Having medical insurance is no guarantee you won't be over billed. Many are finding inaccuracies in the bills they receive from hospitals and caregivers. The problem is less uncommon than one would think. It could be sloppiness or it could mean the right hand isn't talking to the left hand. Hospital billing procedures often do leave a lot to be desired, since there are so many involved in the patient's care. But errors do occur, and it is a good idea to do a line by line review of your hospital bill.
One young nurse recently had an eye opening experience as she was reviewing the bills from her husband's recent hospital stay. It appears he had been scheduled to be released on a particular day, and that wasn't communicated somehow, causing him to have to stay an extra day. There were excessive charges for administering medication 7 times per day when it was only prescribed 4 times per day. And then there was the charge for $875 for one item that she knew from her hospital work should have only been around $80. Clerical error. By the time she was finished, she had discovered nearly $7000 of incorrect charges.
So when you receive a hospital bill, it is a good idea to sit down and review it very carefully. If you have questions, sit down with your doctor instead of the hospital billing department. The billing department is clerical by nature, and they don't always have an accurate history of the care that was actually provided. Make sure you ask questions.
If you are unable to find satisfactory answers to your questions, you do have other resources. There are patient advocate groups available to help. And don't hesitate to contact the insurance commissioner in your state if you are having issues with your insurance company.
By having health insurance, we want to be taken care of in case we need it. There is no need to be intimidated by a bunch of codes and numbers on the bill. The hospital can tell you in words what all of them mean. Medical bills can be filled with errors, and you certainly don't want to pay excess charges. Do your homework, and you'll get the corrections made that you need. - 23211
One young nurse recently had an eye opening experience as she was reviewing the bills from her husband's recent hospital stay. It appears he had been scheduled to be released on a particular day, and that wasn't communicated somehow, causing him to have to stay an extra day. There were excessive charges for administering medication 7 times per day when it was only prescribed 4 times per day. And then there was the charge for $875 for one item that she knew from her hospital work should have only been around $80. Clerical error. By the time she was finished, she had discovered nearly $7000 of incorrect charges.
So when you receive a hospital bill, it is a good idea to sit down and review it very carefully. If you have questions, sit down with your doctor instead of the hospital billing department. The billing department is clerical by nature, and they don't always have an accurate history of the care that was actually provided. Make sure you ask questions.
If you are unable to find satisfactory answers to your questions, you do have other resources. There are patient advocate groups available to help. And don't hesitate to contact the insurance commissioner in your state if you are having issues with your insurance company.
By having health insurance, we want to be taken care of in case we need it. There is no need to be intimidated by a bunch of codes and numbers on the bill. The hospital can tell you in words what all of them mean. Medical bills can be filled with errors, and you certainly don't want to pay excess charges. Do your homework, and you'll get the corrections made that you need. - 23211
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