What You Should Know at Plummer Chiropractic and Accident Center
Answers After an Auto Accident
If you have recently been involved in a motor vehicle accident and visited a local hospital emergency room please be aware of the information contained here.
I have noticed that patients who have had imaging studies performed at the local for-profit private hospitals after an accident have been charged anywhere from $8,000 to $36,000for what Medicare would pay about $1,000 for the same studies at the same hospital.
By state law, all doctors and chiropractors are required to accept twice the Medicare fee schedule for all payments concerning personal injury protection…but the hospitals are NOT. The problem with this rampant overcharging is that the hospital charges devour all your PIP coverage and your deductible, co-pay and any balance is owed by you. This situation leaves you with no PIP coverage to pay for any other medical bills. It is simply unfair to you.
The solution may be to call the hospital about 7 days after your visit asking what you were billed for your visit. Use fee the schedule below to see if you were billed fairly. If your bill is high, ask to be charged twice the Medicare fee schedule. If they refuse, I would then ask my lawyer to handle the matter. If the hospital agrees to reduce your bill, get it in writing and call your insurance adjuster and lawyer immediately.
The hospitals have been sued for rampant over-billing and have agreed to $220,000,000 of future discounts. The average auto accident patient who had an examination and had a CAT scan at the hospital should be charged around $1000. I believe a reduction to $1,000 for all treatment is reasonable for an emergency room visit.
In my opinion, despite the $220,000,000 settlement, the local hospitals have not changed their billing habits and continue overcharging all accident patients they see in the ER.
Englewood Hospital billing department phone number is 1-800-247-9122.
Fawcett Hospital billing department phone is 1-800-617-7044.
Bayfront Hospital billing department phone number is 866-481-2553.
Medicare pays about $241 for a complete physical exam (code 99205)
Medicare Pays about $300 for a cat scan (code 70470)
Medicare pays about $62 for Xrays (code 72050)
You were charged $___________________
You should have been charged $_________________
Your agreed reduction charge is $________________________
