Ascension Health review: Emergency room cost

On Sunday December 17, 2023, while on vacation, I made a visit to your emergency room in Destin Florida after falling and hitting my head. At arrival I was told to complete forms on my phone to be registered. I made note that I did not have any health insurance. I was not asked for any payment or given any estimate of potential costs of my visit. I waited about 15 minutes and was seen by a young woman who took my blood pressure. Shortly thereafter a nurse came in the room, and asked the reason for my visit. After I explained, she said that I would need to have a CAT Scan of my head to make certain that there was no bleeding and also that I should have my shoulder X-rayed. Being light headed from the fall I took, I told the nurse that would be fine. I went back to the waiting room for another twenty minutes before I was called back for the procedures. The two procedures took about ten minutes and I returned to the waiting room. After about fifteen minutes I was called back into the office where the first nurse I had seen spoke again with me. She told me everything looked fine, prescribed me a muscle relaxant medication, told me to take Motrin for pain, and get rest. I asked if I was finished and did I need to checkout and pay with someone. She told me that I would receive a bill in the mail.

Yesterday I received the bill - in the overwhelmingly large amount of $16,562 with a discount of $9109.10 for a total of $7452.90. Today I called and spoke with a representative about the high cost of my visit ( I checked local costs for the itemized procedures you have billed me for and found that the amount/cost to me for the emergency room visit and the two procedures was much higher than what is considered normal or fair ). I told the representative that I could not and would not pay that much for the care I received. She told me that I could set up a payment plan, but if I did not pay the full amount noted on the invoice over a reasonable period of time, that the account would go to collection services. She then asked me if I would like to make a payment. I asked the representative if there was someone I could speak with to discuss the potential to lower the bill and I was told that Ascension Sacred Heart does not and will not negotiate a bill for services and that if I did not pay the full amount that the account would be sent to collection services. I told her that I was not satisfied with that response, repeated that I could not pay that much, and asked again if someone could discuss with me a plan to pay an amount that I could afford. She said that was not possible and told me to have a nice day. What you have charged me for services rendered is frankly outrageous. I am willing and wanting to pay you for my emergency room visit, but I will not pay you almost $7500 for two small procedures and five minutes with a nurse. A fair price in my opinion is probably $1500. Extremely disappointed.

Kevin Mealey