Is my eyeball going to fall out?

[ThelmaLou]

It might be an Ocular Migraine. No, there’s no headache involved in spite of the name. Here’s what the Mayo Clinic has to say about it:

Migraine aura involving your vision
In some cases, ocular migraine describes a migraine aura that involves your vision. Migraine auras include a variety of sensations — often visual, but which also may include other sensations, such as numbness — that precede or accompany a migraine. Aura can sometimes occur without an associated headache.

A migraine aura that affects your vision is common. Visual symptoms are short lasting. A migraine aura involving your vision will affect both eyes, and you may see:

Flashes of light
Zigzagging patterns
Blind spots
Shimmering spots or stars

These symptoms can temporarily interfere with certain activities such as reading or driving, but the condition usually isn’t considered serious.

I have this happen from time to time, the first time over 20 years ago. It can be triggered by stress. It’s not serious and doesn’t cause blindness. JMHO. Google the term for more info.

$45 for eye doc visit was dirt cheap. Also JMHO.

[Hokkaido_Brit]

That bill is horrific! Here in Japan, with the regular national health insurance, my son fell off his bike and broke his orbit a few years ago on a Sunday afternoon. A trip to the ER with a CT scan (he lost consciousness) and an eye exam and extensive cleaning and bandaging of his face, hands and legs including picking out gravel cost us about ¥5500 which is $55.

[elninost0rm]

@Terr

Ok, then, let’s try to figure out why ER visit costs so much more.

When you visit your doctor, the payment for your visit (collectively) has to cover the costs of the doctor, the receptionist and the nurse. It also has to cover the depreciation/maintenance of some fairly mundane/inexpensive medical equipment.

When you visit the ER, the payment for your visit (collectively) has to cover the costs of the doctor, the receptionist, the nurse, the phlebotomist, the X-ray technician, the radiologist, pathologist, lab technician, pharmacist and numerous others, and depreciation/maintenance of some very expensive medical equipment.

And no, you didn’t use that equipment and those services, but they are all there, on standby, in case you need them. And they have to be paid for, somehow.

Does this explain things better?

Cool, thanks man.

[Sticks_and_Scones]

Yes, I’ve sent it back already with my low income documentation. Usually it covers the ER visit, but I’m stuck with the doctor bill which is $400 of it.

I now have Medicaid so this won’t happen in the future. Still, I just looked at my statement from the ER doctors and I’ve accrued about $1200 worth that I’m very slowly paying off over the next bazillion years.

I’ve had ocular migraines and this isn’t anything like when I’ve experienced those before. Doesn’t matter what it is, I guess, as long as it’s harmless I suppose.

Oh, and the eye doctor bill was so low because he knew that I didn’t have insurance and he only charged me half price of a standard exam. Good guy.