5 ms·
The whole system is rife with widespread, unreportable fraud. I’m on hour 8 of trying to get a 46 dollar charge for my annual preventative bloodwork reversed si
by JamesonNetworks 2y ago
The whole system is rife with widespread, unreportable fraud. I’m on hour 8 of trying to get a 46 dollar charge for my annual preventative bloodwork reversed since its literally the only benefit of my plan that should be covered, but because the mysterious incantation of CPT and diagnostic codes are wrong, my previous provider is still sending me a bill once a month.
- bookofjoe 2y ago$46/8 hours = $5.75/hour. Would you take a job that paid that wage? Perhaps it's better to concede that they've ripped you off, write a check and move on. Not a hill worth dying on.
- bombcar 2y agoThe hill is to document and report to the state agency that handles it, and at least make it their problem somewhat.
- bookofjoe 2y ago"Document and report": There's another half hour of your life done and dusted with your time and effort disappearing into a never to be responded to black hole.
- willis936 2y agoWould the healthcare providers pay that wage? Quietly paying the protection money gives them incentive to charge more.
- bookofjoe 2y agoBut it does not change the fact that you have already wasted a day of your life on this quixotic effort. Along with the months of agitation and aggravation and irritation and anger as this issue percolates 24/7 in the background.
- nequo 2y agoThat’s the infuriating thing about it. I suspect the fear of these unexpected parasitic charges in US healthcare is a contributing reason to men’s life expectancy only being 73.5 years.
- jimbokun 2y agoAnd thus how medical practices succeed in defrauding their customers.
- huevosabio 2y agoI'm happy to go through the pain of recovering every dollar from ripoffs that send "accidental wrong bills" as a business practice. It's a matter of principle
- bookofjoe 2y agoYou and your time and your life are worth far more than you're receiving for your efforts.
- zug_zug 2y agoIf everybody only did what was in there self-interest it's not clear society would even function. Holding a company to account in a small way is a moral stand, and like all morality, it's inconvenient and doesn't pay off for any individual.
- bitcoin_anon 2y agoOh dear. Your conception of morality is not serving you well. Check out Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead.
- landedgentry 2y agoThis is what worked for me. (In my case the insurance company and provider were the same - Kaiser - so YMMV.) Write a letter to your insurance company to dispute the explanation of benefits. Follow the instructions for the dispute process. Cite and attach relevant information, like what annual preventative labwork is mandated to be covered by insurance for people your age due to the affordable care act (I believe this is on healthcare.gov). Note that the labwork was preventative and NOT diagnostic. Then wait for them to process it. Providers submit my explanation of benefits wrong (in their favor) almost every time I go into a clinic or hospital or lab. And it boils my blood to know they get away with it because 90% of the people just pay it. Edit: if it's the provider's mistake, then you got to start with the provider.
- zug_zug 2y agoYeah there needs to be a better solution to this. Either some sort of expedient arbitration by a 3rd party, or ability to get reimbursed for your time.
- rqtwteye 2y agoWhat always amazes me is that they can get away with constant mistakes, overcharging and unjustified denials without any real consequences. The worst that can happen is that they have to correct the mistake and do what they should have done anyways. And this only after the patient has spent enormous amounts of time, energy and money. I don’t think any other business would get away with this.