A San Diego man who was nearly killed while trying to take a selfie with a rattlesnake racked up a killer $153,000 hospital bill instead.

By far the largest bite listed on the itemized bill is $83,341.25 for “pharmacy.” That’s because Fassler’s lifesaving treatment depleted the anti-venom supplies at two local hospitals, KGTV reported.

It’s not clear whether Fassler has insurance — and whether these are dollar amounts that he will in fact have to pay out of pocket. But the confusion over health-care pricing is common for Americans who receive bills and can’t be sure where the numbers come from.

There’s currently only one commercially available anti-venom for treating venomous snakebites in the United States — CroFab, manufactured by U.K.-based BTG. And with a stable market of 7,000 to 8,000 snakebite victims per year and no competitors, business is pretty good. BTG’s latest annual report shows CroFab sales topped out at close $98 million dollars last fiscal year.

The antivenin costs hospitals roughly $2,300 per vial, with a typical dose requiring four to six vials. In some cases multiple doses are needed, according to CroFab’s promotional Web site. Fassler required multiple dosings over a five day period. (Read more from “Dude’s Rattlesnake Selfie Ends With $153,000 Bill” HERE)

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