Parents Negotiating ER bills?

[Midwestmommy]

I agree with SG1B, if at all possible I wait for ortho stuff to go right into the walk-in orthopedic sports clinic, which has extended hours and does not bill it as ER or urgent care... Most xrays (particularly for athletes such as a gymast) and injuries should be looked at by an orthop specialist, so the whole ER visit thing is kind of a waste of time unless it's really urgent (for example a displaced broken arm etc where you need it propertly dealth with right away to avoid further damage to nerves, blood flow etc)...

 

[Midwestmommy]

PS I qualify that last post by saying I am not a doctor and not qualified to give medical advice!!

 

[mommyof1]

That sounds awfully high, even for an er visit. I would be checking to be sure you are actually responsible for all of that. Have you gotten a finalized bill from the hospital or an EOB from the insurance company? If not, I would wait for that first. I would ask for an itemized bill and go from there. If your insurance had this hospital as in network, then there is no way it should be this expensive. If it was out of network, it still seems really high for just an xray and splint.

Yes--the EOB and the itemized hospital bill are the critical pieces of information here. The EOB will tell you whether the hospital is in network or out of network, how much the hospital billed for each line item, the negotiated charge, how much the insurance company paid, and how much is left for you to pay. You may be able to download the EOB from the insurance company's website even if they haven't mailed it yet.

 

[sleeping judy]

Yes, my dh said the same thing "Oh, just buddy tape it" which is essentially what they did in the E.R. Then, I almost fell off my chair when I took her to the ortho and he said surgery because it was on the growth plate. I wish I would have just waited for the ortho as visit.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Ours pays out regardless of out of pocket costs or health coverage. If health insurance pays 100%, I still get a check from the accident insurance. I sometimes like to joke with DD that I made money on her elbow break.

Aflac...quack, quack, quack.

 

[flippin out]

Aflac...quack, quack, quack.

That's what we use....it has more than paid for itself.

 

[gymgal]

I am surprised that these policies do not have exclusions for certain sports like competitive gymnastics.

I am glad some people have gotten their money out of it but I know we have not had nearly enough injuries for all the kids combined to make it worth the premium cost. And would think most families are in the same position.

 

[skschlag]

We just got D's ER bill for his visit for stitches. Total was almost 1500, but we only pay 100. I will take that.

 

[GymCMLA]

the hospital in our town gives a 30% discount for paying in full. We have a high deductible plan. I call and pay over the phone with my HSA card and if I pay in full they discount it. It's worth a try.