I looked up the cost, and found out the household would be bankrupted by the shots and we would end up homeless. I calculated the danger from homelessness outweighed the risk of rabies. I guess the bet paid off, as we're now well past the 99th percentile of incubation period.
That's rough though, lucky you didn't get sick. It's not a choice I'd like to make.
"The Aguilars wound up paying $3,546.64 out of pocket. The insurance company told us Wednesday that they "are reaching out to NorthBay Healthcare... to address these excessive charges.""
The shot normally costs ~$600 USD. There is no way the insurance in the end will pay the $54k the hospital tried to get away with.
They did.
Just FYI, it's possible to get bit by a bat while sleeping and not realize it. Most bats are small and a bite mark may not be painful or immediately noticeable. There was a case in 2021 in Illinois of a man being bitten by a bat in his sleep; in his case, he realized he'd been bitten, but declined treatment (cost, probably...) and died of rabies a month later. Not a fun way to go.
I've heard the advice before to get a prophylactic rabies shot if you find a bat trapped in your house while you were sleeping. ...in civilized countries, anyway.
edit: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/06/02/4804145...