“It's really tender right there,” said Matt McMillan, who pointed to his ankle that is still swollen almost two weeks after he was bit by a copperhead snake.

It happened while he was camping out at Fall River Lake.

McMillan says the experience is beyond word, “it was the worst pain I’d ever felt. I've been stung by bumblebees if you’ve ever been bit the stinging and burning is similar but 5 times worse.” 

But now that the pain of the snake's bite has faded McMillan is feeling the sting of all the medical bills.

That includes being flown to Via Christi Hospital in Wichita. He says it wasn’t a cheap flight, “that was $47,600 for that 30-minute ride. To me that's a lot of money.”

The other stinging expense, the antivenom itself. He said, “the snake antivenom is the costly part. I guess that is $20-$30,000 a vial and I had four.”

Dr. Li Jia with Via Christi Hospital says it's rare to treat snake bites. He says CroFab is one of the leading antivenoms available but it's costly

Dr.Jia said, “I don't know the exact price but it's very expensive.”

Other factors that might drive the prices for antivenom is that it’s expensive to make and it's not a treatment needed frequently.

While McMillan is lucky his insurance will cover a chunk of the bills. Without insurance would have been a different story, he could potentially pay $150 to $200,000 in bills.

He said, “that's like buying a real nice home and not getting to live in it.”

McMillan says you won't find him at the lake anytime soon after this experience. He says, “I would personally stay out of Fall River, especially White Hall Bay area. If you are there at night have a flashlight and don’t wear sandals or flip-flops.”