Rectal Bleeding question?

Question

My good friend says she is experiencing rectal bleeding and she's freaking out because she doesn't have insurance. How much will a trip to the ER cost her for this. She really needs to see a doctor

Answer 1

I guess I'll be the only one to disagree about the rectal bleeding. Unless copious amounts of blood are coming out, a trip to a doctor's office is the way to go. I say this all the time and I'll say it again: the ER is for emergencies, the wait is incredibly long, it's ridiculously expensive. About 80% of the patients who come to the ER did not need to be seen emergently and could have waited till the morning or seen a regular doctor. This is why our ERs are so crowded, the wait is so long and our insurance premiums are so high.

Anyway, rant over. Often rectal bleeding is a small amount of bright red blood on the toilet paper with or without pain after having a bowel movement. This type of bleeding nearly always is due to a small fissure, crack or hemorrhoids. If this is the type of bleeding she is having, tell her to see a regular doctor, it will be cheaper but even a community clinic or a Planned Parenthood may be able to help. They will generally have a sliding scale and are skilled and reassuring in their assessment, believe me plenty of pregnant women have hemorrhoids/fissures and they see that area a lot. The health care provider can assess the area and see if the cause can be found, if not more tests can be ordered and a referral made to a specialist.

If she is having large amounts of dark blood, black or tarry, change in bowel habits (more often, different color, consistency, size like threadlike) or other symptoms such as bloating, abdominal distension or fever, she can go to the ER but really a gastroenterologist, proctologist (now called colorectal surgeon) or even a urologist would be her best bet since they all specialize in that general area and have knowledge of disorders that would cause her particular symptoms.

Answer 2

Much more than a visit to her regular doctor and much less than her life!

If she can get in, tell her to call her regular doctor and schedule an office visit. If the bleeding is bad, go to the ER and make arrangements for payment later. She will likely have to be examined which can cost $500 or more.

Answer 3

All I'm saying is read BabyRN's answer. It's spot on.

Bright red blood is almost never anything to worry about.
Black, tarry stool is something to see the doctor about, definitely.

As for the cost, it can be billed to her, but it will be expensive. She needs to weigh her options. If she truly thinks it's an emergency, the cost shouldn't matter.

Answer 4

Whatever the price she does need to see a doctor to get it checked out. Hopefully it will be just a case of haemorrhoids (piles)which can bleed profusely but are not so serious, or even a slight tear which can be repaired but it is very important she has it looked at. I hope she is ok.

Answer 5

Is the blood bright red or is her stool black? If it is red, she might have broken a small bloodvessel or has a hemorrhoid. If it was black then she could freak, tell her to be calm and go to ER tell them that she has no insurance and no money and they will take it from there. Its probably something simple and can be taking care off with suppositories or cream.

Answer 6

My father almost died from this. She needs to go as soon as possible. A trip would be about $500 for treatment, bed stay etc. For what she has, even more, but the good thing is that she doesn't have to pay up front. She can give them her information and they will bill her. Later, she can even talk to him about lowering the bill.

Answer 7

Tell her to go to the ER now.They will bill her.They can not make her pay upfront for a true emergency.