HappyLifestyleJournal
Visiting the hospital is often a traumatic event in our life. We wonder about the status of our health, how it will impact our lives and the lives of our family. But there is something else that many people worry about – the cost it entails after visiting the hospital. This issue makes it even worse because more and more people opt not to go to the hospital, at the expense of their health. This is something that we should look into and make sure that everything that we are charged during our hospital stay is accounted for.
Hospital Facility Charges
This fee is charged when your doctor’s practice is owned by the hospital. You may want to find out more information on your doctor before having any kind of procedure done on you. This could cost you extra hundreds of dollars.
Operating Room/Room Charges
Some hospitals charge you a whole day of stay in a room even if you got discharged in the morning. This can cause a lot of problems as insurance companies don’t usually pay for this kind of charges. And most operating rooms charge by the minute so make sure that someone with you takes note of the time that you entered the OR and the time that you got out of it. As we all know, time inside the operating room can be costly.
Insignificant Item Fees
These insignificant items may be a comb, toothbrush, face towel, or even a pack of cotton. We take these things for granted because they are usually included in our room fees or even included in the emergency room fees charged to us. If these items are charged to us several times, it may add up to a lot of dollars.
Being Billed Twice for One
Sometimes, doctors would do two procedures in one surgery but bill you twice, as if there were two surgeries done on you. There are some who would just check on your chart and bill you the full amount of doctor’s fee. This is not supposed to happen but it does. Keep an eye out for this on your bill to avoid paying for extra and getting nothing out of it.
Extra Charges
These charges could come in the form of being prescribed a popular medicine instead of a generic one. Doctors are required to put in the generic name of the medicine they are prescribing, so that patients will be able to decide for themselves what they want to purchase. Remember that brand name medicines are more expensive than the generic ones.
If you have to go and stay at a hospital for some time, make sure that you or your companion are aware of these hidden costs. Your health and the health of your family members is the most important thing, but these charges often aren’t a laughing matter. Take note of everything that has been given to you and double check the hospital bill when you see it. It pays to be on guard and alert.
