HCCI’s research on emergency room billing was cited in a MarketWatch article on coronavirus testing.
From the article:
“It’s also important to get checked out by a doctor first because if you skip the doctor and go straight to the emergency room, you run the risk of your insurer refusing to cover the ER visit, Donovan said.
Insurers have been known to reject claims for emergency department visits that they consider “frivolous,” she said.
Another reason a hospital visit should be your last resort: it’s significantly more expensive than a doctor visit. (The average cost of an ER visit in 2017 was $1,389, up 176% from 10 years prior, according to data from the Health Care Cost Institute.)”
How much does it cost to get tested for the coronavirus? Unfortunately the answer could depend on how good your insurance is – MarketWatch
The CDC has covered the cost of testing, but hospitals will probably want to bill your insurance company.