ER bills are insane!!! - Panic Disorders Message Board

munky · 01-31-2003, 06:09 PM

i went to the ER .. no ambulance.. dad took me.. few weeks ago for a panic attack..

all they did was have me sit there and wait like an hour before some yawning doctor talked to me for 5 minutes.. gave me a chest xray.. some ativan.. and i went home..

so today i get the bill.. $1186!!!

i had basic PPO insurance which sent me a letter saying they won't cover it .. cuz it only covers emergency and what not with i think 2500 deductable..

so now im like stuck with this $1186! that is crazy.. i can't understand how a xray and an hour in the ER sitting there can cost $1186

does anyone have any idea of anyway i can fight this bill? i have since switched my insurance to a HMO that covers a lot better but cost 150 a month..

what a bummer!!! sorry for the long whine..

health care in america is legal robbery!!

munky · 01-31-2003, 06:18 PM

sorry my mistake.. the letter i got was not from the hospital.. it was from blue cross telling me the hospital tried to claim $1186.. and that they won't cover it..

i havent gotten a hospital bill yet.. can someone confirm that if the hospital is unable to claim $1186.. the bill they evantually will send me will be less then $1186? seeing that they know i'll be paying cash for it ..

i never been to the ER before.. and hope someone here more experience with how they bill can tell me something..

thx!

[This message has been edited by munky (edited 01-31-2003).]

strk3 · 02-04-2003, 12:55 PM

You can contest the charges with your insurance company as well as the hospital. Your problem is that you have such a high deductible. However, I would contest it any way..in case it happens again you won't have to pay the whole amount again. An insurance co. cannot say its not an emergency. If you think you're having a heart attack or something, you should go to the ER. If your insurance company gives you a problem, send them a letter stating you'll take this matter up with the Department of Insurance in your state...I'm in Illinois...so its the Illinois Department of Insurance. Thats the last agency they want to deal with...kinda like an IRS for insurance companies...pain in the ***....you'll get a result...I've had to do it twice and its worked both times. Good luck!

strk3 · 02-04-2003, 12:58 PM

Hospitals often send bills to the insurance co. multiple times...sometimes they use incorrect codes and ins. cos. reject their requests for payment. In the end, they'll likely try to stick you with the balance. So, its not like it'll go away...unless you have a horseshoe in your butt...but if that were the case, you probably wouldn't be having panic attacks... lol....Good luck...

Rion · 02-04-2003, 01:44 PM

$2500 deductible! That is awfully high! The way deductibles work though, whether or not your insurance covers your visit is irrelevant, as you have to pay the first $2500 either way, and your bill is less than that. The charges will also, I'm sorry to say, be whatever they are trying to charge the ins. company. (network discounts are given before it even goes to the insurance company, not after it goes to the patient) I'm sure if you call the hospital though, they will understand you paying in installments... at least I would hope they would be, as long as you are making an effort.

Is it a 2500 per VISIT or per YEAR deductible? If it is per year, find out what your per visit is... because that is what you are responsible for.

Wish I had better news - good luck!

Rion