Quote:
Originally Posted by mtdjed
Or doesn't get involved. I used one of our urgent care facilities on a Sunday recently for sudden dizzyness and balance problems. I walked in waited 15 minutes and was taken into a room and was asked by the nurse what my problem was. Took my pulse and BP, checked my response to several simple head and eye movements. Nurse went and discussed with doctor and returned with script for Meclizine (which you can buy off the shelf). Total time less than 1/2 hour, never saw doctor. Advice was vertigo and go to see my doctor if it did not get better in a day or so.
Urgent care bill to Medicare was $2800, and Dr was $1300, Total was $4100+. Medicare authorized a total of $300 (Less than 8% of charge).
What happens to a person with no insurance? How is this type of billing tolerated? I know Medicare has payment codes for provider services, but such a difference leads to total mistrust of all involved.
Perhaps someone on this forum can help explain.
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Yup.
Dehydration caused fainting in the town square. Needed IV fluids, nothing else. Mandatory ambulance ride: $670. Two sets of chest x-rays because patient was stressed out (I mean who would NOT be stressed out after being transported to the ER?), 1.5 hours laying on a gurney watching TV with no visitors allowed, full CBCs, to get 2 bags of fluids that only took 1/2 hour to administer. Patient didn't know they could just refuse more service and walk out, the spouse was not permitted in to explain that to him.
Finally after 1.5 hours the spouse was able to flag down a medical employee to explain the situation, and was allowed in. Patient was angry, had wanted to go home an hour before, didn't want ANY of the tests he was told he HAD to take...
Nurse made nasty comments...
and the bill for THAT lovely service was $2000.
Oh that $600+ ambulance ride was one BLOCK away from the ER.
Insurance covered only part of the cost because UFHealth's free-standing emergency center was considered "out of network" and therefore not covered, so the payment to ambulance and UFHealth ended up being around $1800 total.