LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — When there's an emergency, we often turn to call an ambulance for help.
“That’s the first place most people think of when they need care," said Jeremy Caton, an employee at a local bar.
For him, that moment came two months ago while he was working.
“A drunk guy was doing drunk guy things," Caton said. “He attacked me with a cheap left hook and he had fractured my jaw.”
The blow, unfortunately, sent him to the emergency room.
The diagnosis was enough, but it was multiple medical bills from Baptist Health that really took him by surprise.
“I got four separate bills from four separate entities that are associated with Baptist Health Hospital,” Caton said.
Caton said he was only seen in the emergency room and that he had x-rays and CT scans done.
“They had come up with just shy of $5,000 of charges just to tell me that my jaw was fractured,” he explained.
A Baptist Health spokesperson said in part: “The total cost [patient responsibility] may vary, depending on insurance benefits… The hospital charges do not include charges that you may incur from other members of your healthcare team that participate in your care…”
Caton is in the process of disputing his bills.
“They’re letting these people come in and not only is Baptist Health charging you for it but then having their associates charge you for that exact same procedure as well.. and so they’re double billing,” Caton claimed.
Meanwhile, he wants others to learn from his experience. His advice? Do your homework before you find yourself in an emergency.
“I think it’s sad that we have to do our homework before checking out a place, especially in an emergency,” Caton said. “I think the best thing for people to do is to really look into where you want to go before an emergency happens.”
It’s important to note that each hospital has its prices for procedures and services posted on their respective websites. And if you’re insured, you can also turn to your insurance benefits information provided by your insurance company.
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