8 Ways To Help Reduce An Expensive Emergency Room Charges

Emergency room or ER charges may sometimes be high due to some factors. This expensive ER charges may be more difficult to overcome than the illness itself. Below are ways in which
emergency room charges can be dealt with;

Speak with the Departmental Manager: For you to get things working for you, do not speak in a confrontational manner to the departmental manager. Speak politely and tell them that you cannot handle huge bill. Tell them about your financial position and a copy of your tax return will be ok. Make them know your intension to pay. Also liaise with them, if the bill can be reduced and if not, maybe they can give you an installment payment plan.

Regular Payment: Once you pay your bills regularly, the billing department will not run after you as they know that you will end up paying.

Itemized Statement Requisition: It is advisable to request for detailed list of services provided and the cost associated with the services. This request should be made if it is not given in the first instance by the billing department.

Cross Check your Statement for Errors: The Emergency room or ER is a busy place where doctors, nurses and aides are on their toes to take care of patients. This implies that doctors and nurses may input items that were not used on the billing list because of their busy schedule.

Have discussion with Billing Department: Most of the discussion held with the departmental manager will be discussed with the billing department. Make sure to ask for any payment plan that will make payment easy and flexible and also ask for reduction.

Bill Auditing by Hospital: Some hospitals regularly audit bills so as to ascertain that there is no error in their system. Request the hospital to audit your emergency room bill. The hospital will be more accurate than the staff.

Statement review by Doctors: Have a doctor review your statement. Ask doctors or nurses to review your statement as a result of cases of error and double billing, because they are more experienced and trained to easily spot items that were not used or computed twice.

Using the help of a Financial Advocate or Adviser: Using the help of a financial advocate will help in the reduction of bill or to get payment plan. They help the patient negotiate with the billing department. They are mostly non-profit organization or Government officials.