Dealing with medical office and insurance fuckery.

Sludig

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Essentially I had some back issues ending in surgery. Along the way had images done and ahead of time Dr had me get a cortisone shot in my back.

Every time they had me go get imaging or anything I was asking if was in network with my insurance. In the case of the office for the cortisone shot I was scheduled by the scheduler at my back doctor. Then when I went to the office I asked the front desk lady there again about insurance and they took a $45 payment which was my specialist O/V rate.

Fast foward 4-5 months and I get my EOB from Aetna saying none of it's covered. (Thought I had a approval letter like I had for MRI's but maybe not) Finally got the bill today. Charges of around a grand and change. (The EOB showed 2,500 so looks like they cut the charge already but not reflected on the bill.)

I was wondering what's the best recourse, is there usually a state agency I can complain to? The dr works out of an office with a few locations and doctors, so not sure to complain to him or who there as well as the office which did the cortisone shot.

If I can drop it to a few hundred that would be fine, though still more than I should have paid since my coinsurance is only 10%.

It's horseshit when I have the forethought to ask that I can be lied to or on the hook for their fuckup.




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Unrelated but for the surgery they had at dr request a neuromonitor guy to help make sure they didnt mess w/ spine. They had twice a letter stating their services aren't balance billed and I wont get charged any extra. From my EOB they billed like 18,000 to insurance. Insurance paid next to nothing and gives an EOB for close to the 18k. An amount which dwarfs everything else billed by multiple times over. I havn't gotten anything from them so I may be fine but dreading that one.
 
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AladainAF

Best Rabbit
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Its fucked up, but I've noticed a growing trend of offices saying "It's your responsibility to find out if we are in or out of network for you". That shit was NEVER placed on us before, it's a new thing. I've only noticed it in the last 3-4 years.
 

Jalynfane

Phank 2002
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I think all the states have a Director of Insurance, ours is attendance to the Dept of Consumer and Business Affairs. They are there to enforce the rules that insurance carriers submit to them. It may help to call them after you have exhausted your insurance company's staff trying to get the right answer.
 

kegkilla

The Big Mod
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Essentially I had some back issues ending in surgery. Along the way had images done and ahead of time Dr had me get a cortisone shot in my back.

Every time they had me go get imaging or anything I was asking if was in network with my insurance. In the case of the office for the cortisone shot I was scheduled by the scheduler at my back doctor. Then when I went to the office I asked the front desk lady there again about insurance and they took a $45 payment which was my specialist O/V rate.

Fast foward 4-5 months and I get my EOB from Aetna saying none of it's covered. (Thought I had a approval letter like I had for MRI's but maybe not) Finally got the bill today. Charges of around a grand and change. (The EOB showed 2,500 so looks like they cut the charge already but not reflected on the bill.)

I was wondering what's the best recourse, is there usually a state agency I can complain to? The dr works out of an office with a few locations and doctors, so not sure to complain to him or who there as well as the office which did the cortisone shot.

If I can drop it to a few hundred that would be fine, though still more than I should have paid since my coinsurance is only 10%.

It's horseshit when I have the forethought to ask that I can be lied to or on the hook for their fuckup.




---

Unrelated but for the surgery they had at dr request a neuromonitor guy to help make sure they didnt mess w/ spine. They had twice a letter stating their services aren't balance billed and I wont get charged any extra. From my EOB they billed like 18,000 to insurance. Insurance paid next to nothing and gives an EOB for close to the 18k. An amount which dwarfs everything else billed by multiple times over. I havn't gotten anything from them so I may be fine but dreading that one.
the good thing about medical bills is they are easy to negotiate if you don't mind ruining the relationship with whoever you're dealing with. medical debt sells for like 10 cents on the dollar to collectors, so if you take a hard line with the hospital and say, "i'm not paying this shit. cut it down to xxx amount or you can go fuck yourself" more often than not they're going to be willing to play ball with you, because it's a better outcome for them. even if they do send it to a collection agency, the agency is going to get in touch with you and try to get money from you (and you can negotiate with them also) before anything hits your credit score since once it hits your credit score they lose any leverage they have over you.
 

Sludig

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In this case, it's a medical office fairly small in faggoty boulder. Not sure if I can get leverage yelling at the main back doctors people (they have 3-4 offices and several doctors so much bigger) since they were first ones to send me out of network. (And this doctor was supposed to be on the aetna cost effective/vip/good review folk) Or just focus on the small office who also told me the wrong thing.

The local news has been doing constant stories on this kind of thing and just about everyone they cover have their bills dropped. Tempted, though I dont want to get off for free, I'm happy to pay something that is fair, but not over a grand for bullshit that didnt help and was a 5 minute procedure.

Any idea how bad one bill like that can kill my credit? Ive never in my life had anything outside my mortgage/truck on my credit report. Last I saw I was like 805 or 795 there abouts. Be a shame to wreck that.
 

Sludig

Silver Baronet of the Realm
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Have you escalated this with your insurance yet?

No, kinda got the feeling from one call before about questions it would be a nightmare. And if they were out of network, then it's not their fault? At best I'm pushing them on paying some of what theyd normally pay someone? I'm guessing they are now saying even the procedure wasn't covered. (like saying no to an mri for a toe sprain)
 

kegkilla

The Big Mod
<Banned>
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In this case, it's a medical office fairly small in faggoty boulder. Not sure if I can get leverage yelling at the main back doctors people (they have 3-4 offices and several doctors so much bigger) since they were first ones to send me out of network. (And this doctor was supposed to be on the aetna cost effective/vip/good review folk) Or just focus on the small office who also told me the wrong thing.

The local news has been doing constant stories on this kind of thing and just about everyone they cover have their bills dropped. Tempted, though I dont want to get off for free, I'm happy to pay something that is fair, but not over a grand for bullshit that didnt help and was a 5 minute procedure.

Any idea how bad one bill like that can kill my credit? Ive never in my life had anything outside my mortgage/truck on my credit report. Last I saw I was like 805 or 795 there abouts. Be a shame to wreck that.
an unpaid account would do like 80-100 points of damage on your credit until you get it removed.
 

chaos

Buzzfeed Editor
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No, kinda got the feeling from one call before about questions it would be a nightmare. And if they were out of network, then it's not their fault? At best I'm pushing them on paying some of what theyd normally pay someone? I'm guessing they are now saying even the procedure wasn't covered. (like saying no to an mri for a toe sprain)
The insurance counts on most people just accepting the EOB and not escalating. You should push.
 

alavaz

Trakanon Raider
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I've always had access to a web/phone app that shows if the provider is in network.

Your insurer should have an appeal process. If this provider shows up on their website as in network then link it in your appeal and they should pay for it. I actually screen shot it before I visit now, just in case it disappears by the time I get the bill.
 
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