10 Ways to Deal with an Expensive Emergency Room Bill

1. Request an itemized statement.
2. Check your statement.
3. Have a doctor review your statement.
4. Ask the hospital to audit your bill.
5. Consider getting a patient advocate or financial counselor.
6. Talk with the department manager.
7. Talk with the billing department.

Do I have to pay emergency room bill?

The bad news is that you will be charged afterwards, whether you can pay or not. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, a federal law passed in 1986, requires anyone coming to the emergency room to be stabilized and treated, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.

What happens if you dont pay ER bill?

If you choose not to pay the bills or refuse to work with the hospital on a payment plan, the bills will likely be sent to debt collection. Adding this unsecured debt can really hurt your credit score which can impact you financially and in other ways for years to come.

What is the most common ER visit?

The number one and the most common ER visit is due to headaches. They are the most common ailments amongst people and it stands to reason that headaches are the most common reason for a person to visit the ER.

How much does the average emergency room Bill cost?

For some of us, it’s harder to recover from the emergency room bill than from the actual illness or injury. According to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, there were nearly 53 million emergency room visits at an average cost of $960 in 2009.

Can a hospital bill stop you from going to the ER?

A Kaiser-New York Times survey of insured and uninsured people who had difficulty paying medical bills found that ER bills accounted for the largest portion of what they owed. Going to a hospital that takes your insurance may not prevent you from getting unexpected big bills.

How can I Check my emergency room Bill?

Request an audit from the facility. Contact the emergency room medical care providers that sent the bill and tell their billing departments that you are requesting an account audit to look for billing errors. Facilities don’t perform this service unless a patient asks for one.

Do you have to pay a co-pay for the ER?

Your health insurance company will require a co-pay for ER treatment if you’re insured. It will vary based on your health insurance plan . Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Patient’s Bill of Rights, insurers haven’t been allowed to charge higher co-pays for out-of-network hospitals since Sept. 23, 2010.