Being the patient or attendant, when it comes to paying the bill at an emergency room, it is advisable to question anything and everything which you are not able to understand. There are no hard figures, but sometimes due to negligence and technical glitches, there might be errors in the medical bills.
At Hope ER, an emergency treatment center in Lufkin, we understand that some patients may find the billing process confusing or overwhelming. To serve you better, we make the billing process simple and transparent. Therefore, we bring you the best tips to help you understand your ER bill.
- Keep Track of Things – Whether it is a short visit to the ER or something wherein you got your laboratory tests done, keep a record of everything. Ensure that you record even minor details such as discharge and admission times, the test and its nature, any medication, and much more. Even the tiny little-scribbled notes are more than enough to help you understand the bills later on.
- Check the Dates & Times – It is recommended to compare the room and board charges on the bill against the admission and discharge time. There are some private insurance companies which do not allow emergency rooms to charge patients on the day of discharge. Check this with your insurance company. If the charges for lab tests, CT scan and ultrasound tests have been included, then compare them with what is mentioned in your insurance records.
- Check For Duplication / Services Not Offered – When the detailed bill is produced to you for payment or signature, go through it thoroughly. Check that you are not charged for one test more than once. In some cases, you may even be charged for more medication that has not been offered. Humans are prone to error, so there might be errors during billing process. Check the notes from the doctor against the bill to ensure you do not end up burning a hole in your pocket.
- Look For Brand Name Drugs – If there is any medication in the bill which carries a high brand name, you can question the staff whether it was necessary or not. You should also question whether there are cheaper generic drugs that the hospital could have offered you. If the doctor suggests the generic drug but ER offers brand name drug, the patient should not be charged for the extra amount.
- Check Codes on the Bills – For billing as well as insurance services, each ER has a specific code. Slight variations in the code can indicate a more serious condition that requires more money. Therefore, it is vital that you check the codes in the doctor’s orders against the codes in the medical bill. If the codes do not match, you should ask for detailed responses from the ER where you are receiving treatment.
At Hope ER, we cover most United Health Care, Cigna, Aetna and other private insurance plans. However, we do not accept Medicare and Medicaid coverage plans. As an alternative, we accept only private insurance and cash. We always ensure that our patients receive the proper bills.
We at our emergency treatment center in Lufkin always aim to provide quality medical care at affordable price so that your ER bill does not burn a hole in your pocket. We always strive to make you physically and financially healthy.