Surprised by out-of-network medical bill? Tell us your story

Going to an in-network hospital doesn’t always prevent patients from getting an out-of-network medical bill.

If you go to an emergency room at a hospital within your insurance network, you could still get care from a doctor who does not have a contract with your insurer and end up with an unexpected bill where you have to pay a greater portion of the expenses than you would have if you were in-network.

A 2016 national study in The New England Journal of Medicine reviewed one large commercial insurer and found when patients with the insurer’s policies went to in-network ERs, that about 22 percent of the time they ended up with these surprise out-of-network bills.

Have you ever gotten a surprise medical bill from an out-of-network doctor when you thought you were getting in-network ER care? Contact Reporter Kaitlin Schroeder at 937-225-2279 or kaitlin.schroeder@coxinc.com to share your story.

About the Author