One thing that I've learned on my journey to get out of debt is to carefully read medical bills before paying. Today marks the upteenth time that I've gotten an incorrect statement. Most of the time the provider has failed to file the medical bill with my second insurance company. A couple of times neither one of the health insurance companies has been billed.
The high dollar amount for the visits that haven't been filed aren't hard for me to spot. If the medical bill is in the stratosphere, then it hasn't been filed.
However; medical bills for the smaller amounts aren't always easily identified. Sometimes there is a lot of insurance company jargon that makes it hard to tell what amount has been filed with which healthcare provider. It can take several minutes and a phone call to get to the fine print on medical bills. The madness is frustrating but necessary.
Today, I saved almost $100 by carefully reading medical bills before paying. The healthcare provider claimed that they did not have information on the second company. I had to fish out my insurance cards and give them the information over the phone. It took a little while to get it all straight. They will re-file and then send me another bill. The final total is anyone's guess. It's a safe assumption that the total will be less than what they just tried to get me to pay.
Do yourself a favor. If you're trying to get everything paid off take time to read your medical bills before paying. If it works for me, then chances are high that it will work for you.
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I agree, it is important to read the bills as they often have errors. Another good way to reduce costs is to contact the medical provider and see what repayment options they can offer and if they can give any discounts for paying in full or if you qualify for a bill reduction based on your income levels or financial hardship.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to a blog that provides additional information on resolving medical debts.
http://www.clearpointcreditcounselingsolutions.org/medical-debt/
Hope your readers find it useful.