$2,000 Hospital Bill For Sprained Ankle

Yet another problem with my insurance company A La Carte Health Insurance (underwritten by Allianz). While visiting my folks at home, I had an accident and injured my ankle. I thought it might only be a sprain but to make sure it wasn't something more serious like a broken bone (because I wasn't able to walk on it) I went to the emergency to have it checked out. They did some xrays and told me in the end that it was probably just a sprain but I should have an MRI to make sure. I decided to rest it and see if the MRI was really needed and it was not as I recovered in about a week. Later, I received a bill from the hospital: $2,000. This was for them to briefly examine me and take some x-rays. They said the rate was so high because of the severity of the situation. The irony is that my insurance company wrote me to tell me that they would not cover the expense as the injury did not present an "immediate risk to my health." I politely wrote them back and asked them how on Earth not being able to walk was not a risk to my health? I am currently locked in an email battle between my insurance company who needs a dozen forms filled out and the hospital who says they have to bounce my case to a collection agency because I have foreign insurance. This whole thing sucks and I have a feeling I'm going to get stuck with the bill. For anyone reading this who is considering insurance: do not go with A La Carte. Their service is terrible and in the end they stick you with a bunch of paperwork and cover very little.