I can confirm something similar to the video, but I guess worse. I got a $25,000+ bill but only spent about 3 hours in the emergency room. Wasn't even in one of the rooms as it was too full. Was in a chair in the hall. I had a kidney stone. They gave me morphine, did a ct scan (I think that's what it was called), and I think an ekg.
The $25,000+ bill was reduced by $24,000+ by the insurance company and I was left with several hundred to pay. Someone told me the insurance companies want to see the hospitals giving them big discounts so the hospitals jack up their prices so they can claim they're giving the insurance companies big discounts. Not sure if that's true but wouldn't be surprised.
I had another recent visit to an emergency room due to a bad cough. I needed codeine cough syrup as the over the counter stuff doesn't work. I called an urgent care facility and they said they only prescribe tessalon perles, not sure what those are, and I would need to go to my primary care doctor or the er for codeine cough syrup. Since I don't have a primary care doctor I went to the er. I spent 30 minutes in the er, only saw the triage nurse, she gave me the prescription and I left. Later I received two bills: one for $500+ from the provider (the triage nurse) and one for $2,200+ from the hospital. So they charged me $2,800+ for getting a paper prescription.
I can confirm something similar to the video, but I guess worse. I got a $25,000+ bill but only spent about 3 hours in the emergency room. Wasn't even in one of the rooms as it was too full. Was in a chair in the hall. I had a kidney stone. They gave me morphine, did a ct scan (I think that's what it was called), and I think an ekg.
The $25,000+ bill was reduced by $24,000+ by the insurance company and I was left with several hundred to pay. Someone told me the insurance companies want to see the hospitals giving them big discounts so the hospitals jack up their prices so they can claim they're giving the insurance companies big discounts. Not sure if that's true but wouldn't be surprised.
I had another recent visit to an emergency room due to a bad cough. I needed codeine cough syrup as the over the counter stuff doesn't work. I called an urgent care facility and they said they only prescribe tessalon perles, not sure what those are, and I would need to go to my primary care doctor or the er for codeine cough syrup. Since I don't have a primary care doctor I went to the er. I spent 30 minutes in the er, only saw the triage nurse, she gave me the prescription and I left. Later I received two bills: one for $500+ from the provider (the triage nurse) and one for $2,200+ from the hospital. So they charged me $2,800+ for getting a paper prescription.