High charge at urgent care

[u/PromotionAgile]

I was charged $900 for a 15 minute visit to urgent care. Insurance doesn't cover any of it because I have a high deductible plan. I called the medical practice saying the charge was ridiculous. They checked the billing codes and found no error.

They said the insurance company sets the price and I can file a grievance with insurance. That seems like a wild goose chase.

Why is it so expensive? Is there anything I can do to reduce the cost?

[u/DomesticPlantLover]

It's expensive because of all the things they have to be able to deal with. It's a lot lower level than an ER. Both in terms of cost and of things they can do, but there's still a lot. There are tons of people who have to be paid out of that visit: the provider, the person/people that check you in and out, the CMA that did you intake, the person that files your insurance, the person that cleans it, the person that does the charts, the people that do the tech support, the cost of the medical records system, etc. They almost certainly have the ability to do x-rays. You may have not needed it, but it still has to be paid for. And the person that is there to take the x-rays. There's lab tests they have to do.

You aren't just paying for the few things you personally needed, but for the ability to have access to it when you need it. It's like an ambulance. You might never need one, but they have to be paid for 24/7 used or not. They have to have drugs that treat lots of thing--often that expire never used. But they need them all the time for the one time it's needed.

In other words, you are paying for the convenience and the security have easy access to care and makes uour live far better and maybe even saves it.

Not saying it's a great system, just saying that's how it works.