Urgent Care Coding... Bills. (1 Viewer)

[jrdbrn]

A few months ago I was camping and hit my head on the camper causing my skin to fold under a little. Of course this caused a little blood and my wife to freak out so I miraculously found an in network urgent care. Went in with it no longer bleeding, but asked the on call doctor to look at it and let me know if it needed care. He said he suggested 2 staples to keep it closed. I obliged and he stuck them in.

3 months later I am receiving a bill with it classified as surgery and I owe $272 (plus my $30 copay). Seems a bit high for two staples. Insurance said it's because it's coded as surgery and I can call them to argue it if I wanted. For those with more experience in life with this, does coding 2 staples as surgery sound normal? No anesthetics, medication, or anything.

 

[dtc]

Welcome to the American medical system. Everything about it is outrageously overpriced and complicated.

Unless you make $3 per hour, you're likely to be better off paying it than arguing about it.


If a hospital was a bar, it would cost $458 for a coke with ice and $459 for a coke without ice because they'd charge you a dollar to remove and count the cubes.

 

[Taurus]

Welcome to the American medical system. Everything about it is outrageously overpriced and complicated.

Unless you make $3 per hour, you're likely to be better off paying it than arguing about it.


If a hospital was a bar, it would cost $458 for a coke with ice and $459 for a coke without ice because they'd charge you a dollar to remove and count the cubes.

And you'd have no idea until after you drank it.

 

[mb504]

The U.S. should abolish the medical insurance industry and join the rest of the industrialized world in which you wouldn't have received this ridiculous bill. But since we won't do that, for reasons that make less and less sense with each passing day, pay the bill unless you don't care about your credit rating.

 

[HoustonGold]

A few months ago I was camping and hit my head on the camper causing my skin to fold under a little. Of course this caused a little blood and my wife to freak out so I miraculously found an in network urgent care. Went in with it no longer bleeding, but asked the on call doctor to look at it and let me know if it needed care. He said he suggested 2 staples to keep it closed. I obliged and he stuck them in.

3 months later I am receiving a bill with it classified as surgery and I owe $272 (plus my $30 copay). Seems a bit high for two staples. Insurance said it's because it's coded as surgery and I can call them to argue it if I wanted. For those with more experience in life with this, does coding 2 staples as surgery sound normal? No anesthetics, medication, or anything.

I would appeal it. Seems like an error by the urgent care clinic.

 

[boutrous]

Call the clinic and ask them to recode so your insurance will pay for it. It's easier for them than dealing with sending you to collections. If they say no, then yea, pay it. I'm still fighting my dental insurance over a more than year old procedure. Luckily we've been loyal to our dentist and they are trying to help us out.