Have you ever heard of public school nurses billing your insurance for their services? Is this even possible?
I think this is crazy. I recently stumbled across a mom on the Cafemom boards that said her school’s nurse sent her a bill for treating her child.
What?!
Aren't school nurses paid for performing such services? If I am going to be charged $220 for ice to be put on a school yard boo-boo wouldn't I be better off just taking my kid to a real doctor? Or better yet, shouldn't I just pick my child up and take them home and ice it myself?
I wonder if parents can opt out? Can you send in a note stating, “In the case that my child has a slip and fall or a tummy ache or an itchy head, please call me before treating my child. But if she's bleeding out, an alien is ripping through her stomach, she’s not breathing or her arm is falling off, please go ahead and administer life-saving measures."
I could completely understand if there was a medical center with doctors and Physicians Assistants and RNs available with working labs and x-rays, full on hospital capabilities, should the need arise. That would be pretty freaking sweet. I’d let them bill my insurance because it would be the same as taking my child to the doctor’s office minus the drive time, gas money and scheduling issues. That would be awesome.
But to pay a school nurse to ice my kids knee, Band-Aid a booboo or let them lie down because their tummy hurts is bullshit that I don’t want to try to explain it to my insurance company. Am I right?
Parents get in trouble if their kid stays home too much because they are ill and they are taking care of their little ones. But if you send your sick child to school and they go to the nurse you run the risk of being given an outrageous bill by the school. I think it's billable to the insurance but what about kids whose parents don’t have insurance? Are wages garnished? Are kids punished?
Have you ever heard of public school nurses billing your insurance for services provided?
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Comments 25
My children were in a private school, where a school nurse was not on full time staff. The school is required to pay the county and a nurse comes in i believe once every other week. The sole purpose of her being there, record keeping. She will not even take care of "sick" or injured child.
we've had to give the school board our son's insurance info.
- JandBmom08
New Member on Sep. 3, 2012 at 2:43 PMI know, I know. It is happening throughout all of the Round Rock (Texas) districts. It is insane
realllllly it is? funnnnnnny. I have two kids in this school system and Nooooo it is not.
I guess I am left wondering why we didn't get more information. I think its a bunch of crap but how many schools are doing it? When did this start happening? Is it happening in private or public schools? How much was the charge? I am assuming(I am hoping you are anyway) you were joking about a bill for two hundred to ice a knee. I would love it if people that commented could let us know if this is something they have heard about or experienced. My son starts kindergarten next year, I guess I will add this to my list of questions for the school.
It is not happening. Some crazy woman wanted attention and posted crap on a message board and then a blogger irresponsibly decided to make it seem like news!
I don't know about private insurance, but our local elementary bills medicaid for school nurse service. I know this because my aunt is a teacher at the local school.