Our baby was forced to medical examination we never asked for, and got a huge bill

[adlo]

Hi, I will appreciaty any kind of advice. We are Europeans. My wife got into trouble in the US. Here is the story.

My wife and 2 yo daughter Lila are on a trip to Chicago. One night my wife was out visiting her cousin, leaving Lila with grandma and brother. Lila had fish for dinner and started crying. Granny and brother got worried and took her to a hospital. They x-rayed Lila and left them waiting.

Around 3pm Lila was calmly sleeping and they wanted to leave. Hospital staff came and threatened to call social security because the child "wasn't theirs". They were forced to stay, Lila had other numerous examinations done in the morning. She was fine, just missed her mother. She received no treatment.

Now, the trouble is the bill. It's $6000 which is insane. It is written in my wife's name but the address is her brother's who lives in Chicago.

So now I guess I have two questions:

1) Is it OK that the hospital forced them to stay against their will, examined our daughter against their will, and then charged us for the examination that we never asked for? Lila was in no imminent danger, she was fine all along, just crying at the beginning.

2) What happens if we don't pay the bill? My wife returns back to Europe in a few days. Can the hospital claim anything from her brother? The bill is in my wife's name but with her brother's address. My wife doesn't live at the address, she has no property there. It's basically a random address.

 

[LdiJ]

Hi, I will appreciaty any kind of advice. We are Europeans. My wife got into trouble in the US. Here is the story.

My wife and 2 yo daughter Lila are on a trip to Chicago. One night my wife was out visiting her cousin, leaving Lila with grandma and brother. Lila had fish for dinner and started crying. Granny and brother got worried and took her to a hospital. They x-rayed Lila and left them waiting.

Around 3pm Lila was calmly sleeping and they wanted to leave. Hospital staff came and threatened to call social security because the child "wasn't theirs". They were forced to stay, Lila had other numerous examinations done in the morning. She was fine, just missed her mother. She received no treatment.

Now, the trouble is the bill. It's $6000 which is insane. It is written in my wife's name but the address is her brother's who lives in Chicago.

So now I guess I have two questions:

1) Is it OK that the hospital forced them to stay against their will, examined our daughter against their will, and then charged us for the examination that we never asked for? Lila was in no imminent danger, she was fine all along, just crying at the beginning.

2) What happens if we don't pay the bill? My wife returns back to Europe in a few days. Can the hospital claim anything from her brother? The bill is in my wife's name but with her brother's address. My wife doesn't live at the address, she has no property there. It's basically a random address.

Unfortunately emergency rooms in US hospitals are very expensive. Your wife's brother will not be responsible for the bill unless he signed paperwork at the hospital accepting responsibility (its possible that happened). The hospital will eventually send it to collections and collection agency may or may not go after your wife in your country, eventually. If her brother did sign accepting responsibility they will go after him. If grandma was the one who signed then they may go after her.

 

[Zigner]

Also, to be clear, even though it may have seemed like your wife and child were not free to leave, they were in fact, perfectly free to walk out. Your wife agreed to the procedures based on the pressure put on her.

 

[quincy]

Did grandma or brother provide the hospital with any health insurance information?

 

[adlo]

Also, to be clear, even though it may have seemed like your wife and child were not free to leave, they were in fact, perfectly free to walk out. Your wife agreed to the procedures based on the pressure put on her.

That's what I thought as well. If I were there I would have walked out.

I just don't think that threatening patients and charging them for medical care they neither asked for nor needed should be legal.

 

[adlo]

Did grandma or brother provide the hospital with any health insurance information?

I am not sure about that. But we don't have US health insurance, only European, so it wouldn't matter anyway, would it?

 

[Zigner]

That's what I thought as well. If I were there I would have walked out.

I just don't think that threatening patients and charging them for medical care they neither asked for nor needed should be legal.

I agree. Unfortunately, consent was given.

 

[Zigner]

I am not sure about that. But we don't have US health insurance, only European, so it wouldn't matter anyway, would it?

Your health insurance may cover emergency care in other countries - ask them. This WAS emergency care, even though your child ultimately was fine.

 

[quincy]

It will not be "threats" as much as the ER doctors describing the possible risks of leaving the hospital before all tests are completed that will make people remain in the hospital longer than they personally may believe is necessary.

One of the problems with medical treatment in the US is the very real risk to medical care providers of being sued for malpractice. If the hospital had released your daughter too soon, and your daughter had swallowed a fish bone that could have been detected with an X-ray, you would have felt the hospital failed in their care if they did not have your daughter X-rayed.

Medical care, especially ER care, is extremely expensive. I agree with Zigner that you should contact your health insurance provider to see if it covers the costs of the ER treatment.

 

[Just Blue]

I just want to point out that it's highly unlikely the Doctor/Nurse said they would call social security. I think you mean social services.

 

[quincy]

I just want to point out that it's highly unlikely the Doctor/Nurse said they would call social security. I think you mean social services.

I am surprised social services was mentioned at all, quite frankly.

 

[Taxing Matters]

Your health insurance may cover emergency care in other countries - ask them. This WAS emergency care, even though your child ultimately was fine.

Well, health insurance or government provided health care. In Europe either is a possibility. The few European government provided health care systems that I'm familiar with don't pay for care provided outside their country, but perhaps the OP's system would. If it doesn't, for the next trip abroad the OP might consider getting travel insurance that covers that sort of thing.

 

[adlo]

The hospital will eventually send it to collections and collection agency may or may not go after your wife in your country, eventually.

Does that really happen? I thought cross-border law enforcement was pretty difficult and required consent and cooperation of government agencies on both sides. I mean, you cannot just send policemen to another country and have them chase people. Not mentioning private debt collectors. Or am I wrong?

 

[adlo]

I just want to point out that it's highly unlikely the Doctor/Nurse said they would call social security. I think you mean social services.

Yes, social services, I am sorry. Their argument was that they could not release the baby without parents being present. Grandma and ucle were not enough.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Does that really happen? I thought cross-border law enforcement was pretty difficult and required consent and cooperation of government agencies on both sides. I mean, you cannot just send policemen to another country and have them chase people. Not mentioning private debt collectors. Or am I wrong?

Debt collection is not a law enforcement action. It isn't handled by the police.