[christine J Toft]

I'd like input from anyone who has visited the Villages Hospital Urgent Care. I had a simple 5 minutes visit with a Nurse and was tested for a UTI. The total billing for this was $873. Medicare was billed for the facility and professional services a total of $546.90 (which was split exactly in half for each). There was a simple test at $12.60 and a second billing of $314 to Medicare for testing. Imagine how surprised I was to to see this. To say that these dollar amounts are outrageous, is an understatement. They advertise that they are here for the minor health issues we Villagers may have, when we can't see our regular physician. This billing practice not only gets them lots of revenue, but would also cause the patient to have two co-pays. I'm going to research these practices extensively. I would like to have input on what others may have experienced.

[villagetinker]

You may want you report this, now I am not sure the agency, but there have been several instances of instances of outrageous billing, and down right fraud. I would start with a call to Medicare, and go from there. What you are stating seems to be over the expected charges.
If you complain directly to the facility, you may get a refund or "correction", and they will continue their practices, complain to Medicare and they may need to explain their billing practices.
Hope this helps.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by christine J Toft

I'd like input from anyone who has visited the Villages Hospital Urgent Care. I had a simple 5 minutes visit with a Nurse and was tested for a UTI. The total billing for this was $873. Medicare was billed for the facility and professional services a total of $546.90 (which was split exactly in half for each). There was a simple test at $12.60 and a second billing of $314 to Medicare for testing. Imagine how surprised I was to to see this. To say that these dollar amounts are outrageous, is an understatement. They advertise that they are here for the minor health issues we Villagers may have, when we can't see our regular physician. This billing practice not only gets them lots of revenue, but would also cause the patient to have two co-pays. I'm going to research these practices extensively. I would like to have input on what others may have experienced.

There are people who check your billing for you fix it and charge a % of the refund. I would help you out, but my time is thin right now. Ask for full itemized statement, check to see if there is any double billing, sometimes you can be billed for multiple tests, and really they ran a smack, and billed for that too.

[christine J Toft]

So in a nut shell, if you go to an Urgent Care in a hospital or other facility you will most likely have two co-pays. One for the physician and one for the facility. Medicare allows this. When I had BCBS as insurance, the billing there was for one visit and much less. When Medicare is involved, bill to the max apparently is the norm. It's a shame. I thought the Villages Urgent Care would be the best bet. Now, it's not an option.

[NYGUY]

My wife went to The Villages Urgent Care once for cyst issue (which they lanced). Spent about an hour and she was billed $75, which was the amount of her insurances urgent care copay.

[alwann]

You got off easy.

The entire system of Medicare, health insurance and costs for treatment is a bigger mystery than black holes in space, as far as I’m concerned.

It‘s like an episode of “Get Smart.” Would You Believe…?
Hospital: “Our cost for this is $25,000.” Medicare: “We’ll pay only 50 percent.” Hospital: “Okay but, uh, actually our costs are $50,000.” Medicare: “Okay.”

My spouse and I both recently had outpatient surgery procedures. Neither one of us was in the hospital for more than four hours. Each our bills for the procedures was nearly $30,000. The surgeons’ share was in the $2,500 range. One would think a highly trained medical professional, like a surgeon, would get more. But, no, the big money went for use of the operating room, bandages, recovery room, oxygen, anesthesia and other incidentals. No fewer than three anesthetists came in, each repeating the same questions, and getting their tickets punched. Thank goodness insurance covered everything but the co-pays. And my point is, if the costs were true and reasonable, I might not even need expensive health insurance. Oh, right. The law says I do.

[thelegges]

Originally Posted by alwann

You got off easy.

The entire system of Medicare, health insurance and costs for treatment is a bigger mystery than black holes in space, as far as I’m concerned.

It‘s like an episode of “Get Smart.” Would You Believe…?
Hospital: “Our cost for this is $25,000.” Medicare: “We’ll pay only 50 percent.” Hospital: “Okay but, uh, actually our costs are $50,000.” Medicare: “Okay.”

My spouse and I both recently had outpatient surgery procedures. Neither one of us was in the hospital for more than four hours. Each our bills for the procedures was nearly $30,000. The surgeons’ share was in the $2,500 range. One would think a highly trained medical professional, like a surgeon, would get more. But, no, the big money went for use of the operating room, bandages, recovery room, oxygen, anesthesia and other incidentals. No fewer than three anesthetists came in, each repeating the same questions, and getting their tickets punched. Thank goodness insurance covered everything but the co-pays. And my point is, if the costs were true and reasonable, I might not even need expensive health insurance. Oh, right. The law says I do.

You would be seen by a anesthesiologist (MDA) and maybe a anesthetist (CRNA) if hospital uses them, or a anesthesia resident. Your OR time is by the minute, anesthesia time is at induction, either by drugs or intubation, until you leave room. If you are just a procedure most of the time there is set charges, unless your procedure turns into a surgery then the fun begins.

[cologal]

I was in 1 ER, 2 hospitals and had a total reverse shoulder replacement the bill was very large to say the least.

But I paid $0.00 thanks to my healthcare coverage.

One thing I do is check the EOB's for how much my insurance actually pays after Medicare.