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Can't afford medical bill although I have insurance?

I live in New York City. I have Oxford through my job. In June I passed out in the subway (too many people and too hot) and was sent to the ER. Because the ER I was sent to is not affiliated with my plan, my insurance will not pay for the bill. The hospital will not offer me any discount becuase I have health insurance. My health insurance can help out a little, but I have a 1000$ deductable. So I am stuck paying for the deductable. There were no services rendered in the ER. I waited for 3-5 hours and it was just so packed that I went to my regular doctor. I am being billed just for walking in. I am thinking of canceling my health insurance because I now have a 5000$ deductable should this happen again. If I did not have insuance i was told by the ER that I would have to pay 500$ out of pocket... I think even if I did get sick, I could not afford cobra, so I might as well jsut do without and go to clinics and pay out of pocket. I now pay $500 a month for my insurance... what would you do? would you do without? I make 40k after taxes and all of this I take home about 26k... my rent is $927 for a studio... You really can't get rent much lower then this here... thank you! please note, no services were rendered in the ER. I had no choice to go being I passed out in the subway, or I would not have gone... The dedcuable is not going up becuase of this, it is going up just because of an anual thing and the times.

Public Comments

1. I wouldn't drop the insurance, but I would shop around. If you can find better coverage for less than $500/ month, then take it. If not, stick with what you have. Its never a good idea to be without insurance. Its okay to just pay for regular expenses like doctor's visits out of pocket, but you should have something in place for catastrophic coverage in case you have a major injury or illness. With this particular bill, I would consider consulting an attorney. Your insurance shouldn't stipulate which ER you can go to, but they can make you pay your deductible. I'm not sure the legality of the bill since you weren't actually treated, you'll have to check with an attorney to see if the bill is valid. I'm also not sure why your deductible would go up as a result of this, you should ask your attorney about the legality of that as well. You should be able to get a free consultation with an attorney to review the case. You'll have to pay them if they actually act on your behalf, but it still may be cheaper than this bill. Whatever you do, don't ignore this situation. If you don't pay the bill they can send it to collections which will result in debt collectors calling you and harassing you, and it will go on your credit report. If you decide there is nothing you can do, contact the hospital and ask to work out a payment plan. Most medical providers will let you make monthly payments with no interest since they know that most people can't afford to make lump-sum payments.
2. Depends on the situation. If it was an 'emergency' then you need to call them and tell them to adjust the payment because in an emergency situation they SHOULD pay the bill as if it were in network. Bleeding, broken bones, unconscious, would all be emergency situations. If you were fine but thought you needed to be 'checked out" then it likely wouldn't be an emergency. If it were me, I'd call and say "this was an emergency and I didn't have a choice nor the time to check networks so this should be processed as if it were in network.' Hopefully that'll work for you. (let me know if it does)
3. There is definately something wrong. First, ER visits are covered at 100% after your copay. You are supposed to go to the nearest Emergency Room if something happens that is considered an emergency. Passing out in a Subway would warrant the ER visit. Depending on your plan, the deductible shouldn't even come into play. I wouldn't cancel the insurance....look into the claim further. Without knowing exactly what plan you have, it's hard to give you specific advise. I am in NJ and familiar with NY plans. Some have in network deductibles but they normally don't apply to ER visits. If you need more help email me...mrsdeli@yahoo.com
4. Oxford covers ER visits in network no matter where you go---whether they are contracted with your plan or not. I would suggest calling them and asking them why it is not being covered and ask them how much you have to pay. Just because you are receiving a bill doesn't mean you are supposed to pay it....
5. you need to get in touch with these people, as they may be able to save you a lot of money. They did me. www.cutmyhospitalbill.com