Rabies Vaccine Cost - Buyer Experiences and Price Information

I was bitten by a stray cat I was trying to catch. I was sure it didn't have rabies but the ER staff talked me into the rabies shots, never warning me of the cost, or mentioning that there has been no case of rabies in cats in TN for 35 years more. My insurance paid all but about $2,000, which I owe. I am shocked. Why do the shots cost so much, I really really want to know. And how can they charge me for ER care when they did absolutely nothing except glance at my bleeding hand (didn't touch me, didn't clean it, didn't apply medicine, nothing) and then give me some shots. All for $17,000+. Healthcare in this country is INSANE.

health department told me i needed to get rabies series. first visit to hospital. $40,826.59. just for the immune globulin, $37,942.13. hospital charged 8X what the health department charged for the remaining 3 shops. $2397.71 for the one from hospital. $335 each remaining from health department. im an unemployed college student, not sure where they expect me to come up with this insane amount of money.

Although there wasn't proof that we were bit by 2 different bats, my wife and I (at the strong encouragement from our 2 daughters, both Nurses), went to the ER for our vaccinations. At the initial visit, I received 6 shots and she got 4. We both had 3 shot subsequent to that. Grand total was nearly $15k, and insurance covered all of it.

Hi,
My son was scratched my a dog when we were overseas, so he got his 1st shot overseas for 40 $ (yes 40$). We travelled back to California and then for his next shot had to go to San Mateo Medical center. Guess what the next 3 shots were around 2300 $. really !!!!. I could have afforded an overseas trip and injections. This is shocking, blue shield California did not pay anything. We are from New Zealand and this vaccination is free...

I needed Rabies vaccine for working at a wildlife rehab center in Africa. I got the first dose and paid the 310 thinking it was for the three shots. Nope, It is that much each. This is insane. I am a veterinarian and we give Rabies shots to dogs for around $20 to the client. Also I was vaccinated against Rabies 20 years ago and did not pay this outrageous price. Is this big Pharma at work here because there is insurance? It does have to stop!

The bills first came to me, but were paid by county Health Department and Ins. The bill came to just under 30,000.00 for two people.

My daughter was scratched by a stray cat. She's away at college. She went to get rabies shots and the original bill was $14,411.50. Our insurance paid all but $1662. This is outrageous. She didn't need to see a surgeon or a specialist! No extra's or special attention. She was given an initial shot and then booster shots. How can anyone justify charging someone $14,411 for several shots. This has to be stopped. This is the problem with our country today. Do I have any legal recourse to not pay this bill? Anyone out there?

My husband and I woke up to find a bat crawling on our bare bodies, being chased by our cats. It escaped into a closet and we couldn't find it later. We both had to have PEP, at a cost of $21, 540 for the hospital ER treatment with HRIG and Rabavert vaccine. Each of the subsequent 3 rabies vaccinations had to be given at the hospital's infusion center at a cost of over $2200 for each one of us, every time - so, the total cost of this life-threatening escapade was over $48,000. Thankfully, our insurance paid almost all of this cost (after some wrangling), but this seems outrageously excessive for a a few shots. I guess they just expect people that can't afford decent insurance to either go bankrupt or die of rabies! Nice choice there, huh? There's just no way it costs the hospital that much to stock or give a few shots. This needs to be investigated!

In prep for a school trip to the philippines, my 8 year old was given typhoid and a 3-series rabies vaccines. It was 100% covered with our plan in Feb 2015.
The pulldown menu below will not let me choose 2015.

Got mauled by a cat that had run away from its owner. Owner wasn't available to get vaccination papers so emergency room doctor said I needed rabies treatment. Later found the owner and got proof of vaccination, so did not have the additional shots after the 1st round. The total above was for initial round of treatment. Insurance is refusing to pay. Still fighting this after a year and a half. Why are the costs so variable by facility and location? I think partly because I am being surcharged for all those who do not have insurance and are running to the emergency room for colds. Lots of those in New Haven. It's theft. Especially when my insurance won't pay and I am stuck with this outrageous bill!

