First Choice Emergency Room (Texas Health EmergencyOom) for my daughter on a Sunday. My daughter had a reaction to something she ate or toughed we are not sure but her face was swollen. We knew she needed a steroid that would address the reaction. Texas Health was a new location I had driven by several time and since our doctor was off on Sunday, I though let’s give this new business our business instead of going to care now down the street. We took her there thinking this was a miner event with standard charges. Since we are never in the need for medical services, we were unaware that by stating that they are an emergency room they could blatantly over charge.
We filled out the standard forms and sent back to a room. A doctor saw us within ten minutes who stated she had a reaction to something she ate or encountered (yes we knew this already). The doctor prescribed steroid tablets. Total time at the location was 50 minutes. We are not charged and told that they would charge our insurance company.
Four weeks later, we get the bills that went to the insurance for service without x-rays, blood work or any other services. IT was a simply exam and prescription.
Texas Medical cost $2818 for the hospital use and ROOM Charges.
Doctor cost for seeing our daughter for 5 minutes $668. The math that is over $7000 an hour ouch?
Total charges for 50 minutes at this location $3486.
THE Big Kicker the service it was a waste of time. The doctor prescribed steroid to cure a cold not reduce the swelling.
On Monday there was no change and she had missed school. We went to our dermatologist who said the steroids the doctor at First Choice was incorrect to attack the cause of the inflammation or swelling and she gave her the correct medicine that eliminated the swelling with in hours. The cost for the appointment $92.
Now we are responsible to pay for service that did not work. After insurance adjustments, the charges we are responsible for are $543.32 for the hospital and $71.96 for the doctor.
This abuse to an unregulated system for any minor emergency clinic (that states Emergency ROom can get away with OVER BILLING practices needs to STOP!
Because you call yourself, an emergency room does not mean you have to take advantage and steal every dollar possible from everyday folks that walk through your doors trusting that you are honest and fair.
What happen to being Ethical?
John
Arlington, Texas