How A Simple Test Led To A Financially Devastating Medical Bill

Is It Time For A Smartphone Detox?

Liz Moreno got a $17,850 bill for a urine test months after her back surgery. Her father, Paul Davis, a retired doctor from Ohio, settled with the lab company for $5,000 in order to protect his daughter's credit history.   Maddie McGarvey for NPR How A Urine Test After Back Surgery Triggered A $17,850 Bill The surgery Elizabeth Moreno had to relieve her chronic pain was a stunning success. But afterward she was stunned in a completely different way. She received a $17,850 bill for what had seemed like routine testing of a urine sample collected during a follow-up appointment with her doctor. Her insurer refused to pay because the lab was out of Moreno’s network. And, in any event, the insurer put only a $100 value on the lab work, which assessed her urine for drugs ranging from amphetamines to the opioid oxycodone. The story of what happened, reported in detail by our partner Kaiser Health News’ Fred Schulte, kicks off a project with NPR. We’re looking to investigate real-life medical bills each month. If you’d like to share your story for our consideration, you can do that here.   Ryan Johnson for NPR Smartphone Detox: How To Power Down In A Wired World What's that sound? My phone or yours? When we hear a ding, ring or ping alerting us to a new text, email or Facebook post, cells in our brains get excited. They release dopamine, one of the chemical transmitters in the brain that makes us feel pleasure. "That ping is telling us there is some type of reward there, waiting for us," David Greenfield, a psychologist and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut. And it can be very hard to say no to that kind of stimulation. If your phone seems to be in control of you rather than the other way around, there are some things you can do, NPR’s Michaeleen Doucleff and Allison Aubrey report. Turn off notifications, use an old-fashioned alarm clock in your bedroom and try turning your phone off one day a week. Sophie Sahara Barkham/courtesy Care+Wear Why Are Hospital Gowns Such A Drag? To know the "johnny," the traditional hospital gown that exposes your back, is to hate it. It’s awkward, flimsy and nobody looks good in one. So why after all these years and so many attempts at better designs hasn’t there been a change? "Hospitals are not designed for patients," says Dr. Bridget Duffy, who used to be the chief experience officer at the Cleveland Clinic. Another doctor tells NPR’s Andrew Limbong that he’d prefer it if all patients were naked because that would make his work easier. Naturally, most patients would like more than a shred of clothing and the diminished dignity that goes with it. Maybe someday. Your Shots editor, Scott Hensley You received this message because you're subscribed to our Health emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002