Over a year ago I went to see a doctor for a base line cardiology work up...EKG, echo cardiogram, and stress test. When I made the appointment I asked if they took my insurance and they said yes, they did. I went to see the doctor and he said he was going to do a nuclear stress test. When he was done he said I needed a stent or I had only a few months before I'd have a heart attack! I was devastated and frightened.
A friend of mine encouraged me to see another doctor. After I spoke with the second doctor we discussed redoing the same tests but I thought that would still leave me worried since it would be a 50/50 chance of whose tests were accurate. I decided to have an angiocardiogram to be conclusive. The angio showed NOTHING wrong with ANY of my arteries!
After the second test, I recieved a bill from the FIRST doctor. This bill was for - I am not kidding - $24000. That was for the TESTS. The SECOND doctor who did the hospital procedure billed me nothing but took my insurance and his office told me they only charge $900 for the same tests the other guy was billing me $24000 for. I called my insurance company, thinking that there had to be a big billing error. My insurance company said the FIRST doctor was "non-participating" even though the office said he was! My insurance company said the DOCTOR participated but the LAB (which was IN HIS OFFICE!) did not participate! Isn't this fraudulent? When you call to schedule tests and say "Do you take my insurance?" isn't it clear that you're asking about whatever it is you're schedulling?
My insurance paid the first doctor and my "share" was about $19,000 which I have not yet been billed for. Recently my insurance sent ME a check for over $4000 and said they "adjusted" the doctor's bill and were asking him to return the money they sent him last year and that the $4000 was for ME to pay him.
How long before the doctor can no longer bill me? How do I defend myself if this doctor asks for MORE than what my insurance sent me? His office said they TOOK my insurance? Wouldn't it be fraudulent to charge me (now the adjusted amount) of $16000 on TOP of what my insurance is paying?
A friend of mine encouraged me to see another doctor. After I spoke with the second doctor we discussed redoing the same tests but I thought that would still leave me worried since it would be a 50/50 chance of whose tests were accurate. I decided to have an angiocardiogram to be conclusive. The angio showed NOTHING wrong with ANY of my arteries!
After the second test, I recieved a bill from the FIRST doctor. This bill was for - I am not kidding - $24000. That was for the TESTS. The SECOND doctor who did the hospital procedure billed me nothing but took my insurance and his office told me they only charge $900 for the same tests the other guy was billing me $24000 for. I called my insurance company, thinking that there had to be a big billing error. My insurance company said the FIRST doctor was "non-participating" even though the office said he was! My insurance company said the DOCTOR participated but the LAB (which was IN HIS OFFICE!) did not participate! Isn't this fraudulent? When you call to schedule tests and say "Do you take my insurance?" isn't it clear that you're asking about whatever it is you're schedulling?
My insurance paid the first doctor and my "share" was about $19,000 which I have not yet been billed for. Recently my insurance sent ME a check for over $4000 and said they "adjusted" the doctor's bill and were asking him to return the money they sent him last year and that the $4000 was for ME to pay him.
How long before the doctor can no longer bill me? How do I defend myself if this doctor asks for MORE than what my insurance sent me? His office said they TOOK my insurance? Wouldn't it be fraudulent to charge me (now the adjusted amount) of $16000 on TOP of what my insurance is paying?