New
York Presbyterian Hospital: $13,095
Dr.
Yong Ho Auh, radiologist: $181
Dr.
Elisa Aponte, ER physician: $165
Total
payments: $13,441
For
whatever reason, Dr. Kumar's bill was sent to me separately. I received another bill today in the mail
stating that my account is past due and to avoid further collection activities,
to remit payment in full. Not to be a
b*tch, but if a doctor sees a patient in the emergency room, shouldn’t
his payment be part of that overall bill?
If not, shouldn’t he have asked me for my insurance information - like
any other doctor would before he saw me?
Why should my credit be at risk for this obnoxious doctor behavior? The only way for me to take care of this is
to call their toll free billing number and sit on hold to get it straightened
out. Grrrr….like I have time to fight
with the doctor over the bill while I am working 50+ hours a week and battling
cancer!
I
probably should not have been, but I was shocked by the cost of this emergency
room visit. Considering that I did not
even have a room, IV pole, nurse call button, privacy curtain, TV, pillow or
bathroom, I find this kind of pricey. On
top of that wonderful experience, I now have to deal with Dr. Kumar’s billing
issues.
Expecting quality treatment and ethical billing practices hardly makes you a b*tch. I hate to sound paranoid but, sometimes it feels like a racket. Like they want to make it hard for you to pay. I have similar experiences. On a side note, how do you have the energy for a 50 hour work week! I can barely get my kid to school some days. Wow. That's great that you can do it. I thought about a part time job but had a really bad week and that was that. ~ Hope you're feeling better, Ed
ReplyDeleteThat is odd. All the billings should be sent to your insurance company, since the payment will eventually come from them, or most of it. It could've been a mix up, unless it was for a separate consultation, which I don't think you had. Was this eventually sorted out? As for the emergency room fee, that is indeed quite pricey, given the accommodations you've described. Did they use any specialized equipment for your operation? Also, is it quite possible to ask as to why it is that high? Asking about these things isn't being rude or bitchy; you certainly have the right to know if the amount you paid is justified.
ReplyDeleteJason Hayes @ DECO Recovery Management
I think it was a mix up because when I called to get the bill submitted to my insurance company, they already had the information but had not submitted it. Once they did, it was paid by insurance and I think it is done. Regarding medical costs, I've asked my insurance company about pricing, not for this ER visit but for other procedures. I get very vague responses like costs are negotiated by procedure and facility so can vary widely. It would be so nice if medical costs were more transparent!
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