Healthcare in America

Feb 23 22 Comments

This is from my recent experience with emergency care.

Please post your suggestions on how I can do better financially to save myself from paying hefty amounts.

I recently got a migraine headache and had to use emergency service in the bay area. Because it was crowded I moved from one facility to another one close by where I got treated and taken care of. I left the facility in about 15 minutes.
After that I get 6 different bills until today from sep,2021 at different times with different amounts, services and so on. They did a CT scan which i dont know why.. I called my insurance to check to see when can I expect this to stop and they said they have no control on claims. I paid close to 2500 for a 15 minutes migraine service with a new bill almost every other month. How can I avoid this torture?

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 TOP 22 Comments
  • Google
    guacamole2

    Go to company page Google

    guacamole2
    Ignore the bills for as long as you can. It cannot go to collections for almost a year as per California law. Most of the time they'll give up unless the amounts are large (10k+).

    Most Americans don't pay medical bills. So doctors get aggressive hoping to find a sucker who will.
    Feb 23 4
    • New
      tryagain10

      New

      tryagain10
      I don’t think that’s true. If you’re insured
      Feb 23
    • Google
      guacamole2

      Go to company page Google

      guacamole2
      It won't affect your credit score for almost a year. They cannot send to collections for months as per California law. You can just pay at the very end if they haven't dropped by then. Inflation will eat half of it by then anyways. Usually they'll just drop your account receivable if the amount is too small for them to justify labor cost.
      Feb 23
  • If you walk into emergency, this is expected. Next time try urgent care instead of emergency (personal experience have been into both and urgent care costs half or what emergency is).
    Feb 23 0
  • Intel
    pea_nut

    Go to company page Intel

    pea_nut
    Welcome to USA! Its better to die here than go to hospital. Already paid 700$ for arm pain caused from covid vaccine and its not even better😳 this is the most medically advanced country where you will end up selling your body parts to pay medical bills.
    Feb 23 2
    • New
      tryagain10

      New

      tryagain10
      USA is famous for being very advanced in certain fields (like cancer treatment). But if you just go to a random ER you won’t see any of that, just a sh* show and the impression you’re in a third world country hospital
      Feb 23
    • Meta
      ⛑.

      Go to company page Meta

      ⛑.
      “Most advanced”, lol
      Feb 23
  • New
    tryagain10

    New

    tryagain10
    Just make sure you’re not billed as out of network. That’s illegal for emergency services. If you’re billed as in network you can’t fight the bill but it shouldn’t be more than your expected deductible
    Feb 23 4
    • Google
      guacamole2

      Go to company page Google

      guacamole2
      Don't pay, it's a surprise bill that's illegal as of this year. They are hoping you'll pay and won't bother correcting that mistake later.
      Feb 23
    • New
      tryagain10

      New

      tryagain10
      Surprise bill is very easy to fight if you use the state’s protection status. Once the provider knows you wish to be protected under that status they won’t ever contact you again about the bill. They’ll just sue your insurance directly lol
      Feb 23
  • New
    tryagain10

    New

    tryagain10
    Receiving separate bills one by one from various providers you don’t even know is extremely common.
    Feb 23 2
    • OP
      Thank you , now I know I am not the only one in this
      Feb 23
    • New
      tryagain10

      New

      tryagain10
      Yeah it is so ridiculous but that’s how it works. The hospital is not charging you upfront and then billing providers in the background. They just give your name to the providers and tell them make your own bill
      Feb 23