A visit to any emergency room can be expensive.
It hurts when the bill arrives– it’s even more painful if you weren’t in the hospital in the first place.
That’s exactly what happened to a Kent woman who called Jesse Jones to investigate an apparent case of medical identity theft.
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Tacoma General says it doesn’t require any information to be seen.
And the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act says that the facility must treat everyone who comes in for care.
Administrators are still trying to figure out how Rochelle’s name was connected to the visit.
Here’s how you protect yourself:
Always check the explanation of benefits from your insurance company to make sure you actually received the services rendered.
Check your credit report.
And if a debt collector calls, never admit the bill is yours but rather ask for proof.
The post How An ER Visit Could Turn Into Identity Theft appeared first on Jesse Jones Seattle - KIRO 7 Consumer Advocate.