I was bitten by a Pitt Bull used for fighting with no shot records of confirmed owner. It took 4 days for DHEC to contact and quarantine. By then I had been told to start the shots by Med Center. Emergency room was 250 each time and 1170. from pharmacy just for first shots and the one 3 days later.. then 2 bills for 550 each for the doc at ER that didn't even touch me.. DHEC said dog was ok before 3rd shot was due, so I only got the first 2 sets and globulin.. 5 years ago the SCHD used to give these for less than 300 for the set.. Greed is rampant.. and the doc's don't care about anything but profit.. will check the allowable wholesale cost..

Received the pre-exposure 3-shot series in anticipation of hiking trips in Peru, Kenya, and Tanzania. Each of the three shots was $325, plus some miscellaneous fees for a pre-insurance total of $1,155. My insurance covered 80%.

I brought a stray kitten into the home who had dormant rabies and began showing nervous system failure. No bites, I cleaned his eyes, and also allowed him to rest with me, but no open wounds exposed. He had been neutered at the vet and they did no notice symptoms. When we returned to the vet for nervous system failure he discovered a wound on the foot from before I found him, and vet became very concerned. Federal insurance covers me for series but uninsured roommates are looking at about $1,500 cost and booster for my other animals will cost $500. Why is there no safe and cheap rabies vaccination?

My cat was in a fight with some animal outside front door. Woke to cat scream. Found cat's back covered in saliva. Checked cats back for wounds by digging through thick, fluffy white hair. She was not bit. But my hands cleaned up saliva, dug for wounds. Realized after the fact potential risk. Do not recall if I had scratches, open skin in hands. Not worried about cat. Having post-exposure round of Ivomax vaccinations, no HRIG, per Category II on World Health Organization info. Result is expensive peace of mind. We have had skunks and raccoons at our house. Thinking if was a raccoon to leave that amount of saliva! Worth every penny for vaccination! Thanks Doc and clinic!

We just hit the preliminary bill before insurance. Insane! A bat crawled up my leg then I kicked it. Off. Couldn't tell whether I was bit or not. After hearing the costs and realizing the incidence of rabies deaths are so low, I should have taken my chances!!

Had a pack of dogs in my yard, one bit me. They were wild, no tag, no collar. Animal control did catch them but could not advise if I needed to get rabies vaccine and told me to see my doctor. I was advised by my doctor with the situation to start getting rabies vaccine. Hospital reduced the bill to 13,400 since I had no insurance. Absolutely absurd. Talk about feeling violated twice. Rabies will kill you either way.

Immunoglobulin and four Rabavert injections after injured kitten bit me slightly, died and the body was discarded before testing. KP did not charge me.

My wife got either a small bite or scratch from a bat she disturbed while cleaning weeds from underneath one of our Arizona Cypress trees. Called Dr. who said "we don't/can't administer a rabies series go to the ER". Initial treatment rabies, immune Globulin, less than 1 vial but 8 injections all around site and in both arms and thighs($26,000.00) rabies vacine ($3300.00 ea for initial and 3 subsequent shots) Miscellaneous other Dr and Er charges (3 doctors bill but newver saw a Dr.)for at grand total of over $42,000.00. That the hospital can bill with a straight face is hard to believe. This is nothing more than legalized extortion. Obama Care is going to fix all this, right? Yeah RIGHT!!!

I was attacked by a fox, not to be confused with a human female fox. I was walking my dog and it came from someplace and wanted a piece of me. I beat it away three times finally my dog chased it away. Thank god he was not hurt. I have to pay my 150.00 deductible for each visit. Didn't think 12 shots would cost that much.

