence. most people will not be getting staph from a bug bite. It's totally possible that 23k is an egregious amount to bill for his treatment but I think you are going about making that argument from the wrong position.
Are you capable of diagnosing an MRSA Staph infection? What all exactly is involved in diagnosing it? Looking at it? or do you need complicated lab tests? Does it require a consult with someone who specializes in infectious diseases or can just anyone do it? How do you dispose of medical waste from treatment? Are there any complicated regulations that increase the cost there?
All of these questions should be what fuels the debate around medical billing. The fact that you as a patient have very little visibility into all of that is in my mind the issue.
Arguing about how anyone could be hit with life threatening illness or injury is a potent and emotional distraction.