Legal Question in Medical Malpractice in Florida
Medical Fraud?
About a month ago I went to the emergency room after a slip and fall fearing that I may have broken my foot. While I was there they took three x-rays, told me it was a sprain, and then taped two of my toes together and sent me off on my way barefoot. Not even with a brace or surgical sock to cover my foot and protect it from any sort of hazard on my way out.
Now, about a month later the bills have started coming in. So far I've received a $1000 bill from the emergency room, another $400 from some physician that I've never met, and a notice that I'm past due from some medical imaging company who I've never visited, and never even sent me a bill in the first place!
I don't understand where all of these other bills are coming from if the x-rays were handled in-house by the hospital and the physician who I never met was presumably on the hospital's payroll.
I don't have health insurance and this is the first time in over ten years that I've been to a hospital. Somehow I can't help but think that I'm being ripped off, especially since all they did was take three pictures of my foot and tape my toes together while sending me off with a $1,400+ roll of tape as a consolation prize.
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Medical Fraud?
Next time, go to a walk-in clinic rather than the ER if at all possible. I got 3 x-rays of my cracked ribs for $250 at a very nice walk-in clinic in Clearwater(no insurance). All I needed was to rest and take some ibuprofen.
Sorry to hear about your huge ER bill.
Re: Medical Fraud?
Yep -- it is expensive without health care insurance. Had you had insurance, the bill to the insurance company would have dropped to less than half of what you were charged. It is a bill only the uninsured see and they rip you off for it. It is a bill, though. The doctor does not work for the hospital. The ER doctors are a seperate group. Often (usually) the radiology people are as well -- so you get seperate bills from each.
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