Article written by Dr. Carrie de Moor is the CEO of Code 3 Emergency Partners based in Frisco, TX

A recent Houston Chronicle story highlighted consumer confusion about freestanding emergency centers (FECs) and questioned whether a patient’s ER care at an FEC would be covered by their insurance.

There is no doubt that confusion exists in the marketplace. However, the source of the confusion is grossly misattributed. It is not a coincidence that health insurance company profits are soaring to all-time highs while patients and providers pay an increasingly steep price.

Freestanding ERs provide real, life-saving emergency care. In numerous parts of the state, like Rockport—ground zero for Hurricane Harvey’s destruction—they may be the only access point to emergency care for many miles around.

However, with increasing regularity, some insurance carriers are not abiding by the rules that are meant to protect patients. They are purposely creating doubt in the minds of consumers about whether their emergency care will be covered at certain ER facilities, in order to increase their profits. This practice endangers lives. Through marketing ploys and profit-motivated legislative agendas, insurance carriers are steering patients to higher cost centers where they can reliably make more money on every patient visit.

Patients have been steered away from life-saving care by  READ MORE >>

For more information on "patient steering", click HERE.