After many years of never being anything but uber healthy, this year I have had two major medical issues. Never being in need of anything but routine medical care, I was unprepared for the plethora and red-tape of medical bills.
I have had an easy recovery time compared to dealing with the medical bills for these medical issues. The bills started coming even before I was released from the hospital. The co-pays alone have been very expensive and I relented and sent a check for them. I received one bill for $560 and promptly paid it, only to receive the bill two more times. My bank statement reflected that the check amount had been deducted from my account but the provider insisted that I never paid the bill. After three calls, I spoke with someone who told me not to pay again (which I planned not to anyway) and to be prepared to fax a copy of my bank statement detailing the transaction next month.
I was initially taken to one hospital, transferred to another, and sent to still another for rehabilitation. I expect to receive bills for transport costs for three hospitals. The first transport, to the first emergency room was paid by me out of my pocket. (No word yet from insurance yet about paying this one.) The bill for transport to the second hospital, a specialty hospital has been received and my insurance paid about half of the bill. The third hospital, to rehabilitation facility has not yet been received either. I will sending all three bills back to my insurance because isn’t that their job to pay these expenses? It is all very confusing. This feisty woman will be appealing these bills for sure.
On some doctor visits copay is expected, but not on others. A one-two minute doctor visit while in the hospital requires a copay? A post surgery visit requires a copay one visit, but not the next? The bills are often hard to decipher because they contain multiple visits from different doctors. And then you receive the EOB/explanation of benefits that is NOT a bill! Why send it anyway? It sends my blood pressure through the roof with the thought that I might have to pay these enormous bills when I think that they want me to feel fortunate that they are paying most of the bill. Well, it is not working!
I could go on but you get the picture. I received another bill today detailing a hospital stay that was one day in length. Words fail to describe my thoughts on this one and the total for one day of hospital care. Unbelievable…..
And when Hillary tried to develop a health care plan, it went nowhere. Life would be so much easier for me, and I am guessing, many more Americans trying to decipher medical bills, if a standard system was in place. I will keep on sending them back to the insurance and appealing. This feisty woman will keep fighting to get the bills paid. Wish me luck!
I hope that no one experiences medical bill