After waiting 90 minutes, CA mom and baby leave ER before treatment. Then came a $4.9K bill.

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[00:00:00]Back now at 6:13 and new at 6:00 is a scenario no parent wants to imagine.

[00:00:05]Rushing your newborn baby to the hospital and after waiting for 90 minutes, they still left without answers.

[00:00:11]>> Months later, a massive bill arrives.

[00:00:13]Are you responsible? 7 On Your Side Stephanie Sierra investigates.

[00:00:18]>> When you go to the ER, you expect to receive care. But in this case, if you only check in, are you still on the hook for the bill? Well, here's what happened.

[00:00:27]>> Christina Ramirez was on a family trip in Vegas when her 9-month-old son Noah got sick. They flew home, but Noah's symptoms didn't improve.

[00:00:37]>> I got really worried because it wouldn't stop. Um he was having a hard time breathing.

[00:00:42]>> She rushed him to the emergency room at NorthBay Health in Fairfield.

[00:00:45]>> We got checked in and um they took his weight and they gave us an oxygen monitor on his finger.

[00:00:54]>> Ramirez says at first, they waited about 25 minutes.

[00:00:57]>> We were seen by another nurse. They told us that they would do some blood work to check if he had um the flu or COVID.

[00:01:04]>> She says no one came, every minute agonizing.

[00:01:07]>> We waited for about an hour and 30 minutes. They did not do anything at all.

[00:01:12]>> Feeling helpless, they decided to leave.

[00:01:15]Luckily, Ramirez says Noah's symptoms did improve and he wasn't in pain.

[00:01:19]That's until Ramirez got the bill.

[00:01:21]$4,914 worth of bill charges, around 737 of which Ramirez owed.

[00:01:30]>> I was shocked. So I have no idea where I'm going to how I'm going to pay it, you know, especially surviving on one income.

[00:01:37]>> NorthBay Health tells 7 On Your Side, emergency department facility charges are calculated based on nursing time and hospital resources utilized to diagnose and treat the patient. But Ramirez says the interaction between Noah and the hospital staff was only about 10 minutes. Ramirez claims in that time, a nurse took Noah's weight and vitals. The blood tests were never administered. She said she requested an itemized bill, but the one NorthBay provided did not list specific services.

[00:02:06]>> They said that just checking in alone and filling out the forms and everything was that much. I tried calling NorthBay billing to see what they can do for me.

[00:02:17]>> But after repeated calls, she said they wouldn't budge. So, she called 7OnYourSide.

[00:02:22]>> I got a response right away.

[00:02:24]>> Following our correspondence, Ramirez says NorthBay Health agreed to reduce her bill by 20%. The hospital adding, "This difference reflects NorthBay Health's policy of providing an 85% discount off billed charges for all uninsured patients seen in our emergency department."

[00:02:41]Ramirez paid the remainder of her reduced bill, but worries if this happens again.

[00:02:46]>> You only want the best for your child and the amount that it cost, it's really sad.

[00:02:51]>> In California, emergency room visit costs vary widely depending on the hospital, insurance coverage, and severity of the condition. But overall, for non-emergencies, urgent care can be up to 10 times cheaper. For 7OnYourSide, I'm Stephanie Sierra for ABC7 Eyewitness News.