Freestanding Emergency Rooms Are Price-Gouging Texas Patients

A relatively new, lucrative business model that is leaving patients with the sticker shock from outlandishly expensive medical bills. They use confusing advertising to intentionally mislead patients into believing they accept their insurance plans for full payment, but in reality, they choose to stay out of network to charge higher prices. Patients often get slapped with a bill that can be 20x what an urgent care center would charge for the same services. In Texas, freestanding ERs are responsible for over 83% of all ER out-of-network facility services, leaving patients stuck with thousands of expensive surprise medical bills.

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Surprise Bills Are Bankrupting Texans

Texans are being misled and taken advantage of financially in one of the most vulnerable situations — a medical emergency. In an emergency, patients often must rush to the nearest ER. They usually have no ability to pick the doctors who treat them and do not know if those doctors are in their health plan's network. It is nearly impossible for Texans to stay in-network for every service they receive in an emergency, even when they make sure they go to the right hospital. As it stands, 1 in 3 admissions to a Texas emergency room results in a patient receiving an expensive surprise medical bill.

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DO NOT GO! They can charge whatever they want and will! I have a bill or $1700 for fluids and medicine after copay and insurance. They over charge on purpose and can get away with it. CONSUMER BEWARE!
CP P. - Houston, TX
Horrible. On an extreme scale. Go anywhere, but here. I asked for costs upfront. They would not furnish me with basic costs, but told me it would be $150 for the basic costs. It is more than $1250. There were no tests. They looked at the cut and said not stitches and we are done. The service was bad. The deception is unforgivable.
BRYAN H. - Houston, TX
DO NOT GO HERE EVEN IF YOU ARE ON YOUR DEATH BED!!! IT is an absolute scam! Your relatives will be paying your extravagant bills long after you're gone!!
LAUREN T. - Austin, TX
I was not exactly in a position to fill out a bunch of forms while holding a crying, sick infant and saw these "procedures" very clearly for what they are cash before care, profit before people.
NOMBRE D. - Austin, TX
I went in for a very minor emergency and was out the door in about an hour. I paid $150 as a co-payment and then received a bill for over $500 dollars with no description or details. Today (6 months after I went to this facility) I received another bill $246 again without any details or itemization. Avoid this place at all costs, I will have paid close to $1000 dollars for antibiotics and paid medication (with insurance). Again, do not go to this place-their billing is inconsistent and deceptive.
MATT S. - League City, TX
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press@texansforaffordablehealthcare.org
This issue advertising was paid for by the Texas Association of Health Plans and authorized by Texans for Affordable Healthcare, a coalition of businesses, patients, health plans, and Texas leaders. Texas Association of Health Plans, 1001 Congress Ave. Suite 300, Austin, TX 78701.