Responsible for ER copay if not seen?

[Lunachk]

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

I went to ER, spoke to receptionist, told her why I was there & sat in waiting room. Someone called me into a small room off the waiting area, asked why I was there, wrote it down (I don't recall any vitals being taken), and sent me back to waiting room. I was then called into another room next to the previous one where I signed insurance forms and provided my ins card. Someone walked in and made the comment "It's crazy back there!" I asked if it was going to be a long wait, they both said "Yes", so I told them I was leaving. As a courtesy I also told the receptionist I was leaving. Today I received a $60 bill which is my standard copay for an ER visit that shows my ins co already paid $1351.
The hospital claims I'm still responsible for this copay, even though I was not seen. They're claiming I was "triaged". I was never examined & never occupied a space in any of their ER "stalls". Am I still responsible for this? What exactly am I paying for? "Date of service" seems misleading since no actual service was provided.

 

[Silverplum]

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

I went to ER, spoke to receptionist, told her why I was there & sat in waiting room. Someone called me into a small room off the waiting area, asked why I was there, wrote it down (I don't recall any vitals being taken), and sent me back to waiting room. I was then called into another room next to the previous one where I signed insurance forms and provided my ins card. Someone walked in and made the comment "It's crazy back there!" I asked if it was going to be a long wait, they both said "Yes", so I told them I was leaving. As a courtesy I also told the receptionist I was leaving. Today I received a $60 bill which is my standard copay for an ER visit that shows my ins co already paid $1351.
The hospital claims I'm still responsible for this copay, even though I was not seen. They're claiming I was "triaged". I was never examined & never occupied a space in any of their ER "stalls". Am I still responsible for this? What exactly am I paying for? "Date of service" seems misleading since no actual service was provided.

You were triaged. Then you decided to leave. You owe the bill.

 

[cbg]

It was your choice to leave without service. You were triaged. You owe the copay.

 

[Lunachk]

It was your choice to leave without service. You were triaged. You owe the copay.

I'm sorry but that prompts me to ask what defines triage? Asking why I'm there? Taking vitals?

 

[cbg]

Triage is assessing your priority in regards to other patients whose needs may be more or less acute. The ER is not first come first served and if you were able to get up and leave without any medical detriment, it's questionable whether you should have been in the ER in the first place. You took the time of the person who assessed you, regardless of whether vitals were taken or not, and that is a service you received. You owe the copay.

 

[Proserpina]

I'm sorry but that prompts me to ask what defines triage? Asking why I'm there? Taking vitals?

tri·age

trēˈäZH,ˈtrēˌäZH/

noun

1.
(in medical use) the assignment of degrees of urgency to wounds or illnesses to decide the order of treatment of a large number of patients or casualties.

verb

1.
assign degrees of urgency to (wounded or ill patients).


Pay your bill. You're welcome.

 

[diamond20]

The meaning of "triage" has been already explained by previous poster. And clear answer was given as well, so there was no need for snarky comments

 

[Proserpina]

The meaning of "triage" has been already explained by previous poster. And clear answer was given as well, so there was no need for snarky comments

Aw bless your heart!

 

[ecmst12]

You are very lucky your insurance covered the bill and you're not being asked for the full amount.

I agree that if you could just get up and leave, then you were not experiencing a medical emergency, and you should have seen your PCP or gone to urgent care.

 

[LdiJ]

You are very lucky your insurance covered the bill and you're not being asked for the full amount.

I agree that if you could just get up and leave, then you were not experiencing a medical emergency, and you should have seen your PCP or gone to urgent care.

I am not picking on you in particular, but 1351.00 for a triage is outrageous, and if no vitals were taken it wasn't even a real triage. I have left hospitals in similar circumstances once for me and once for my daughter, and went elsewhere for care. For me it was an urgent care because I clearly needed stiches for a wound and I hoped that the urgent care could/would do it and they did once I explained to them the issue with the hospital (they didn't normally do that but could and chose to do so), and for my daughter it was to another hospital because she was 5 months pregnant and bleeding. I made sure in both instances that our insurance companies knew exactly what happened and the original hospital got paid nothing by our insurance and we never heard from them again.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

There are various levels of emergency room care. You would fall into the category of the lowest form of service, based on your story. It does not appear to affect your deductible and the hospital can get into a crap load of trouble for billing incorrectly, so it is doubtful they did.