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Originally Posted by jnieman
For me most recently it was an anesthesologist at the Santa Fe Surgery Center. It also happened to me a couple of years ago at The Villages Hospital. I don't have records of their names. I would have to pull out tax records and sort through bills. The one at Villages hospital was an emergency room doctor.
When I confronted the Santa Fe Surgery center about it they took my name, contacted the doctor then called me back and said to pay the amount Blue Cross paid me and it would be settled. In some cases they will bill you just to see if you will pay it. To me that is preying on seniors. That was not the case for the emergency room visit. It cost me around $600 for that. I had read something recently that this happens across the country at hospitals and that some states are making laws that they can no longer bill you more than what the insurance pays when the doctors are out of network practicing in in-network hospitals. Not sure if Florida has joined those states as of yet.
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Thanks. I agree that this is preying on seniors. But, I did call The Villages Hospital billing department and they told me that, if you have a scheduled surgery or procedure, you can tell them that you only want to be treated by in-network providers and they will comply. They also said that they do have some out-of-network doctors working in the emergency room, but that it would be extremely rare that they would charge more than the FEP Blue Cross plan because the plan is so highly popular and well recognized. But, personally, unlike some people, I am not at all hesitant about discussing insurance coverage and costs with anyone who is treating me or providing any kind of medical service.