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    Is My Medical Bill Wrong?

    Cost of HealthcareThis question comes from a reader and the answer just may be yes.

    It’s hard to believe but Sarah got a long bill from a hospital for her 9-year-old son who had to be rushed to the ER. When Sarah looked closely at the bill, she realized that included in the bill was a charge for a pap smear. Really? She called the hospital three separate times and they said they would look into it, however, they kept sending her the same bill.

    She wrote and asked me what to do?

    First, I told her to document every conversation in writing. Get the hospital representative’s name, title and either a physical address or an email address. After each conversation, document in writing the details on the conversation and the date and time you talked to the person.

    She also needed to ask when the problem would be fixed. Often, the hospital has a different department who handles billing from the department who handles collections. You want to make sure that the error is fixed before you get sent to collections.

    If she still wasn’t getting the problem fixed, I told her that every hospital has a patient relations department and a compliance department. Both departments are good resources when the billing department is not fixing the problem in a timely manner.

    For Sarah, we found the compliance officer at the hospital and he fixed the problem immediately and apologized for the error.  

    If Sarah still wasn’t able to get the problem fixed, she could have reported the hospital to the local healthcare fraud division. Billing a person’s insurance for the wrong service may be a simple mistake or it could be fraud. Your insurance company has a fraud division and so do the government insurance programs. For government programs such as Medicare or Medicaid, you can contact them through their website.

    Tell us whether you have found mistakes on your medical bills.  We’d love to hear from you!

    MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

    Check out how more information on insurance in our new book, Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance.

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    Can You Read Your Health Insurance Statement?

    Senior couple going over their medical bills. They are confusedFor many the answer is no. Sometimes it appears that some items are covered one time and not another. How do you figure out whether the information is correct?

    We need to start with how to read the health insurance statement. Most insurance companies send you a form after each of your healthcare visits called an “Explanation of Benefits” form (or “EOB” for short). This form will list all of your healthcare services and what is being paid for each service. The form should include the services for everyone in your family that is covered by the policy.

    It is important to review each EOB you receive. It is surprising how often healthcare providers bill the wrong services or bill the correct services to the wrong person. Some organizations have reported that 8 out of 10 hospital bills have errors on them. It pays to check.

    Second, you want to compare what is being covered with your insurance plan. You probably have a deductible and co-pays on your policy. When you review the EOB, you should see that your insurance company is paying the proper amount for the services.

    This is often why you cannot easily figure out your EOB. For example, if you get services at the start of the year, many items might not be covered because you haven’t yet met your deductible. However, some services, such as preventative care, may be covered without first needing to meet your deductible.

    Checking your EOB can often save you thousands of dollars by making sure the insurance company pays the correct amount.

    Have you had problems reading your health insurance bills? We’d love to hear from you!

    MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

    Check out how more information on insurance in our new book, Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance.

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    Going Off to College: Parents’ Insurance or ObamaCare?

    Health Insurance Safety Healthcare Protection Office Working ConUsually, the best choice is your parent’s health insurance plan.  

    First, you are only eligible for ObamaCare Health Exchange insurance if you have no other health insurance options.

    Additionally, it is often better to stay on your parent’s insurance because if they have a big group plan at work the cost of maintaining coverage for you is not very expensive. This is especially true if your parents are already covering other members of the family. You should ask your insurance company how much it will cost to maintain coverage for you while you are in college. Your parents’ plan will also often cover more healthcare items and have a lower deductible than many ObamaCare plans.

    If your parents do not have a health plan through work, ObamaCare may be a good option. To find out whether you are eligible, log into the ObamaCare website www.healthcare.gov. After answering several questions, you will be able to see your options. Each state has different insurance companies offering plans in that state.

    Are you planning on staying on your parents health insurance plan while in college? I’d love to hear from you!

    MyHealthSpin helps you Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

    Check out how more information on insurance in our new book, Easy Healthcare: Choose Your Health Insurance.