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Confusing ER Charges
Hello,
I went in to the ER a few months ago because of a laceration on my right hand from a glass bottle. I received an x-ray to check for remaining glass, a tetanus shot (for glass?), and eight stitches. Maybe fifteen minutes of work all together (after waiting for an hour). A week later I went in when they told me to return, where they took a brief look at my hand and told me the stitches weren't ready to come out. A week after that I had a friend actually take them out with no pain and less waiting.
The bill I received seemed ridiculous even by ER standards: $1737.45. After poking around the internet, I suspect that I may have been erroneously charged. However, I am unable to decipher many of the charges, and so cannot tell if that is the case. The following is a list of my charges. Any help I can get re: what the charges are for and any advice on whether or not I should dispute the bill would be great, thank you.
6/15/07 0000129 EMERGENCY RM LVL II 1 224.00
6/15/07 0090471 ADMIN IMMUNIZATION 1 107.50
6/15/07 0360000 ER PROCEDURE SIMPLE 1 276.70
6/15/07 0100282 E&M ED INTERMEDIATE 1 414.45
6/15/07 0103013 REP-SIM,SC,NK,TR 2.6 1 307.05
6/15/07 0112208 SUTURE REGULAR 1 58.25
6/15/07 0101000 FINGER(S) COMP 1 281.40
6/15/07 0132448 DIP TET ADULT 1 56.30
6/15/07 4712155 LIDO 1% 5ML INJ 1 11.80
** SUMMARY OF CHARGES **
** TOTAL CHARGES ** 1737.45
Any help would be immensely appreciated: I'm broke, and I need some ground to stand on with the hospital.
I went in to the ER a few months ago because of a laceration on my right hand from a glass bottle. I received an x-ray to check for remaining glass, a tetanus shot (for glass?), and eight stitches. Maybe fifteen minutes of work all together (after waiting for an hour). A week later I went in when they told me to return, where they took a brief look at my hand and told me the stitches weren't ready to come out. A week after that I had a friend actually take them out with no pain and less waiting.
The bill I received seemed ridiculous even by ER standards: $1737.45. After poking around the internet, I suspect that I may have been erroneously charged. However, I am unable to decipher many of the charges, and so cannot tell if that is the case. The following is a list of my charges. Any help I can get re: what the charges are for and any advice on whether or not I should dispute the bill would be great, thank you.
6/15/07 0000129 EMERGENCY RM LVL II 1 224.00
6/15/07 0090471 ADMIN IMMUNIZATION 1 107.50
6/15/07 0360000 ER PROCEDURE SIMPLE 1 276.70
6/15/07 0100282 E&M ED INTERMEDIATE 1 414.45
6/15/07 0103013 REP-SIM,SC,NK,TR 2.6 1 307.05
6/15/07 0112208 SUTURE REGULAR 1 58.25
6/15/07 0101000 FINGER(S) COMP 1 281.40
6/15/07 0132448 DIP TET ADULT 1 56.30
6/15/07 4712155 LIDO 1% 5ML INJ 1 11.80
** SUMMARY OF CHARGES **
** TOTAL CHARGES ** 1737.45
Any help would be immensely appreciated: I'm broke, and I need some ground to stand on with the hospital.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Dear JesseLat,
If you have insurance, let your carrier intervene. If you don't, rather than disputing the charges negotiate the amount. After all that is what insurance carriers do. The negotiated amounts paid by insurance companies are often greatly discounted & lower than what providers charge those with no contracts and not only you can negotiate the total amount, but also you can negotiate the terms & pay a certain amount on monthly basis, until your bill is paid off.
So I recommend, you wear your negotiating hat and get in touch with the billing department as soon as possible and feel free to ask them to explain your bill before you start negotiating.
Best of luck,
Amir Mostafaie
If you have insurance, let your carrier intervene. If you don't, rather than disputing the charges negotiate the amount. After all that is what insurance carriers do. The negotiated amounts paid by insurance companies are often greatly discounted & lower than what providers charge those with no contracts and not only you can negotiate the total amount, but also you can negotiate the terms & pay a certain amount on monthly basis, until your bill is paid off.
So I recommend, you wear your negotiating hat and get in touch with the billing department as soon as possible and feel free to ask them to explain your bill before you start negotiating.
Best of luck,
Amir Mostafaie
Those charges look legit to me. Remember when you are there, they take vital signs, montor you, do a medical history, they probably checked your arm for muscle and nerve damage. I would call and ask what the E&M and the REP-SIM charges are as I am unfamilar with the notation of those.
You will also get a bill from radiology, and from any doctor who treated you as well.
You will also get a bill from radiology, and from any doctor who treated you as well.
1 - emergency room level II (they charge you for the room)
2 - administering immunization (charge for actually giving you the tetanus shot)
3 - ?
4 - ?
5 - the cost of the suture thread
6 - the cost of administering the sutures
7 - the cost of the tetanus vaccine
8 - Lidocaine (numbing stuff prior to sutures)
2 - administering immunization (charge for actually giving you the tetanus shot)
3 - ?
4 - ?
5 - the cost of the suture thread
6 - the cost of administering the sutures
7 - the cost of the tetanus vaccine
8 - Lidocaine (numbing stuff prior to sutures)
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