No Surprise Medical Bills Here!

No Surprise Medical Bills Here!

Surprise medical bills are one of the most significant cost burdens for healthcare consumers.

Most patients who require emergency medical attention believe their insurance will cover their treatment. However, the vast majority end up receiving a costly balance bill a few days after their ER visit.

So, the question is, why are you receiving these invoices if you used your insurance?

What is Surprise or Balance Billing?

To understand surprise medical bills, we need to examine the way healthcare facilities work.

Many doctors working at a hospital or emergency room are not direct employees of the facility. Instead, they are independent contractors who provide their services and expertise.

This is usually incredibly beneficial for patients who have access to qualified specialists when needed. However, this arrangement can become a problem if the physician that treats you is not part of your insurer’s network.

When this happens, your insurance company may not cover the full amount of your doctor’s fees. In this case, you are likely to receive a bill you were not expecting from the healthcare facility informing you; there is an outstanding balance due.

These balance bills are what we know as surprise medical bills.

Can You Avoid Surprise Bills?

When a medical emergency arises, nobody has the time to check if the treating physician is part of your insurance program or not.

Thankfully you don’t have to worry about that when you visit our facility because you will never receive a surprise bill from us.

“From the day we first opened our doors, our priority was to help patients in need. Everyone at Prestige ER got into the field of emergency medicine because they have a deep desire to help save lives. And we firmly believe no patient should forego treatment for fear of not being able to afford it.” Dr. Prasada R. Nalluri – President of Prestige ER

The Law is on Your Side!

Thanks to Senate Bill 1264, which went into effect on January 1^st, 2020, Texas law now protects patients with state-regulated health insurance from surprise medical bills involving emergency care.

Whom Does the Law Protect?

The law applies to:

• All state-regulated insurance plans
• Anyone covered through the state employee or teacher retirement systems

What Does the Law Do?

The law makes it clear that patients have complete freedom to choose where to receive emergency medical care.

That means you can choose to receive care at Prestige ER, where we guarantee more personalized care, with significantly reduced wait times and in a comfortable and convenient location.

You Can Still Receive Emergency Care at Prestige ER

The law makes it clear that patients have complete freedom to choose where to receive emergency medical care.

That means you can choose to receive care at Prestige ER, where we guarantee more personalized care, with significantly reduced wait times and in a comfortable and convenient location

What Can You Do to Protect Yourself?

Even though the law protects consumers, people still need to be vigilant. Here are a few steps you can take to protect yourself from potential surprise bills.

Request an Itemized Invoice

As a patient, you have rights. Texas law requires healthcare providers to present a detailed invoice upon request. Some providers will send you one automatically; however, if you don’t receive one, make sure to ask for it!

Reviewing your itemized bill can help correct mistakes and lower the amount you owe; here is how:

• Detailed invoices allow you to check for duplicated charges
• You can verify that the bill only includes the procedures, tests, and treatments you received
• You can verify if any coding errors increase the amount owed.

Many of these errors are unintentional, and the provider would be happy to correct them.

Contact Us! We are Patient Advocates!

If you receive an unexpected balance bill from us, please contact us and ask to speak with the administrator.

Our Patient Advocate is a great resource available to all our clients. Our staff can help with:

• Answering your billing-related questions
• Address any concerns regarding your invoice
• Negotiate with your insurance company to help lower your bill

“We were elated when the law protecting consumers from surprise billings came into effect. At Prestige ER, we always strive to provide quality healthcare at affordable prices, and we are strong advocates for patient rights.” Dr. Prasada R. Nalluri