[Jeff & Judy]

I'd like to help others avoid the issues (mostly costs) that I had.

If you're thinking this new facility is for Urgent Care - think again. It is a true Emergency Room and it will cost you MUCH MUCH MUCH (did I say MUCH?) MORE than an Urgent Care center. If you are having life threating injuries and it's the closest place - sure, go there. The facility was very nice, the people were friendly and seemed to know their business - but the costs - I can only say, it's one of the contributing reason our insurance rates are so high. Read on if you'd like to see the details and what Florida Blue had to say.

I recently cut open the tip of my pointer finger and had some difficulty getting the bleeding to stop after about 20 minutes, so I thought maybe I better go somewhere in case I needed stitches, or whatever. Had seen the new HCA Florida Ocala Hospital building near Lowes on 466A - so off I went. As it turns out, all the doctor did was "super glue" the cut, no stitches or butterflies - in/out in under an hour with most time doing administrative things. Now I'm getting the bills! In rough numbers, they billed Florida Blue $5400 for the use of the "facility". Luckily Florida Blue had a pre-negotiated rate of $2200 - which basically I had to pay $1400 of because I hadn't yet reached my deductible. Then I received the doctors bill for another $2800 which insurance covered $2700 of. What was very interesting is that my cut was billed as a Level 5 Service (1 being the most minor and 5 being worst). If my cut finger (only needing super glue is a Level 5, what the heck is level 1 - "thinking about getting hurt next week"?). I have challenged the Level 5 rating and am awaiting HCAs response. I fully realize that it won't make any difference for the $100 I had pay in this case (luckily the first bill took me to my deductible limit), but because it's the right thing to do and one of the reasons I'm sure our insurance rates are so high!

I called Florida Blue to let them know that I think that they and I were being scammed (insert your own descriptor here) for $5000 (or $8200 if the facility usage hadn't been pre-negotiated). The agent was appreciative and understood that I was trying to save them money, but said that it's all up to how the doctor classifies the injury and so they simply accept the categorization. He then informed me that the next time I have a medical injury like this, DO NOT go to an Emergency Facility, but rather find a place that is listed as an Urgent Care Facility. This will result in much less costs - lesson learned (plus I hope to not cut my finger again).