How Costs Are Different
Each health care site is there for a specific reason – whether it’s to help keep you healthy, to take care of a small but urgent issue or to save your life in an emergency. Understanding when to use each care site for the right reason will not only help you get the care that you need, but it will also be best for your health care budget.
Many people still use the emergency room for a number of non-emergent conditions, like common colds and minor cuts/burns. Yet the charges billed by the health care facility or provider are based not only on the health condition treated, but also on the location where people seek care. This can lead to significant cost differences and more money paid out-of-pocket by the consumer.
This data from the Colorado All Payer Claims Database shows just how different these costs can be:
Be sure to talk with your insurance company to understand your insurance plan and where you should go for care.
*Median paid amounts are based on commercial health insurance payer claims from Oct. 1, 2014 – Sept. 30, 2015 and include payments made by both the health insurance payer and the patient (copay, deductible or coinsurance). Emergency room allowed amounts include both facility and professional fee estimates. Amounts represent estimates only. Actual prices are based on multiple factors including a patient’s health insurance payer and benefit plan details, whether the provider is in- or out-of-network and severity of illness.