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Emergency Room Health Insurance Coverage - Keep Yourself Protected

Life is unexpected, but that doesn’t mean you should leave everything up to chance. Learn how you can keep yourself protected from high medical bills with emergency room health insurance coverage.

FirstQuote Health Staff
Published on
January 11, 2023
Last Updated on
May 16, 2023
Emergency Room Health Insurance Coverage - Keep Yourself Protected

If you’ve ever received a medical bill and nearly fainted just seeing the insane costs, you’re not alone. In fact, a Kaiser New York Times survey found that 20% of Americans struggled to repay them medical bills.

According to the survey, 63% of respondents used up a large portion of their savings to pay the high healthcare bill. And, 42% of respondents worked extra hours. Both the insured and the uninsured struggled to repay their high healthcare bills. Within their medical bills, the most expensive line item was the emergency room. Naturally, you might want to find a way to prevent such a high bill. So, what can you do?

Does Insurance Cover Emergency Room Visits?

Catastrophic health insurance plans are designed to provide protection against unexpected, high-cost medical bills. With catastrophic health insurance, there is often no deductible and a limited out-of-pocket cost for medical services. While some of these plans do not cover routine checkups or preventative care, they usually do include coverage for emergency room visits and surgeries. It’s important to review the details of any catastrophic plan carefully before signing up so you can be sure it has the coverage you need most.

With ER catastrophic coverage, you have access to out-of-network emergency room services. You don’t need to get approval before you visit the ER room. With the right emergency room insurance plan, you can control your healthcare costs.

How Does It Work?

Emergency room insurance works just like any other insurance policy. For example, you will pay a monthly premium in exchange for protection against the high costs associated with being treated. Emergency room health insurance allows you to spread out risk. An emergency room insurance plan is a risk management tool. Your emergency room insurance can be used to establish reasonable rate schedules for different services, tests, and procedures. You can be ensured of protection against high Emergency Room expenses.

Do Most Health Insurance Plans Cover Urgent Care?

Fortunately, most health insurance plans cover certain urgent care expenses. But, what would happen if you were on a vacation and had a medical emergency? Would a normal PPO health insurance plan cover out-of-state, out-of-network emergency room visits? Maybe, maybe not.

Unfortunately, some health insurance plans might not cover an emergency room visit, while you are on vacation or a business trip. That is because the entire PPO system has set up discounts for doctors in their network. You must patronize their doctors to qualify for said discounts. You can gain protection for ER visits that are not within your network with the right plan.

You can never predict when you will need immediate medical attention. Furthermore, any plan purchased through the Obamacare marketplace will include emergency services. This is one of the 10 essential health benefits of Obamacare. Emergency-only health insurance coverage provides protection against high emergency room bills. Read our resource about urgent care cost without insurance, if you are not eligible to get coverage.

Why Some Insurance Companies Don’t Cover Emergency Room Visits?

Insurance companies may not cover an emergency room visit for a variety of reasons. These could include the treatment not being medically necessary, the treatment not being covered under the policy, or it being considered an excluded service. In some cases, if the provider is out-of-network or if there are duplicate coverage issues, insurance may not pay for the visit either. It is important to check with your insurance company prior to any medical procedure to ensure that you understand what will and will not be covered by your policy.

Cost of Emergency Room Visit Without Insurance

Why are ER visits so expensive? Many ER physicians are independent contractors. They are not primary care physicians, so they might not be part of PPO healthcare networks. ER equipment is for life-saving purposes; therefore, it comes with a higher price tag. You cannot be certain of how high your emergency room bill will be, but you can be sure that it will be higher than normal.

The ER is open 24/7/365 and is expensive to run. With emergency room insurance, you might gain a little more control over your budget. Of course, nobody can predict an emergency room visit. The average cost for an emergency room visit varies by state, but might run about $2,000 to $6,000 or so. That can take a big chunk out of your pocket. With an emergency room insurance plan, at least you are covered. Health insurance coverage can allow you to sleep better at night.

Average Cost of Emergency Room Visit With Insurance

On average, the cost of an emergency room visit with insurance can vary greatly depending on the type and severity of care received. Generally, insurance companies will cover a portion of the medical expenses incurred for the visit, but it is not uncommon for them to require copayments or coinsurance payments from patients. It is important to check with your insurance company ahead of time to understand what types of coverage you may have and how much your out-of-pocket costs are likely to be. Additionally, be sure to ask about any potential discounts or financial assistance options that may be available.

Can You Get Emergency Only Health Coverage?

Yes, you have the opportunity to get health coverage. Why not regain control of your healthcare budget? It pays to plan ahead. This urgent care coverage might be the best for traveling salesmen. You can’t predict what will happen on the road. By being proactive, you can protect your financial well-being.

Compare Quotes And Get Covered With FirstQuote Health

If you travel a lot, then emergency room insurance might make sense. Don’t be startled by a high emergency bill - plan ahead to manage your budget. Wise budget management planning can help you live the good life. You should compare health policy quotes to find the best deal. FirstQuote Health offers affordable ER insurance. Control your budget with proactive emergency health insurance coverage.

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