If you go over your OR time - hospital wont let you leave till you pay???

I am having surgery at Houston Hospital for Specialized Surgery on the 16th and Im unbelievably excited! Im having trouble sleeping because I dream about it and Im SOOOOO ready!
But I am a worrier of all things small and out of my control so....

Though no-one knows how long surgery will take because of so many variables and complications that are unforseen - I am scheduled for 6 hours for extended tummy tuck, lipo to back and hips and breast lift.
This hospital has a FIRM policy that if you go over your time in the OR it is $300/30min. You will not be allowed to leave until you pay.

1. Have any of you used this hospital or any other hospitals with these policies and gone over?

2. Can they legally hold you hostage if your surgery goes over an unexpected hour until you pay? Like can they just park you in their waiting room with drains and crap in for several wee****il the next check comes in?

3. How many of YOU have gone over in surgery?

I know my surgeon is a perfectionist (and I thank GOD for it!) and will not cut my surgery short or cut corners - nor do I expect him to. But if it goes way over - there is really no true way to be prepared for something like that. KWIM? I am just a worry wart and I need some personal experiences!

No, they can't legally hold you hostage (not anywhere in the U.S., that is).  If they do, dial 911 on your cell phone to report a kidnapping.  Although that does differ somewhat internationally.  For instance, if you are travelling in Russia and end up in the hospital, the Russian authorities will not let you leave the country until you have taken care of the medical expenses.

If you are leaving the U.S. for your plastics, you might want to check with the local U.S. embassy for information along these lines.

I haven't encountered this type of situation with a hospital, beyond needing to pay a calendar year deductible.  But, then again, I have terrific insurance coverage.

What you may want to do is to set up payment arrangements if you can't afford to pay in one fell swoop. 

Sounds like your plastics are self-pay.  (I've read your posts before but I don't remember details).

Good luck.

That policy is not legal.

They cannot hold a PERSON as collateral.  (That is, in effect, what they are doing.  This would also result in more $$$ owed in the end because you can bet they won't let you sit on the proverbial hospital doorstep until you pay: they'd have you in the hospital ROOM - charging you by the minute I'm sure - until you paid.)

I would check into other hospitals. 

Any hospital that treats its patients like they're stopping in at a gas pump to fuel up does not need to benefit from your business.

Just sayin...

It is in the US and I am self -pay. And I have no problem paying for the services rendered to me - I understand that I am responsible for them. However - you cant squeeze money out of an empty piggy bank...

I was talking to my Aunt who said that since I am self pay (and not relying on insurance to cover me) that I can walk out AMA (after my Surgeon says I am okay to go home) and they have my info at that point to bill me the rest and I WILL pay it. I can even leave a note on my bed letting them know that I am going home to recover after my surgeon has told me that I am safe to do so - and that I have EVERY intention of paying my bill after they have sent it to me...

Does this sound okay?

I can appreciate that they have been stiffed in the past and therefore we all must deal with it - but I just hate that they are going to be a$$ about it ya know?

It's not AMA if your surgeon has cleared you to go home.

Just check out and, if they give you crap, tell them to bill you.  When you receive the statement, send them a partial payment that you can afford and they will work with you.

OR got to another hospital.

No, they can't kidnap you. They may ask if you can pay the additional fees, if not they will GLADLY bill you.
 
This was prolly put in place because of the doctors. The doctors where prolly cushioning their OR times for insurance and billing purposes and so the hospital stepped in and put pressure on them without putting pressure on them.

The put pressure on the patients which puts pressure on the docs. If you are wondering about it. Call the administrative offices and as why the policy was put into place. Ask straight out if it was a patient "thang" or a doctor "thang".

Hospitals cannot hold you against your will until you pay, it's illegal and to be honest, I've never heard of it here in the U.S..  Tell them to bill you and you'll workout some sort of payment plan. All hospitals should have that option.

As you know, we have the same surgeon.  I also used HHSS.  I was scheduled for 7 hours and it went over by almost 30 minutes.  They did come and find my husband while I was totally out of it and told him how much more we owed.  He paid it then, so I'm not sure if they would have tried to "hold me there" or not...but I highly doubt it.

What all did you have done? Do you know why it almost went over?
Im going to give my hubby a note from me - and have him pretend he is deaf. They will NOT harass him! LOL!

But seriously - I am going to give him a note - Ill just hang until Dr. Lo lets me go - and I will pay my bill in 2.5 wks.
I will firmly state in the note that we always pay our bills and will pay them - but we will NOT be harassed before Im even in the clear and able to speak. It's HIGHLY inappropriate for them to be asking for money the second I leave the OR.

I don't skip out on bills - that is stealing - but im not going to be harassed while trying to heal either. KWIM?

I had an LBL and BL and some minor lipo to my back.   But he said mine would take a long time because of how much "reconstruction" i needed..LOL!  My hubby said it was only $200 and something.  I was originally supposed to go to University General, which cost more, so we had already transferred the money to pay for that to our account.  Then we were asked to switch to HHSS, which was cheaper, so we happened to have it anyway, which is why he went ahead and paid it.

And yeah, my husband said he was not harrassed at all, and they never stated they would not let me leave...so I think you will be ok.