If a 20 year old college student gets drunk and sent to the hospital and recovers in a few hours..?

Question

Will her parents find out? The people at the hospital said that they will send the bill and stuff to her school address. But my question is, her insurance is under her parents, so can they still find out even though the mailing is at home?

She is 20 years old, and in the hospital they told me that if you are under 18, then your parents find out.

But can they still find out since her parents pay for her health insurance? The mailing will not be done at her home address, so her parents can't check the mail.

So my basic question is, how does the insurance stuff work?

And is there any co-pay for a situation like this?

Please answer only if you are familiar with the health insurance, billing, hospital process.

And yes, I know some people will say "she shouldn't have been drinking." I know that, don't worry, I know, and she won't ever drink again.

Thanks everyone.

Answer 1

I think the parents should find out from her.

Answer 2

Regarding co pay: It depends on the policy. There MAY be a co pay required, there may not. There is no way any of us can answer that, without knowing the policy's coverage.

Regarding the parent's finding out: It MAY be that the hospital can adhere to the doctor/patient confidentiality since the patient is an adult. The hospital need not inform ANYONE other than the insurance company, as long as the coverage is adequate. Another way to help insure that no information gets out is to make sure that any co pay required is paid at the time of service. Who know WHERE the bill might get sent, or the record of the bill, if it is not paid immediately.

The insurance company HAS to know. The problem is, what will the insurance company do with the information. The parents foot the bill. They may not see what the nature of the emergency is, but they may see that there was such a service performed and you can bet they will want to find out and begin asking questions.

Answer 3

There are health privacy laws, otherwise known as HIPAA. These laws are to protect private health information. However, when a claim or bill is submitted to the insurance company from the hospital, all necessary information related to treatment, diagnosis, meds given, etc is not listed, it is coded, for example a diagnosis of dehydration would not be listed on an Explanation of Benefit (EOB) which is a copy of the claim/bill submitted by the hospital , it will be changed to a code that the insurance company will understand and will be a set of numbers or numbers and letters. At 20, your friend is not considered a minor, and she can call the insurance company and ask these questions. As far as a copay, her policy will determine that, she is going to have to call the insurance company.

Answer 4

OK, Been there done that! And yes then she will probably drink again, and yes her parents will get a bill through the insurance, first contact the insurance company, ask for billing then give them the claim # and her policy # and ask them how to pay with out worrying her parents, this may work, but if her parents take a good look at their ins information then be truthful! Did you ever think that maybe someone put something in her drink?

Answer 5

Chances are pretty good her parents will find out because the insurance company sends out benefits statements to the policy holder whenever they pay out money to a doctor or hospital. That's not the same as the bill from the hospital. It would be smart if she 'fesses up before they get the insurance statements. They may be angry but not nearly as angry as they will be if they find out by calling the insurance company because they don't understand the statements...

Answer 6

very simple. Yes, they will find out. They will get notification from their health insurance that there was activity and they will see a charge for the emergency room visit. Depending on the health insurance sometimes there are co-pays and sometimes there aren't. She might see a bill for something like $50 as a co-pay, but the rest of the charges will appear on the insurance information her parents will get.

My insurance company actually emails me when there is a claim and you can track it all online.

Answer 7

The parents will probably get something from the insurance company which indicates a hospital stay and maybe the items billed for, but it probably won't show WHY she was in the hospital. They're going to wonder why, though.

Answer 8

Chances are they will find out. If you're in the U.S. you get not one but many hospital bills and not all at the same time. So they could try send one to the parent's home address as well. Sorry... I think it would be wise to come clean with the parents. They probably got wasted when they were young as well.

Answer 9

What you are describing when you discuss the loss of Mother and Grandmother are known as feelings of abandonment. These feelings are quite common and are to be expected. Also, the distance you feel from your Father stem from the loss of the Maternal images in your life. Your desire for a g/f to talk to are a good thing. Even a friendship you could form with a young lady would be healthy outlet for you. I would recommend that you seek some counseling from a licensed therapist to help you sort through your feelings that you may understand and accept them and ultimately move forward in your life. The schoolwork will pay big dividends, but, if you are overwhelmed, talk to a curriculum counselor to trim some classes or postpone a course or two. May God bless you.

Answer 10

True you are 20years old and the hospital didn't have to contact your parents but about the insurance they will get a statement from the insurance company for your er care..You might wanna think about telling them something different like you fall and you thought you had a broken bone but think of something better because it will show you went to the emergency room but i don't think it says why

Answer 11

A 20 year old shouldn't have to hide something like this from her parents. She is legally an adult and almost one in reality. Her main concern should be the police. Hospitals generally notify the authorities when an underage drinker shows up in their hospital with alcohol related issues.