A friend recently asked me to review her $100,000 hospital bill that she received following hip replacement surgery that was completed last December at a clinic in the United States. I was shocked and flabbergasted after I took time to investigate every pharmaceutical drug and medical substance that she was given — before, during, and after surgery.
To honor and protect my friend’s privacy, I will simply refer to her in this report and all subsequent discussions as B.
B is a very health-conscious individual who takes proper care of her body by eating right and exercising regularly. She suffered a hip fracture while attending a social function in late December. She was admitted to a local hospital on Dec 27, had surgery on Dec 29, and was discharged the next day.
The source document that B sent to me was a three-page billing statement from the hospital that admitted her for treatment. While three service providers who were subcontracted to assist during the medical procedure also submitted separate billings, I did not include them in my analysis because their invoices lacked sufficient detail as to what pharmaceuticals that they administered and their cumulative billing total was much lower than the hospital’s.
ADMITTANCE / PRE-OPERATION DRUGS| Date | Medication | Alt Name | Opioid | Remarks | Dosage | Inj | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/27/20 | Hydromorphone | Exalgo | Yes | Pain Reliever | 0.5 mg / 0.5 ml | Yes | 1 |
| 12/27/20 | Tramadol | Ultram | Yes | Treats moderate to extreme pain | 50 mg tab | 1 | |
| 12/28/20 | Hydromorphone | Exalgo | Yes | Pain Reliever | 0.5 mg / 0.5 ml | Yes | 1 |
| Date | Medication | Alt Name | Opioid | Remarks | Dosage | Inj | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/29/20 | Oxycodone | OxyContin | Yes | Treats moderate to extreme pain | 5 mg Tab | 2 | |
| 12/29/20 | Hydromorphone | Exalgo | Yes | Pain Reliever | 0.5 mg / 0.5 ml | Yes | 1 |
| 12/29/20 | Fentanyl | Apache, China Girl | Yes | Pain med used during anesthesia | 100 mcg / 2 ml | Yes | 1 |
| 12/29/20 | Calcium Citrate | 950 mg Tab | 1 | ||||
| 12/29/20 | Ascorbic Acid | Vitamin C | 500 mg Tab | 1 | |||
| 12/29/20 | Tramadol | Ultram | Yes | Treats moderate to extreme pain | 50 mg tab | 2 | |
| 12/29/20 | Diazepam | Valium | Treats muscle spasms | 2 mg Tab | 1 | ||
| 12/29/20 | Propofol | Diprivan | Sedative-hypnotic agent | 200 mg / 20 ml | Yes | 2 | |
| 12/29/20 | Ephedrine | Ephedrine | Treats low blood pressure during anesthesia | 50 mg / ml | 1 | ||
| 12/29/20 | Glycopyrrolatle | Cuvposa, Glyrx-PF | Protects heart and nervous system under general anesthesia | 1 mg / 5 ml | Yes | 1 | |
| 12/29/20 | Ketorolac | Torodol | NSAID | 15 mg / ml | Yes | 3 | |
| 12/29/20 | Sodium Chloride | 0.9% 1000 ml | 1 | ||||
| 12/29/20 | Midazolam | Versed | Sedative | 2 mg / 2 ml | Yes | 1 | |
| 12/29/20 | Cefazolin | Kefzol, Ancef | Antibiotic | 2 gm / 20 ml | Yes | 4 | |
| 12/29/20 | Cholecalciferol | Vitamin D3 | 1000 units Tab | 4 |
| Date | Medication | Alt Name | Opioid | Remarks | Dosage | Inj | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/30/20 | Calcium Citrate | Used to treat calcium deficiencies | 950 mg Tab | 1 | |||
| 12/30/20 | Ascorbic Acid | Vitamin C | 500 mg Tab | 1 | |||
| 12/30/20 | Docusate Sodium | Col-Rite, Docusoft | Stool Softener | 100 mg Cap | 1 | ||
| 12/30/20 | Tramadol | Ultram | Yes | Treats moderate to extreme pain | 50 mg tab | 2 | |
| 12/30/20 | Cefazolin | Kefzol, Ancef | Antibiotic | 25 mg / ml DSW | Yes | 4 | |
| 12/30/20 | Ketorolac | Torodol | NSAID | 15 mg / ml | Yes | 4 | |
| 12/30/20 | Cholecalciferol | Vitamin D3 | 1000 units Tab | 3 | |||
| 12/30/20 | Hydromorphone | Exalgo | Yes | Pain Reliever | 0.5 mg / 0.5 ml | Yes | 1 |