I went to the emergency room at Chilton medical center with a very painful toe that I could not get to stop hurting. It was keeping me from sleeping.
After they took me back to the room in emergency and the physician came in to see me, I began to explain my pain and asked if he woud like for me to remove my shoe. He said "no" and left the room without doing anything and I never saw him again.
A few minutes later a lady came in and said the physician said my pain was a "non emergency" and I could have him treat me but my insurance (blue cross/bue shield) probably would deny my claim because he said my ailment wasn't an emergency. I could sign a paper she had in her hand that I didn't want treatment and I wouldn't be charged anything.
I said that if he was going to say my pain wasn't an emergency then I would sign the paper and leave. I left and dealt with my painful toe all night, but later I DID get a bill from the hospital. They had charge my insurance company $245 and they paid the claim. I then called the hospital and after several calls and leaving several messages I got a person that told me that regardless of seeing the ER doctor or not they charged a triage fee of $85. My complaint is -they charged and received payment from my insurance company a boggus amount and then charged me $60. With the insurane payment they had alreay recieved plus the money they tried to collect from me, they would receive three times the amount they should have. My concern is, how many times is this done by this hospital and others? Boggus charges to the insurance company when nothing was done to the patient and then charging the patient. Charges to everyone should be checked and double checked.insurance companies are being taken advantage of as well as people like me who can't afford incorrect expensive charges. Thank you.
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