A Run to a Freestanding Emergency Room Shouldn’t Involve a Game of Billing Roulette

If you have a sprained wrist or your child has bronchitis, then the facility where you seek treatment can be the difference between receiving a modest bill and a prescription or a surprise bill the size of next month’s mortgage.The medical industry has too many sticker-shock surprises, and among the worst is the one that occurs if you wander into a freestanding emergency room thinking it is an urgent care center. This mistake could leave you looking at a $3,000 bill for out-of-network emergency room services that otherwise might cost less than $200 at an urgent care center when your insurance company refuses to pay the outrageous charges. There are benefits to a freestanding emergency room, such as shorter waiting times and expert care. But consumers need to know that emergency room care is the most expensive medical service, and how to figure out the type of treatment center that they are walking into. And despite past efforts to help out patients, confusion still reigns.Thankfully, state Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Houston, a practicing anesthesiologist, wants to put an end to this confusion with a bill that would force standalone ERs to inform patients in writing of all health plans that are in-network, as well as any facility fees that would be charged. The bill, HB 2041, would also prohibit common confusing marketing practices, such as the use of logos and names of health plans on the facility’s signage, marketing brochures and websites, and impose tougher penalties for violations of state licensing requirements.  Continue reading...