People might think they're visiting an urgent care center, but the facilities could actually be freestanding emergency centers located outside of hospitals — and the resulting sticker shock could be painful, NBC News reports.
According to the National Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers in Austin, Texas, freestanding emergency centers' medical services meet the same requirements and accreditations as hospital emergency rooms.
"They are conveniently located, offer little to no waits, and provide an unsurpassed quality of emergency care to patients," the trade group writes on its website. "FECs' reduced size and lower overhead and operational costs when compared to traditional hospitals allows them to provide their services in areas where hospitals cannot exist."
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However, many patients still don't know the difference between these emergency facilities and urgent care centers, NBC News writes, citing anecdotes of families shocked by resulting bills after mistaking the two.
The Colorado's Center for Improving Value in Health Care analyzed claims data and found substantial cost differences between freestanding emergency centers and urgent care centers for the same treatments, such as for sprain/strain ankle — $1,060 versus $300; bronchitis — $980 versus $100; open wound on fingers — $740 versus $200; and ear infection — $760 versus $100.
Currently at least 35 states have freestanding emergency centers, according to The Advisory Board, which described the two types of centers:
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Hospital-Based Off-Campus Emergency Departments (OCEDs), run by hospitals and are considered similar to hospital outpatient departments. These facilities must be licensed by the state and adherent to Medicare conditions of participation; financially and clinically integrated with the affiliated hospital; located within a 35-mile radius of the affiliated hospital; compliant with all of the requirements of their parent hospital's emergency departments, including 24-hour per day operations and obligations of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.
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Independent Freestanding Emergency Centers/Departments (IFECs), owned and operated by non-hospital for-profit entities. IFECs are similar to OCEDs in terms of the services they offer. They are not considered provider-based EDs and are not recognized by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services as emergency departments; because of this, these facilities are not bound by federal emergency department regulations and do not have to comply with EMTALA.
Industry representatives told NBC News that treatment at freestanding emergency centers generally cost more because the facilities provide a higher level of care, with 24/7 operations, sophisticated medical equipment like CT scan machines, and emergency trained doctors.
"In case that sore throat that you had was actually something called epiglottitis, where your airway was about to close, you're paying for the fact that you have the airway equipment there where you wouldn't necessarily have that diagnostic ability in your doctor's office," says Dr. Carrie de Moor, who runs such centers in the Dallas area.
"It's more expensive to order a filet mignon than a hamburger," de Moor tells NBC News. "It's two completely different types of care."
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Katie Kuehner-Hebert
Katie Kuehner-Hebert is a freelance writer based in Running Springs, Calif. She has more than three decades of journalism experience, with particular expertise in employee benefits and other human resource topics.
