Meijer Members: Knowledge is Power When it Comes to Saving on Healthcare

For years, an extremely costly epidemic has been plaguing the health care industry in the United States the misuse of emergency rooms by patients whose conditions are not considered “emergencies."

It's not just the uninsured who misuse emergency rooms. A recent TruvenHealth study showed 71% of emergency room visits made by patients with employer-sponsored health insurance were for non-emergencies. Emergency rooms are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to treat emergencies including chest pain, difficulty breathing, signs of stroke or heart attack, serious burns and cuts, head or eye injury or concussion, broken or dislocated bones and seizures.

The problem with other conditions being treated at emergency rooms is the cost of this treatment for both the patient and their insurance company; emergency rooms are the most expensive place to receive non-emergency medical services. Findings from Johns Hopkins and Lee University found these services can exceed approved Medicare rates by more than 10 times, a 1,000% markup.

To discourage patients from using the emergency room for non-emergencies, insurance plans will require individuals to pay more for emergency room treatment for non-emergencies. This includes charging higher copays for emergency room visits and requiring patients to pay a larger percentage of their emergency room bill than if they had been treated at an urgent care or doctor's office.

For example, Meijer members with the Health Select with HRA Plan have a $300 copay for emergency room visits (which is waived if they are admitted to the hospital), a $100 copay for urgent care visits and a $25 copay for primary care doctor visits.

"Members need to be smart healthcare consumers to maximize their insurance plan's benefits and minimize unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses," Bob Blair, UFCW 227 president, said. "Navigating health insurance can be tricky, but help is available, and the best time to educate yourself about your coverage is before you need it."

Help in understanding benefits and care options, and locating providers and urgent care or emergency room facilities, is available from plan administrators as listed on insurance cards. For Meijer members this number is 1.800.452.6933.

Contacting your doctor's office or an "ask a nurse" hotline before heading to the emergency room for a non-emergency can also save you time and money. They are likely to provide an equally effective cost saving treatment option that will ease your pain, both physically and financially.