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/AlternativeZone5089]

The time to haggle is before you've received the service. You have two options. One is to tell them you don't have insurance and want to pay cash. Then you ask the cost for being assessed/evaluated beforehand. You do the same thing before receiving any imaging/treatment. Ask the cost before each component. If you want to use your insurance then you do the same thing, but you'll need to call your insurance company with the CPT code for each component and ask what your cost will be, because if using your insurance then your negotiated discount, deductible status, and plan design comes into play and the UC can't tell you these things.

In ansswer to your question, it's expensive because UCs are staffed even when no one is using them, and they are staffed by people with a lot of expensive training.

I think it is a truism for many people that they consider what they pay others "ridiculously" (high) and what they are paid for their services "ridiculously" (low).