The Bill
SSM Health's response to their doctor losing control of a Bravo pH capsule during my procedure was a $50 discount.
Original disputed charge
Now in collections
SSM Health's only adjustment
Credit score before and after
The original disputed charge was roughly $1,097. It included the pulmonologist and anesthesia services associated with the emergency bronchoscopy — the rescue procedure required because SSM Health's own doctor lost control of the Bravo capsule. That balance has since ballooned to $3,151.19 in collections — $2,387.46 from the hospital and $763.73 from the physician.
The point of this page is not to debate any single line item. The point is that SSM Health, in nearly a year of weekly billing-department calls and written dispute correspondence, has reduced my bill by exactly fifty dollars — while the balance they sent to collections has tripled.
"Your dispute is under review with the Opportunity for Improvement team. This can take up to 30 days."
— SSM Health Billing Department, July 30, 2025
Days since that 30-day window expired.
The only adjustment SSM Health has made to my bill is $50.