I just had testing at SSM Health St. Clare Hospital – Fenton.  I needed a swallow test because I have been having great difficulty swallowing. Turns out, it’s from a hiatal hernia.   

I was not given anything on how much it would cost, only the portion my insurance would pay. The hospital did not say how much it was– [they] just asked me to sign the digital registry that they would bill [my] insurance and took a payment. There was not an opportunity to [negotiate the price ahead of time] as I was there for the scheduled test. If I didn’t pay, I didn’t get the test. 

Aetna Health Insurance is the worst at trying to negotiate anything with. After multiple things they have declined–such as repeated MRIs–I have given up and just laid the faculty cash to get my tests done. 

I had to have the test because I couldn’t swallow. Pay them or breathe. That’s the choice.