It seems like Pearland has a free-standing ER on almost every busy corner now. These stand-alone emergency rooms are fast and close to home. That’s extremely convenient when you or someone in your family needs emergency care in the middle of the night. But it’s important to understand that they may not take your health insurance.

The Convenience of Freestanding ERs

A freestanding ER is basically an emergency room that’s not attached to a hospital. Some have their own buildings, others are located in a shopping center. You can go there with the same kinds of emergencies you would normally go to a hospital ER with. 

It’s not the same thing as urgent care. These handy ERs have most of what you would get at a hospital emergency room: ER doctors, CT scans, X-rays, lab testing, etc. But the only thing is, health insurance is a little more complicated at this type of facility. 

They Have to Tell You in Writing

Texas law is on the side of the consumer here. Before you’re treated at a free-standing ER, someone there has to hand you paperwork showing which health plans they take. Sometimes they don’t take any. If that’s the case, the paper has to say that.

Read that paper carefully. There’s also a sign posted in every lobby warning you that the doctor who treats you may not be in your network even if the actual facility is. That means one trip can turn into two or more separate bills

What Your Health Insurance Does From There

The state of TX has rules in place to stop an ER from sending surprise bills after an emergency. But those rules don’t cover every plan. If your card has the letters TDI or DOI written on it, they apply to your plan. 

If you have a plan provided by your employer, it may follow federal rules instead of state rules. Have someone at Barry Insurance Group take a look at your policy to see what kind of protections you have.

Get This All Sorted Before the Emergency Happens in Pearland

The last thing anybody wants to deal with in the middle of an emergency is paperwork and health insurance hassles. Barry Insurance Group can make sure you are all set when you need to be focusing on the good of yourself and your family.