Her $1,731 medical bill made no sense after insurance already paid $7,000, so she faked being ‘uninsured’ — and discovered the real price was $487
Curious, she inquired what the ‘self-pay’ price was, but the staff would not tell her
Navigating the U.S. healthcare system can be frustrating. Carla Bueti (@coach_carla_bueti), a menopause fitness and nutrition coach, took to Instagram to express her annoyance with a certain hospital. She went in for an echocardiogram and received a bill showing she still owed $1,731 after her insurance company had already paid about $7,000 toward the procedure. Wondering why she was still on the hook for so much, she did some detective work of her own. She was stunned by what she found. The video was shared on 8 May, 2026, and it received 936,000 views, 56,800 likes, and 5,983 comments.
‘Can't tell you’
Bueti went for an echocardiogram appointment in March and paid using her insurance card. A few weeks later, a bill came in the mail. It was for $1,731. She was confused because her insurance company already billed her for the test. Bueti also mentioned "being double billed for a calcium score test" and a physician's fee, adding to her frustration with the billing process. She called the hospital hoping to understand the charges and see whether they could be reduced, but they refused to let her off the hook. However, they gave her an option to pay it off in a monthly payment plan, ranging from six to 12 months. Curious, she inquired what the "self-pay" price was, but the staff would not tell her. The woman on the other end of the line said that it was already billed to insurance, so they would not tell her. Bueti thought she had the right to know about her own medical expenses.
One-third of the ‘actual price’
Not giving up, she called back pretending to schedule an echocardiogram for her husband, saying he didn't have insurance and would be paying cash. She said the hospital quoted a self-pay price of $487.02 for the same echocardiogram. Bueti could not believe it! She said, "If I walked in there without my insurance... it would have cost me less than one-third of the price that it's actually costing me carrying insurance." She later said a hospital representative directed her to its online price-transparency estimator, where patients can compare self-pay costs before scheduling procedures. She also revealed that they pay $3,000 every month for their insurance. The reason why she shared her story was to teach others to "ask the cash price first."
Insurance trust shaken
Federal hospital price transparency rules, which took effect in 2021, require hospitals to publicly disclose prices for hundreds of shoppable healthcare services, including cash prices and negotiated insurance rates. However, a study published in the Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy found that only 33.4% of U.S. hospitals were fully compliant with the regulations during the first year of implementation, highlighting ongoing challenges for patients trying to compare healthcare costs before receiving treatment. After learning about the hospital's published self-pay price, Bueti encouraged others to check hospitals' self-pay prices before automatically using insurance, saying that in some cases the cash price could be lower than what patients owe under a high deductible.
Ponzi scheme
People were infuriated that Bueti had to go through such a terrible nightmare. @creativecatnip commented, "Why are you protecting the hospital? Say their name." @nataliejillfit added, "Medical Insurance is the ultimate Ponzi scheme. Cancelled it years ago and moved to a health share model. Look into 'health shares.'" In the comments, Bueti said the hospital was Westchester Medical Center in New York and that her insurer was UnitedHealthcare, no doubt in response to the many people asking her to reveal the names.
You can follow Carla Bueti (@coach_carla_bueti) on Instagram for more health and lifestyle content.
More on Scoop Upworthy
Woman shocked after being charged $1.5 million in hospital bills for giving birth to triplets
Share on Facebook
