The newest story in my ER billing series: He went to an in-network emergency room. He still ended up with a $7,924 bill. Diving into the high frequency of out-of-network billing at in-network ERs.https://www.vox.com/2018/5/23/17353284/emergency-room-doctor-out-of-network …
-
-
Thanks for replying! Of the 14% who were discharged from ED, do you know for what % the surprise bills came from specialist consults vs. ED docs? That would be helpful to know re: how to frame and how to best address the problem (re-replying, typo in my 1st!)
-
This is from the Garmon study I cite in the piece, which unfortunately doesn't have that level of specificity. It's here: https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/abs/10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0970 … This separate report from TX suggests its a problem that spreads across ED docs/specialists https://forabettertexas.org/surprisebills/img/2017_HW_SurpriseMedBill.pdf …
-
Separately, I think
@zackcooperYale's research on ER staffing suggests that this is a challenge that spreads pretty widely across different types of physicians working in ERs.https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/upshot/the-company-behind-many-surprise-emergency-room-bills.html … -
Thanks, saw that one! Definitely some bad actors and seems like a multi-factorial problem. Here’s why I worry about ER-focused framing BTW: 1) ERs already demonized in health care, has led to misguided policy efforts & more, and...
-
2) People already scared to go to ER due to $ and I would hate to see even more avoiding ER care they need (yes, we—the entire health care and political system—really need to fix it so people aren’t afraid of bankruptcy from needed medical care)
-
Agree with you there - but doesn’t a lot of the responsibility there sit with the people setting charges and communicating them to patients? (I’m talking about hospital CFOs here, not ER docs). My reporting suggests patients would be less scared if they knew what bills to expect.
-
Thanks so much for engaging with us ER docs,
@sarahkliff ! Emergency care is so unpredictable, and insurance company behavior is so unpredictable — I have trouble imagining how hospital adminis could provide specific enough information to be useful to the pts. -
Totally agree
@AdvocacyMD! Do you think they might play a more upstream role in choosing their providers wisely? As alluded to by@JSchuurMD - 1 more reply
New conversation -
-
-
Also worth noting that the insurer refused to pay *anything*. Why is that ok? They denied a claim for care rendered! It wasn’t a dispute over how much the carrier would pay but whether they would pay at all.
- 1 more reply
New conversation -
-
-
1/
@sarahkliff your reporting on this is an important wake-up. Only so much you can do with a title, but have to agree with@KellyMDoran and@JSchuurMD that the title sensationalizes focus on the ED. Hospitals and EDs have much to work on.Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
Actually this bill was for care in an OR - operating room. Difference is important bc readers will see this as issue w EM physicians. Article does point out it issue w oral surgeon, hospital, and insurer Ps think highly of your reporting overall.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
3/ the photo caption says he had “a $7924 emergency room bill” when article clearly says it was for the specialist’s surgery and OR fees. Again, work for all of us to do. Will follow this. End/
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
2/ From years of reviewing pt complaints, can tell you pts associate their issues with the place and not the system. Can’t blame them entirely for that but in their eyes everything is the EDs fault because it occurred there.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
I know when Im sick or in pain and it is of a magnitude that I go to ER, the last thing I think about as a patient is, I wonder if this doctor at my in network hospital is also in network. That's just crazy.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
You’re saying that the oral surgery was performed in the ER? The patient wasn’t admitted to the hospital?
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.