[North Carolina] Wasp sting anaphylaxis— can I be charged extra for emergency medical Tx from an out-of-network urgent care provider? Would a consent form that I signed post-treatment/after I was discharged negate that?

Hi everyone! (Crossposting from r/AskALawyer)

I went to urgent care yesterday for anaphylactic shock. The intake lady tried to get my insurance info up front but I didn’t have my card and tried to get it pulled up on my phone but was having a severe allergic reaction so she just sent me back and then my friend tried to sort stuff out with her because he had his card on him and we work for the same company. I received a slew of treatments.

On the way out, the front desk lady asked me to sign what she said was a consent form. I normally thoroughly read contracts and take pictures of everything I sign but I had just been to hell and back so I signed it and left.

At the time we just went to get help at the first place we could find since I was stung by a wasp in the middle of a hike so I hadn’t noticed that this was one of the few providers in the area that is not in my network. I am now sorta freaking out about the potential bills, because my insurance covers nothing at all for out-of-network urgent cares. However, I read something elsewhere that says in NC if it’s emergency treatment that they don’t get preauthorization for that they can’t “balance bill” me for more than I would’ve paid at an in-network provider.

That was a relief to hear (at first), but now I’m wondering if signing that form on my way out now negates that.

I did see that it had insurance info on it that they pulled up afterward I already went back for treatment (by calling the company that my friend gave the name of). I’m worried that they can now act like I signed all necessary paperwork with my insurance info on there before they treated me and that I now can’t claim that they didn’t get authorization beforehand or that it wasn’t an emergency.

Until I can make some calls and get some real answers on what to expect, any help, guidance, or supportive words for my anxious little mind would be much appreciated 🧡