Beware Urgent Care coding at Higher ER rate

[EricO53646]

I have UHC Advantage with Optum in AZ. I went to an Urgent Care center for swelling in my leg that I thought might be an insect bite. It felt like an over-sized boil. The doctor Looked at it and determined that it was probably a non-venomous bite that was causing an infection. A prescription for an antibiotic was sent to my pharmacy and I was given instructions on treating cellulitis. If an urgent care center codes any visit as a life threatening condition the billing increases to the ER fee (at least UHC does). I went through the appeal process as nothing was really done at the center and it wasn't an Emergency Room anyway. UHC and Optum said that the coding was correct. If I knew it was going to cost $90 instead of $40, I probably would have used hot water, a poultice, and a needle like my mom did when I was a kid or just gone to the hospital.