[downandout]

True, but as patients we obviously have no control over that. Also, ironically, if my insurance had simply processed the claim as they were supposed to, they would have paid far less than I'm being billed. ER cash prices are purposely inflated because insurance reimbursements are typically 1/3rd or less of the billed amount. But when the claim gets denied, they come after the individual for the full cash price.

[ams6110]

Call the hospital and offer to settle. They will cut the price almost certainly. Almost anything they can get you to pay will be more than they will get selling the debt to a collector.

[downandout]

Thanks for the advice. If all of my appeals are denied, I will follow it and try negotiate the price down. In any event, this won’t be a catastrophic financial event for me. But it sucks that it is happening to so many people under our current insurance regime, and not not all of them can handle it when their insurance decides not to pay.