Business ProfileforAfter Hours Pediatrics, Inc.

On 2/2/2024, my wife took our 13 year old daughter to After Hours Pediatrics Urgent Care in Palm Harbor, Florida. She was seen for a persistent cough. The office had a TV screen that stated office visits were $69. My wife also confirmed with the reception that the maximum charge would be $69 for a basic visit. My daughter was seen and given a prescription. No tests or labs were performed. Afterwards, we were billed $225 by the company. The only line item on the bill was for the office visit. My wife called both the provider and the billing department, but neither could explain the discrepancy. She was told to email Eric N., which she did twice, but never received a reply. On 3/7/24, I called the billing department and spoke with Britney, who confirmed the price of $225 but could not explain the price discrepancy. I told her I planned to file a complaint so she put me on with a supervisor named Sherrie. Sherrie said the provider could not state a flat price and that it was just an estimate. This is in contrast to other Urgent Care sites I have been to, where they clearly state the base rate for an office visit, and tell you ahead of time if there is a different rate for insurance. I believe this company adjusted the charges once they determined our insurer, Aetna, had a contracted rate of $225. Had they told us the cost would be $225 ahead of time, we could have gone to a number of other Urgent Cares for $100 cheaper. I told the company I thought their pricing practice was deceptive and would file a complaint with Aetna and the BBB for deceptive billing practices. I paid the bill in full to avoid a credit hassle.