I believe that Express Care Urgent Care is scamming patients by misrepresenting that COVID testing payments are "copays". In my case, I went to get a rapid covid test. The receptionist, Joseline(sp?), told me she needed to check with my insurance company, United Healthcare, as to whether there was a copay for the rapid test. She later told me that the copay was $100. I paid the $100 and got my test. When I got home, I called UHC and was told that Express Care is an in-network provider and that there is no copay for any COVID test, including the rapid test. I next called Express Care and spoke with Joseline. I informed her that UHC stated there is no co-pay. She stated that she knew there is no copay, but that Express Care demands $100 up front anyway because they do not want to have to wait a month to get reimbursed by UHC. I expressed to her that it was insurance fraud to misrepresent payment in full for the rapid test as an insurance copay. Rather than acknowledge the reality, she told me to go ahead and file fraud complaints, which I did with both UHC (which agreed that it is insurance fraud to misrepresent copays) and the State of Connecticut. Importantly, when a UHC representative spoke with Joseline (while I was on hold filing the fraud complaint) and told Joseline that Express Care is not permitted to misrepresent copays, Joseline responded by hanging up on the rep.
The reason it is insurance fraud for a provider to misrepresent payment for COVID tests as a copay is obvious: the insured is led to understand that, no matter where they go for an in-network test, UHC would demand $100. In reality, if I went somewhere else, I would not have had to pay upfront for the test and I'd still have the $100 in my wallet. By hanging up on UHC after it reminded Express Care that it is not allowed to do what it is doing, it is essentially admitting that the insurance scam (as others have called it in reviews) is being done knowing it is wrong. Stated differently, the alleged insurance fraud seems intentional. read more