First Choice Emergency Room Arboretum Austin $1470.20 for a throat swab test Austin TX Nationwide

This place should be remembered as Facility Charge Excessive Rates clinic. They charge excessively for routine urgent care besides an exorbitant facility charge.

Should have been upfront about the costs before rendering service instead of surprising us with a jaw dropping1500$ bill for a simple throat swab to check on my  daughter's sore throat.

My wife wanted to try this new facility as it was closer than Minuteclinic, Medclinic and Concentra. The staff said they'd treat urgent care and accept BCBS insurance but failed to inform us about their rates which is a basic minimal expectation for a routine non emergency case.

They billed 1000$ for a facility charge and a 300$ for a throat swab to check for pertussis  50$ for a pulse ox check( you can buy a pulse ox meter for 20$), 300$ for evaluation & management ...

How is a patient supposed to know that this place charges 8 times what a regular urgent care costs??  Either it was a billing error or this is highly unethical billing.