BITTEN BY MY OWN CAT THAT DIED 2 DAYS LATER. RECEIVED HRIG SHOTS BEFORE RESULTS OF TEST ON CAT. INSURANCE PAID $11,365.33

I am currently undergoing the rabies vacc as I had contact (held, etc.) with a positive kitten. I called BC and BS (I am a federal employee) and she told me the shots would be covered, but I had to pay the ER co pay each time of $125. Does that sound right anyonw? I am retiring in 1 month and cannot afford a huge medical bill!

My daughter was scratched by a raccoon and went to the ER. This was the cost of the rabies shots that night. I was shocked. Blue Cross insurance adjusted it down by $1800. Still was unbelievably high. With other doctor charges, came to over $5000 out of pocket. For a couple of scratches.

My 23 year old uninsured son was 'exposed' to a bat on a university campus. He was not concerned--after all, I myself had caught (with gloved hands and cloth barrier) over a dozen bats in our home in central NJ over the years and never was harmed. I respect bats--they eat mosquitoes--and there hadn't been a human death from rabid bats in over 50 years in NJ.But my son's fiancee freaked out,so my son called me and asked if I would pay for his ER visit.How could I say no? To my shock, Princeton ER charge my son $9,000 for the rabies series, which I know for a fact only cost $400.00 max! Fortunately, the university agreed to cover it. I understand that the univ. lawyers ultimately refused to pay the outrageous $9,000 charge because it was unreasonable. BUT ORDINARY PEOPLE ARE STUCK WITH THESE BILLS. I WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK WITH IT!
Read Time Mag's Mar 04 2013 article, "Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us" by Steven Brill. We Americans have been betrayed by cruelly dishonest hospitals that file as 'non-profit' but are making HUGE profits, which they then use to pay hospital presidents huge salaries ($1 -$7 million/year) snd build huge medical complexes which look like Dubai. Yet they are not increasing life expectancies of Americans. This is money stolen from Americans who are ill and helpless in the face of our health institutions' outrageous, dishonest charges to patients and/or their insurance companies (and in the end, we all pay for these overcharges to insurance companies).

I was bitten by a stray kitten shortly before Christmas. Because we were not able to capture the kitten to quarantine it, I had to get the vaccines. I did not get the immunoglobulin shots as 48 hours had passed before seeking medical attention. I received a series of 4 shots between Dec 21 through Jan 4. Out of pocket expense was a $50 co-pay, but I just found out they billed my insurance over $35,000 for the shots.

I work with wildlife overseas but had to pay out of pocket. My Regular Dr wrote a script and I got it fromCVS

I am going to veterinary school in Saint Kitts this May. I am required to get the Rabies vaccine which is a set of 3 shots to total $800 and change. I do not have health insurance. I will be paying out of pocket for this expense. This is a VERY costly vaccine!!

Maxed out my out of pocket expenditure at $2,000, but Hosptial billed insurance company $14,624.03 (yes, that is the correct). This was for the first round of shots. There were three more rounds of shots, but did not pay for those since I had maxed out the out-of-pocket expense with the first round. Had to do same for wife and child, so multiply x 3.

My wife and two sons are going through the vaccine treatment now, it is based on weight for the shots the total above is the cost for all three one visit, and cost will be same each one. When you get shots you get first round, then you go back 3 days later from then, and again 7 days later, then 14 days later, and last 21 days later a total of getting shots five times over a period of time. I will say wife weighs 150 and for fast track care through er one shot trip 6,370.45 so you can see the cost is not cheap. Best wishes if you get it, and also to note they all say it burns from shots and makes area sore for few days.

vaccine cost for teen who was average weight - rec'd a total of 6 shots - insurance said the hospital charged more than 'allowable wholesale cost' of $2667 - hospital charged $5510 (this is JUST for the shots)

I have been bitten by a stray cat that cannot be identified/caught and the Gwinnett County GA Health Dept is recommending that I have Rabies shots. I am a federal retiree and have insurance which may help with the cost but would like to know what is the typical cost of vaccine in the Atlanta area? I am 76 but do not have medicare.