How to Save On Emergency Room Visits

Everyone has probably gone to the Emergency Room due to a medical emergency or something we all thought was a medical emergency. We go to the ER, sit in the waiting room forever, then we’re called back in to see the doctor only to have to wait some more. The doctor may run a few tests, maybe write a prescription or two and send us on our merry way. Everything seems fine until the bill comes in a few weeks later and to your surprise it’s thousands of dollars. Since I now work in a medical office I see that I could have saved thousands of dollars on emergency room visits only if I had followed these steps.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Ask yourself is this really an emergency. If it is go to the Emergency Room
   The emergency room is suppose to be for emergencies only. What is an emergency varies from person to person. To me an emergency is something that threatens life. A common cold, runny nose, not even a sore throat is an emergency unless you have another underlying medical condition. So, ask yourself before running off to the nearest emergency room is this really an emergency. If you find that this is a true emergency, then I would definitely head to the emergency room otherwise continue to step 2.

2. If it’s not an emergency. Go to your regular doctor or a walk in clinic.
   There are many medical clinics who will accept walk in patients. Get your telephone directory and call around to see who can see you or your loved one. Call family or friends to see if they have any doctor recommendations. If you have a regular doctor that you see, I would recommend calling to see if he/she could see you. Be sure to ask about insurance information or paying up front details, especially if you’re uninsured. If you have insurance, most doctor visit co-pays range from $15-$30. Depending on what insurance you have some don’t even have co-pays. (Co-pays for emergency room visits can get way up in the hundreds) If a medical clinic can see you, I would recommend going there instead of an emergency room; if it’s not an emergency.

3. For the uninsured.
   This can be a biggie if you have a medical situation; whether it’s an emergency or not and you’re uninsured. Most medical clinics will still see you, provided that you pay something towards your visit at the time service is rendered. I’ve seen patients who had no insurance come into the clinic with a sick child who turned out to have an ear infection and the doctor didn’t charge them anything; just gave them a prescription for antibiotics. Think about what they would have been charged if they went to the ER. I’ve also seen doctors charge a fee of $98; which is a regular doctor visit for most. If you pay this all up-front you should get at least a 20% discount. I would rather pay $78.40 today instead of paying thousands of dollars later.

Tips & Warnings

• When we are sick or a loved one is, the most important thing is to get medical attention. This article is written from my own personal experience and knowledge and is meant for informational purposes only.

[taskeinc]

on 7/13/2009 It's definitely wise to follow the steps you outline here because an emergency visit is not cheap.