Man Receives $2,600 ER Bill, Wasn't Even Treated

A Charlotte man is furious after he received an emergency room bill for more than $2,600 -- and he didn't even get treated. Shyam Patil says after he was scratched by a cat in September, his doctor advised him to go to the ER for a rabies shot as a precaution. While he was in the waiting room, he looked up the price for rabies treatments and learned they could cost as much as $40,000, he says. When he asked how much his treatment would run, the staff was unable to provide him with an estimate, Patil says. So he left. "Sometimes ... it’s better to die if you have rabies then to incur this much debt," Patil says. After he discovered the cat belonged to his neighbor and was up-to-date on its rabies shots, Patil forgot the whole misadventure -- until he received a $2,600 bill from the hospital for a "level 3 emergency department visit." He says, "I was like, 'I didn’t even take the shot. What is this bill for?'" Responding to Patil's complaint, the hospital issued a statement that reads, "Patient out-of-pocket costs are often dependent on a number of factors, including co-pays and deductibles." What's the most outrageous medical bill you've received? What's the longest you've waited in an emergency room?