Edda Gonzalez

Review of San Ramon Regional Medical Cen...

I recently visited the ER. I honestly do not have...

I recently visited the ER. I honestly do not have an issue with the medical services provided the three times I have used this ER. In general they provide expedient service, although in reality, for me it is just more of a glorified urgent care. (My previous urgent care did labs and x-rays so I did not needed to come to the ER at all...). Regardless is probably the last time I will have visited this facility.

The one star rating is more associated with a payment policy for ER services established during this last year. You are now required to pay a $250 Deposit for ER medical services when you have co-insurance, before they allow you to leave. For all intents and purposes I should not have an issue with it after all we do live in San Ramon, an affluent suburb of the Bay Area but I do. Here is why...

We have comprehensive medical care coverage that clearly states that we are not liable for any emergency room fees until my claim has been processed. Which means that once my coverage is confirmed, from my point of view this hospital is violating the provider agreement with my insurance since this deposit has nothing to do with any co-insurance or deductibles I may be liable for.

If like us, you are lucky enough to plan for this kind of contingency with a Flixible Spending Account you will find yourself denied the disbursement (and having to pay it back) because it does not correspond to a provided service.

If you have, unfortunately, maxed out your out of pocket, you find yourself out $250, you should not have to have paid to begin with. GOod luck getting this returned in as expedient manner as they collected it. (I did just got reimbursed)

I may have no issues with coming up with $250 dollars, but there are families in our community that might have an emergency, and will not go to the ER because they simply cannot spare the $250 you are basically bullied to pay and when you complained expediently hand you a business card in the middle of the night after they just pumped you with pain meds and tell you if you have an issue with the policy feel free to contact the financial office during business hours.

If hospitals are arbitrary allowed to set this Deposit for ER Medical Services for $250 today, that in theory keeps it out of the billing process, who is to say that tomorrow they will not set it at $1000, since the cost of living in CA is so high?

Finally in my professional opinion, this feels like a management consultant recommendation hastily implemented to help cash management issues in a community hospital, that keeps it just outside of the purview of the State Attorney General investigations on hospitals collection practices. Someone should look into it!