Disputing an Emergency Room charge.

[evenedd]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

My wife and daughter came in to see me after recovering from surgery. As we were talking, my daughter caught sight of the catheter bag that had some blood in it and fainted.

The nurses insisted on taking her to the ER to be checked out. Both my wife and I responded that she would be ok, she's just a bit squeemish and needed a few minutes.

The nurses and doctors wouldn't hear of it and brought over a gurney saying she needed to be looked at.

My wife was torn between going with our daughter and staying with me but went ahead and followed her. They took my daughter in, shoved some papers at her telling her to sign (she is 20), and made her sit for about 20 min.

When the doctor came in, he asked why she was there and my daughter said she didn't know. My wife explained what happened and the doctor looked at my daughter briefly and released her.

Outside my wife checked my daughter and felt a bump on her head so went and asked for some ice.

My daughter just got the bill - $3,154! Is there any way to dispute that?

 

[Proserpina]

Your daughter lost consciousness and could have - feasibly - sustained a head injury following that LOC.

What would you have preferred to have happened?

 

[evenedd]

I would have preferred the nurses to listen to us. I would have preferred that someone examining her would have noticed the bump on her head and said she should probably have some ice. I would have preferred them not to shove papers in her face at a time when she was worried about me and not quite sure what was going on. I would have preferred that someone say, "Oh by the way we are going to charge you $3100 for just looking at you is that ok?"

Please, if you are going to respond, could you respond with something helpful? Thanks anyway Proserpina.

 

[sandyclaus]

Let me see...

Time? 20 minutes.
Cost? $3,100
Knowing for sure that your daughter didn't suffer a concussion, skull fracture, or other life threatening injury as a result of her fall? PRICELESS.

Sometimes mom's DON'T know best. What would you have done if you took her home, and she ended up with brain damage from the fall - or worse?

All this bitching and moaning - isn't your daughter's health worth it???

 

[Proserpina]

Let me see...

Time? 20 minutes.
Cost? $3,100
Knowing for sure that your daughter didn't suffer a concussion, skull fracture, or other life threatening injury as a result of her fall? PRICELESS.

Sometimes mom's DON'T know best. What would you have done if you took her home, and she ended up with brain damage from the fall - or worse?

All this bitching and moaning - isn't your daughter's health worth it???

Natasha Richardson thought she knew best, too


Liam and their children would probably disagree.

 

[ecmst12]

Her insurance should cover the visit of course.

 

[sandyclaus]

Her insurance should cover the visit of course.

That's assuming that the adult daughter has health insurance coverage. If she's a student, she might not. Or she might still have it under mom's policy if mom is covered. Or not.

 

[Zigner]

Well, she WOULD be covered through age 25 if the parents did things right.

 

[startedone]

ERs are great for heart attacks, gun shots, broken bones, severe cuts, stuff sticking out of your body, of for fevers of above 105 for small children and 103 for older people, people in very severe localized pain, and people throwing up after a head injury.

For all others ERs don't do a "good" job .. a local smaller urgent care center is best or your GP.

I wonder how long the 20yr old waited? Only 20 minutes?... I have seen guys with broken legs waiting longer.

If a concussion was a concern an ordinary person can decide if the need an ER visit. Vision OK? Throwing up? etc...lots of signs of the need to go to an ER. Without these symptoms the ER will just say "go see your GP or come back in if the symptoms get worse"

One can refuse treatment .. your daughter did not .. now you have a 3K bill.

If anything on the billing is inaccurate you can argue against it but the OP is silent on this.

 

[ecmst12]

Kids can be covered through age 26 on their parents policies regardless of student status.

The ER is an appropriate place to go for a head injury.

 

[Zigner]

Kids can be covered through age 26 on their parents policies regardless of student status.

The ER is an appropriate place to go for a head injury.

Sure, it's just semantics...but it's actually "to" age 26. "Through" age 25.

 

[You Are Guilty]

Unless the nurses/doctors handcuffed your daughter or dragged her into the ER by her hair, I am pretty sure she went voluntarily, which means she is liable for the charges. However, there are a number of threads devoted to tips for negotiating with a hospital to get them to reduce their charges. You can find them with the "search" button up on top of the page.

 

[xylene]

The charges are absurd.

Your daughter has a right to an itemized bill and should demand one.

 

[ecmst12]

That doesn't sound outrageous for emergency services at all. Of course we don't know what exactly was done.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

"My daughter just got the bill - $3,154! Is there any way to dispute that?"

Yes, your daughter can dispute the amount of the bill if she believes she was charged for services not received or over charged.. Were these charges itemized? If so, she can address those on a individual basis starting with the billing department of the hospital.

Since you were still in recovery after your surgery, you were not privy to what actually took place in the ER.

Gail