Dallas man was fined $54,000 for COVID-19 testing at Lewisville's emergency room. This is a shocking fee, and it is legal.
Travis Warner explained to NPR that his June 2020 visit to the freestanding ER at Lewisville’s SignatureCare Emergency Center with his wife was initially a relief as he could go back to work after he had tested negative. Due to limited testing availability, the couple drove 30 miles outside of Dallas.
Warner received PCR diagnostic tests to diagnose COVID-19 at the hospital, as well as the slower rapid antigen tests to assess time sensitivity for wanting to return to work.
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When the bill arrived in the mail, relief turned to outrage. After adding the ER facility fee, the more accurate PCR test and antigen test cost $54,000. Additional cost and taxes added to the total bill came up to $56,384.
Warner, who is self-employed, has his own health plan with Molina Healthcare. He negotiated the price to bring it down to $16,915.20. That was paid in full by the insurer.
Warner stated to Kaiser Health News, "At the very least I'm not liable for any,"
The costs were not clear before the negotiations. In-network providers can negotiate test prices. Insurers can negotiate prices for tests with out-of-network providers. However, the hospital's price list is available to the public and insurers may be charged that price. Warner was not covered by the Lewisville free-standing ER, so it looked at first that he would be stuck with the bill.
SignatureCare Emergency Center is just one of the more than 12 free-standing ERs that the company has in Texas. This isn't the only American hospital that charges an outrageous fee for health care. A Texas Tribune article noted that a $175 COVID-19 testing cost soared to $2,479. According to the Insurance Trade Association, price gouging by some providers is still a major problem.
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However, none was sufficient to surpass the $50,000 mark last summer. SignatureCare Emergency Center lists COVID-19 test at $175 per unit.
Loren Adler (director of the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy) told NPR that the cost for the test was both "astronomical" as well as "egregious".
Molina Healthcare stated to NPR that the matter was caused by a billing error. Molina corrected it.
Warner claimed that his wife had the same tests at the same hospital the day before and was only charged $2,000. Warner said his wife has separate insurance.
USA TODAY did not immediately return messages left for SignatureCare Emergency Centers on Thursday.
This article first appeared on USA TODAY. Texas man was charged $54,000 for COVID testing at hospital ER
