Tieqiao Zhang experienced severe stomach pain, later diagnosed as a kidney stone, and visited Parkland Health’s Urgent Care Emergency Center near his home in Dallas. The center, operating as a freestanding emergency department, charged him $19,543 for two visits, despite being insured by BlueCross and BlueShield of Texas. Zhang faced difficulties in navigating the differences between urgent care and emergency care, as well as the billing practices of the facility. Experts suggest that states could do more to increase price transparency and regulate freestanding emergency rooms to help patients avoid surprise bills.
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It’s Called an Urgent Care Emergency Center — But Which Is It?
