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If a copperhead snake sinks its teeth into you, the venom might not be the only thing to worry about. The medical bill that follows could leave your finances gasping for air.
That’s the reality one woman on TikTok shared after a run-in with a copperhead on her farm.
Copperhead Snake Gets North Carolina Woman’s Toes
In a viral TikTok video with more than 624,700 views, creator @osunaomg films herself from a hospital bed, trying to make sense of the situation she found herself in.
“Can I make this s— up? Why did I just get bit by a copperhead?” she says, before flipping the camera to show two distinct bite marks—one on each of her smallest toes.
She then moves on to the next shock: the price of the antivenom.
“And why is the antidote, how much now?” she asks someone off-camera. “$200,000.”
“The doctor says it’s really expensive so…” she trails off.
So How Did The Snake Get Her?
In a follow-up video, she explains that the bite happened while she was cleaning a garden on her family’s farm.
The snake had been hiding beneath her parked car near the garden. She didn’t see it until it struck.
She also noted that snake sightings have become more common in her area recently.
“I’ve been born and raised on this farm my whole life,” she said. “This past year, these past two years, they’ve been bad. … They’ve been just popping out of the woodwork.”
Why Does Antivenom Cost So Much?
The TikToker is not the first person to be hit with the harsh reality of snakebite medical costs in the U.S. In 2022, a person was hit with a $244,995 bill after being bitten by a rattlesnake while on a hike. And then A toddler in San Diego was bitten by a snake, and his family received a $297,461 medical bill for his treatment. The majority of the total—$213,278.80—was the cost of the antivenom.
Copperheads are the most widespread venomous snakes in North Carolina, and hospitals in the region are usually equipped with the right antivenom.
For copperhead bites, there are two options on the market: CroFab and Anavip, both approved by the FDA.
NPR reported in 2019 that CroFab’s manufacturer—then BTG, now owned by SERB—quadrupled the price after launching the drug in the U.S. in 2000. The price hike stuck even after competitors such as Anavip entered the market.
Wholesale pricing is around $3,342 per vial for CroFab and $1,282 for Anavip. But one treatment requires multiple vials—usually six vials for CroFab ($20,052 total) or 10 vials for Anavip ($12,820 total).
That’s still a lot. But nowhere near $200,000.
So Where Does The Markup Come From?
Here’s where it gets messy. According to reporting by the Washington Post, less than 1% of the cost comes from producing the antivenom itself. The rest is piled on from licensing fees, FDA requirements, hospital markups, and distributor costs.
Their analysis broke it down like this: 27.7% goes to admin and regulatory stuff, 2.1% to trials, and 70.1% is hospital markup—which then gets knocked down through insurer discounts.
What Does A Patient Actually Pay?
That depends entirely on their insurance plan.
In the case of @osunaomg, she later clarified in the comments that her insurance would’ve covered 70% of the antivenom cost if she had needed it.
Luckily, she didn’t.
In the comments, she said the bite turned out to be dry, meaning the snake didn’t inject venom—something that happens in a good percentage of copperhead bites. No venom, no antivenom, no being out $200,000.
Outraged By The Price
People in the comments were outraged at the cost of life-saving medical care in the U.S.
“Our healthcare is a literal crime scene,” one said.
“Why is everything life saving so expensive,” another questioned.
“Straight to collections,” a third person said.
“So copperhead = RUINED CREDIT,” a fourth added.
Someone else suggested a different route. They said, “Should have gone to the vet! My vet keeps antivenom in stock… was $250 when my dog got bit. He told us if we ever got bit to call him.”
Another wrote, “$200,000 is CRIMINAL… Glad you survived.”
BroBible has reached out to @osunaomg via TikTok direct message for more information.