When A Clinic Is Still A Hospital Visit

I hurt my finger rock climbing and looked up the Hand Clinic at Stanford. The doc signed me up for therapy, which was right there. They gave me a buddy strap (a velcro strap to tie the injured finger to an adjacent healthy one) and a litte massage by a hand therapist.

The doctor's visit was the requisite doctor's visit co-pay. The therapy got billed as a hospital visit, which my health plan paid at 85% with a $300 deductible for the year. That buddy strap and a little finger rubbing cost me $500. If the Hand Clinic were not "inside" Stanford hospital, but rather a freestanding "clinic", it would have cost me only a $20 co-pay for physical therapy. 

Sometimes going to a hospital is cheaper than a clinic (see previous post), sometimes the clinic is cheaper than going to the hospital. Do your homework!