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October 7, 2015      6:16 PM

Study: Texans are charged more than 650% the going rate of Medicare for ER visits

Texas pays an average of $173 through Medicare. Yet hospitals charge an average of $1,162 for the same treatment if the payee is out-of-network

Insured Texans who wind up in an emergency room pay more than six times the going rate for care on average, a new report found, if the hospital they’re taken to is outside their insurance company’s provider network.

The prices for emergency care and dozens of other types of medical treatment double or quadruple when a patient goes to an out-of-network facility, according to the report, making Texas one of the most expensive states for people who receive out-of-network care whether by accident or necessity.

The insurance trade association America’s Health Insurance Plans came to these conclusions after collecting payment data for almost 100 different treatment codes during the 2013-2014 fiscal year. Its report compares what each state paid for treatment through Medicare with what the same providers charged individuals paying out-of-pocket.

By Emily DePrang