Progress made on ER insurance gap
Amid mounting pressure from Monroe County, Keys residents and recent media coverage, the two groups have quickly bridged part of the gap that placed large, out-of-network expense on many Monroe County ER patients. As of press time, two additional health care plans -
Both Fishermen's and Mariners Hospitals accept all four of those plans for hospital services.
In a statement released by BHSF and SHI, which appeared as an advertisement in the
Cook said in an email: "Being able to easily and understandably utilize medical insurance to access healthcare is important for everyone in the Keys. Baptist Health and the
Cook is trying to solve this on both the county employee front and for all county residents who are affected. He estimated last week that there are upwards of 2,300 Monroe County employees, family members and retirees covered by the Florida Blue plan, which also includes employees and families of businesses and municipalities outside the Monroe County umbrella, such as the
Cook confirmed these four healthcare plans are the most widely used in the county. But he added, "I don't know how many people there are who work in the
However, despite the resolution, the fallout for Monroe County employees and residents may continue until each claim is resolved. Cook estimated the county has at least 55 cases where its employees since
Even with Cook's efforts, many county residents may be on their own to resolve their individual insurance claims. Private duty nurse
Lundy is on her husband's BCBS insurance plan and in June went to
She ended up going to Key West Surgery Center and had a stent inserted, which relieved her pain. Shortly thereafter, Lundy received a bill from SHI for
Monroe County Mayor
Coldiron also spoke with both Fishermen's Foundation Chair and attorney
Coldiron's goal for inviting BHSF to the
According to Monroe County,
Also in the advertisement, it states that "balance billing will not occur" and that "patients of
Balance billing is where providers bill a patient for the difference between the amount they charge and the amount the patient's insurance pays. The amount that insurers pay providers is almost always less than the providers' "retail price." Some providers, as in this case,
In an email from
Cook said BHSF recommends that Monroe County residents who have questions regarding their coverage, including the cost of an upcoming procedure, should contact Baptist's Central Pricing Office at 786-662-7181.
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