r/HealthInsurance 9d ago

Plan Benefits High charge at urgent care

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?

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u/Initial_Freedom7981 9d ago

You owe all your costs until you meet your deductible. That’s how insurance works. You can ask to do self pay, not insurance, and it may be less.

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u/PopularPrompt2892 8d ago

This. I didn't have an HDHP at the time, but I had Medicaid, and the urgent care was not an enrolled provider. I looked up the average amount received for the service I was billed for (in my case it was a CT scan), which was $400. They had billed me $800, so.I went through this will a billing specialist supervisor there and basically reasoned that this is all they would have gotten from me had I been insured through one they accept, couldn't afford the $800, and could they settle it for $400. She agreed, happy to receive a payment, I got it in writing, and that was it. I probably got lucky, but it's always worth a shot, if you're willing to exhaust the energy.