MEDICAL bills can be scary, but one woman says she got a hefty one for simply asking a question.
It all happened within a routine doctor’s appointment that took just 15 minutes to complete.
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Ohio resident Katie Valenti said she was slapped with a $253 fee for bringing up a health concern during an annual preventive care exam, per News 5 Cleveland.
Valenti told the outlet that her insurance company, Medical Mutual, always foots the bill for these preventive exams.
She had her last one on May 7 at the Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit medical center where Valenti has been a patient for years.
Before the exam began, she filled out a questionnaire about her health, and was concerned about an issue possibly caused by one of her medications.
Valenti says she was told the doctor that the issue was likely due to her medications.
“They offered me some other solutions to solving my problem and we went along,” she explained.
“The entire visit took just 10 minutes.”
Valenti was out the door before the appointment was even scheduled, and what followed was a $253 bill for a doctor’s visit.
Medical Mutual sent Valenti an email stating, “I have no idea why they [Cleveland Clinic] stated it was because you stepped into the office for 10 minutes and not the reason.”
Valenti maintains she wasn’t charged anything for previous preventive care examinations.
CLINIC’S RESPONSE
News 5 Cleveland reached out to the clinic for comment.
They responded: “There may be one charge for conducting the annual exam, and a separate charge if other medical issues are addressed in the same visit.”
Valenti said she paid off the bill to avoid any late fees.
But she noted that others in the same situation would be struggling.
Hit with a surprise medical bill? Know your rights
Surprise medical billing happens when you have health insurance, but you receive care from an out-of-network provider or facility. In such cases, these bills can be excessive and your insurance may be able to cover little or none of the costs.
But the No Surprises Act was enacted in 2022 to prevent this. The Act protects you from surprise billing for the following.
Most emergency services including emergency mental health services
Non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at certain in-network healthcare facilities
Out-of-network air ambulance services
“There are other people this happens to who can’t afford that amount and they’re getting hit with it and then they’re scrambling,” Valenti said.
“My $55, that’s a donation to the clinic,” Valenti added.
NOT THE ONLY ONE
She isn’t alone in her experience, either.
Some Americans have reported getting charges of upwards of $1,000 since last year for “facility fees.”
A fellow Ohio resident was charged $645 on his medical bill during a visit to an ear, nose, and throat medical specialist, per The Wall Street Journal.
After a follow-up for their daughter’s stomach pain, a couple in Minnesota was also left paying $423 for “outpatient hospital services,” as noted by The Minnesota Informer.
Americans have also spotted unexpected fees at restaurants.
Some vowed to boycott a spot that listed a “living wage fee” on a receipt that was worth 18% of the cost of the meal.
A beloved breakfast chain also recently removed a 50-cent “fee” after implementing it on a popular item this spring at all 2,000 locations.
