What to do about a misdiagnosis regarding a pregnancy?
Question Details: I went to the ER very early on Monday morning after having been told by my OBGYN the previous Friday that I was pregnant. I was having some bleeding and the ER doctor told me I was 2 weeks pregnant and sent me home thinking I was fine. My regular doctor called me later and said that I was actually miscarrying. If I dispute the ER doctor's fee, do I have a legal leg to stand on?
You probably have no claim against the ER doctor's fee. Giving you incorrect advice, or even making the wrong diagnosis, does not excuse you from paying the bill. On the other hand, the amounts billed by doctors and hospitals are usually negotiable. They are much higher than insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid would pay. If you do not have insurance, I suggest you call the hospital and doctor when you get the bill. Tell them what happened. Tell them that you do not have insurance and ask if you can pay a reduced amount. I usually recommend offering to pay about 30% of the bill (yes, insurance companies etc. usually pay this or less). See if you can get them to take much less than they billed.
