Tuesday, May 25, 2010 6:19:30 AM
Antivenin goes for around 3500-6000 USD for one 10 ml vial. A full bite like that (puncture indicates full bite) and taking into account she is a full grown adult, I would say she probably took 150-200 ml of antivenin alone. Factor in her stay in ICU, $140,000 is quite cheap actually. She's superlucky she got bit on the hand and not higher up closer to her heart and brain.
Antivenin is venom extracted from the snake and then injected into a Horse, sheep, goat, pig...etc. Those animals usually have a built up immunity, so once they have enough of the antibodies built up, it is extracted and that is what you get in the vial. All that work explains the cost and why people risk their lives extracting the venom to begin with.
A broken leg in the US costs about $40,000 on average. Argue about the merits of the system all you want, it is what it is right now so...GET INSURED!