Why Cedar Rapids hospital is so profitable

Recently, one of Cedar Rapids' two hospitals was deemed the fourth most-profitable hospital in the nation by Forbes magazine. I am partly responsible for this.

I recently was an emergency room patient due to a cut on my finger. I was administered to by a physician assistant. No doctor or nurse was involved. I received three stitches and a tetanus shot. The bill that the hospital turned in to my insurance company was for $1,716.

When I questioned the amount, the spokesperson for the hospital put the blame on the insurance company and said that they charge what the insurance company will allow.

I was billed for seeing a certified doctor and my procedure was reported as a major trauma. Perhaps next year, St. Luke's Hospital will gain the title of the nation's most profitable hospital. An honor worthy of putting on their advertising billboards across town.

Dan Doyle

Cedar Rapids