No CPT codes on itemized bill

[u/bvvr19]

I went to the emergency room in the beginning of March 2025 and was there for 6 hours got one bag of IV and a nurse took my blood and then I spoke to a doctor once, and then I spoke to a student doctor twice, and then I was given to packs of crackers and two packs of apple juice and another plastic cup of ice water.

I was in discharged the same day.

I requested an itemized bill, and I attached what I received. I don't see any CPT codes and when I look up the numbers next to the listed items... I can't find what the codes are for or what a fair market value of those codes would be in my area. As you can see in the picture they charged me twice for three procedures or whatever the list of things are called. I'm not sure the technical term.

I went to an in-network emergency room in a in network hospital and owe a total of $637.32.

the hospital billing department said there is some new law where you have to prove that you paid 10% of your gross income in the previous year to qualify for financial assistance, and I did not pay that much in medical bills last year so I am trying to negotiate down the bills as much as I can since I can't apply for assistance.

Does anyone know why these codes don't come up on Google? Did the hospital not give me a true itemized bill? Do I need to request another one specifically demanding their cpt codes in the itemized bill? Any help would be super appreciated thank you so much

[u/UnluckyInvite]

Yes the system is unnecessarily complicated. I will say that this is a misunderstanding I see a lot. Generally, you cannot renegotiate the fees for specific CPT codes because your insurance already has. When people talk about calling the hospital and negotiating it’s often based on the total amount owed.. Like a collections agency - it sometimes works to say “I can pay it off today but only xyz amount.” Hospitals and healthcare systems are beholden to their contracts with insurance. They can only write off so much or negotiate so much with patients who are covered by insurance. Otherwise, the insurance companies can say the healthcare provider is not in compliance with the contracts.

You have the most negotiating power if you’re not using insurance, but then it doesn’t count towards your out-of-pocket or your deductible.

[u/bvvr19 → u/UnluckyInvite]

So basically I can say "you guys obviously billed my insurance whatever negotiated rate you had with them, but I am not paying you a patient responsibility based on the price you and my insurance agreed on, stating that one IV bag somehow cost $3,000. On top of that you guys double bill me on other charges. I can pay 20% of the bill right now."

[u/bvvr19 → u/[deleted]]

Some other commenter even said that I clearly wasn't having an emergency and I still went to the emergency room, I was vomiting the night before for like 6 hours and when I went to the urgent Care the next morning that doctor said I should go to the emergency room for IV fluids because my blood pressure was 90/60 and I'm 27 years old and I hadn't eaten anything and everything literally came back up the night before so I had no food in my system. And on the so-called itemized bill in my post you can see that they had me as a level four emergency I wasn't screaming and excruciating pain I walked in there and I would just sit take my time but I wasn't walking around like a drunk or anything I was just exhausted. Like I get it they want to build my insurance more money okay that's fine but like don't come after me when you already more than broke even after you practically lie to my insurance that I was more f***** up than I actually was

[u/bvvr19 → u/[deleted]]

Is level 5 the highest level? I figured level 4 would require me to be a gunshot wound victim bleeding out on the floor or something now just said I was vomiting and I walked in and said hey my blood pressure is low I was told I needed to come here and now I'm here for IV fluids