I’m trying to understand my rights. I went to the hospital after some strange chest pain. They ran several hours of test and said everything was all right, and that I could go home. Then a few minutes later the doctor came back in and said they decided I couldn’t go home because they wanted to monitor me for 23 hours to ensure the chest pain didn’t come back. I said no. They told me I couldn’t leave and if I tried to leave that my insurance company wouldn’t pay and I’d have to foot the entire bill.
Okay a bit concerned about that I stayed. I felt as if I was being held hostage and my part of the bill was the ransom. Was I told the truth or feed a line of not sweet smelling stuff?
What’s my legal rights/options in such a situation?
I was released the next day after more test that still showed nothing.
Sounds like a load of crap to me. But all you have to do is call the number on the back of your insurance card.
In fact, I’d ask to speak with the hospital administrator while doing it. If someone said that to me, and it wasn’t true, I probably wouldn’t go there any more. If it WAS true, I’d be happy they knew the rules, but I doubt it’s true.
Think about it. The Doctor probably doesn’t know what insurance you’re on. They surely don’t know what plan you have. And they likely don’t know the ins and outs of every company.
If it were me, I’d call your carrier and ask them about that. If what the doctor said isn’t true, I’d call someone at the hospital and (administrator probably) and lodge a complaint against the doctor and see if you can get the bill waived.
You were lied to or at least misled. Telling patients that their insurance will not pay if they leave “against medical advice” is a long standing misunderstanding by hospital staff and is simply not true for any insurance company I know of.
My aged MIL on Medicare recently fell & broke her heel. She was hospitalized overnight and after raising hell on Day 2 was reluctantly released to a rehab place. She couldn’t go home since she lived alone and now couldn’t walk even a single step.
Then she contacts us to take her to rehab. First we know about the injury. We get to rehab on Saturday afternoon and discover on Monday morning that Medicare won’t pay for inpatient rehab unless a 3-day hospital stay had occurred first to adequately prove the necessity for ongoing custodial care. In a fit of pique Mom had checked herself out 24 hours too early for that.
Medicare was glad to pay for the therapy and meds she received in the rehab center, but was unwilling to pay for room or board since custodial rehab wasn’t sufficiently proven to be medically necessary.
Oops.
Like I said, not the same as the OP’s situation, but it is an example of where going AMA had adverse consequences for insurance coverage. Fortunately for MIL, room and board for a week was an expensive but still affordable lesson. With luck she won’t pull that stunt next time.
And yes, she’s now healing up remarkably well for her age.
Short version of a long story — I crushed a finger and went to the ER. They did the x-rays and stuff and said no big deal; we’ll just admit you and amputate that sucker in the morning. I said no thanks, got the insurance won’t pay speech several times from different employees, and signed myself out ama. Went to hospital ER #2, got x-rays and stuff, and the doctor said it could be removed but if I was willing to take some extra time in bandages and pain his recommendation would be saving it. Still have it today and it works pretty damn well.
Insurance (Blue Cross) paid both ER visits and all the rest of the bills. Meaning basically Hospital #1 was full of shit.
If you are in the US you can sign what is called an “AMA” (Against Medical Advice) form - it releases the hospital from any damages you suffer because the treatment was not completed to their satisfaction.
Generally
Obviously, if you are there because you are under arrest and the police want you to stay. you can’t sign a form and get un-arrested.
In CA, if you say the word “suicide”, they can hold you fro 72 hours. Medical personnel are “mandatory reporters” and are required by CA to hold you if they think you are apt to commit suicide.
If you are on state-subsidized care there can be some bizarre rules, but LSLGuy’s tale is so damned bizarre, I just gotta address the Universe and say “Good One! - I would have never thought of that one!”.
(yes, I am cynical and view life as Us v Universe)
Thanks everyone for the input. I had a feeling I was being lied too. I’m in Texas, and I think I need to find another hospital. Had this anything to do with my heart, I could have understood, but it didn’t.
I was “held hostage” in a hospital emergency room for a few hours…
I was there for a prescription refill (long story) and as it was a med for depression, they wanted me to have a quick interview with a psychiatric screener. But no one was available, so I had to sit for hours, waiting. I had other things I had to do that day, and asked to leave, but they would not permit that.
I respect the situation it placed them in. What if I left and went and did something dangerous or crazy? But holding me imprisoned on that basis is awkward, at very least.