SEPTEMBER 4, 2015, 7:44 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015, 11:02 PM
BY LINDY WASHBURN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
In a lawsuit that illustrates how inescapable surprise medical bills can be, a judge in Bergen County has sided with an anesthesiology practice that did not accept a patient’s insurance for emergency services at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood and sued the patient for payment.
The judge found that the bill was reasonable and that the doctor had no obligation to figure out — “at midnight” — whether the patient’s insurance would cover the anesthesia she needed to deliver her baby.
Brenda Cristiano, who lives in Franklin Lakes, chose the hospital and her obstetrician because they participated in her insurance plan, Cigna. But when she needed an emergency cesarean section to deliver GianLuca in October 2014, none of the anesthesiologists at the hospital accepted Cigna.
It is a lie of omission not to inform the patiend. I checked my OB/GYN and hospital when I was pregnant three times. I did not use any anesthesia but was charged over $1,000 each time for a stand-by ansetheologist that I never met. Nice work if you can get it. These doctors were billing me and other women for the time that they were in the building.
What insurance do they accept? I think that this is done deliberately as a money grab. These doctors have been found to pay a “finders fee” to the doctors that they work with. Splitting their ill gotten gains.
Valley should provide a list of these staff members and the insurance that is accepted by each. I think that most conduct a cash business – just because they can.
Cigna is a pretty good plan. What plans did the doctor participate in? I would bet none
I believe that there is only one anesthesia group that has the right to practice at valley. As such, they have no reason to participate in any insurance plan and can charge whatever they want.
Just like the good surgeons they also do no accept insurance.
Both will help you file but you are responsible for the difference between what they bill and what the insurance company pays
Such is life when you live in an area where wealthy patients keep these docs in business.
It’s not just anesthesiologists that pull this at Valley. Some of the covering radiologists don’t accept BC/BS. You can check if the department takes your insurance all you want and they’ll still farm out the reading.
Having procedures done at Valley can be hazardous to your financial health
Imthink that Valley needs more transparency in their pricing. It is the ultimate “gotcha”
It only encourages the anesthesiologists to take asvantage of vulnerable patients.
They could be part of lots of insurance plans but since people can’t shop for ansetheology services they take advantage.
Valley should be ashamed.
This just happened to me, too. I wrote directly to Audrey Meyers and am hoping to get a reply.
Wait. What?
This must be wrong…All medical care is free thanks to Obamacare!
I know this is true, because the president wouldn’t lie.
It’s odd that the hospital has a “non profit” status with respect to property taxes, yet serves as the venue for the physicians that charge whatever the market will bear
I have never had an issue with doctors at Valley not taking insurance at three different times with different companies. I guess it was just luck.
Anesthesiologists are a stelth group. When faced with surgery you never meet with them. You never know who it will be. It is as if they do this on purpose……..
And a NYT article on this found that doctors in Queens got a cash “finders fee” from the anesthesiologists. Poor babies don’t think that they are making enough working within the system. The patient is secondary to $$
I have unfortunately had reason to use several hospitals in the region in the past few years. All in-network hospitals. I have to say Valley is one where I got pummeled with bills from out-of-network doctors. The hospital clearly is doing nothing to remedy the situation.I suspect it is part of Valley’s business model not to coax doctors into joining the same networks. The doctor profits and in turn they get the loyalty of doctors.
If someone needs elective surgery and doesn’t want to be bankrupted by surprise bills, I’d say go elsewhere.
Well, you effectively have a monopoly without disclosure…. if they get acquired by Englewood or HUMC you’ll see a bit more of in network anesthesiologists…. then they wouldn’t need to double in size either….
Sorry, they as in VALLEY being acquired… I think it’s illegal to do hostile takeovers of anesthesiologists
According to the full article “The anesthesiologist ……. is part of Bergen Anesthesia Group, which has an exclusive agreement with Valley to provide services. The group does not participate in Cigna’s network.”
When Valley signs an exclusive contract, they know situations like this will occur, and seem not to care.
Thanks Valley!
Well, lets hope that Valley’s quixotic double sizing vision falls short and when they are acquired, the auxiliary services like anesthesiologists have to align with health care plans…. and I’m rootin’ for HUMC and Audrey be damned….
This is disgusting and despicable. Valley has such disrespect for the patients. It is sickening. We are real people here with real medical problems and we trust that an in-network hospital will cover our expenses. It is the hospitals responsibility to make sure that doctors who practice within their four walls are in the same insurance networks that the hospital itself accepts. It is hard enough to be sick, scared, worrying about your life, but then to be slammed with unexpected bills is outrageous. Shame on you Valley.