Dachsie
24th April 2022, 10:45 AM
Thought I would give a few of my objections to certain medical billing practices I have observed and have personally encountered.
Guess I will do one objection at a time and see if there is any participation in the thread and any learning we the patients can benefit from thereby.
One of my main doctor's office billing department told me when I called them that they do not have to tell me what dollar amount I am being charged for at the desk of the office right before I am to receive a doctor health service to me.
I told them that is wrong. I told them it is
NOT OK to just demand cash or credit card payment from me and then they get to decide later exactly what the charge is FOR.
I have recently noticed this from two different medical specialty doctor visit.
Also I noticed that it is up to the patient to ask for a paper receipt for the cash payment just handed over to them.
When you get the receipt, it will only state I tendered the certain amount I paid but the receipt will show the date I made the payment, usually the day of the doctor service demanded at the check-in desk.
The receipt will not show what the payment is for.
The receipt will not show a word description and CPT* (Current Procedural Terminology) code. That is the specific description of what the charge is FOR.
At more than one of such encounters at medical appointments lately I have been told that I have to pay the full charge or I cannot see the doctor. If I question the charge and ask how they arrived at the charge of that dollar amount, they will not answer and will just tell me, you have to pay the full amount right now.
If I offer to pay a good amount toward the full amount but ask to be billed in the US mail for the remainder of the charge, I am told "no, you must pay now or you will not see the doctor today."
There will be no CPT code available to me from which I can check that specific dollar charge and code against the EOB (Explanation of Benefits) in the mail from my health insurance carrier. That is the only way I can audit or check or verify the charge.
IF the insurance carrier involves government Medicare or Medicaid and maybe a STATE agency employee group health insurance plan or STATE retirement health insurance plan, there would seem to be other legal concerns in addition to the concerns I am expressing regarding these medical billing practices to patients.
I hate to say this but that seems very dishonest. It feels a bit like a "hold up" or a "shake down" at the doctor's office reception desk.
Any insights or experiences shared will be appreciated.
_______________
Guess I will do one objection at a time and see if there is any participation in the thread and any learning we the patients can benefit from thereby.
One of my main doctor's office billing department told me when I called them that they do not have to tell me what dollar amount I am being charged for at the desk of the office right before I am to receive a doctor health service to me.
I told them that is wrong. I told them it is
NOT OK to just demand cash or credit card payment from me and then they get to decide later exactly what the charge is FOR.
I have recently noticed this from two different medical specialty doctor visit.
Also I noticed that it is up to the patient to ask for a paper receipt for the cash payment just handed over to them.
When you get the receipt, it will only state I tendered the certain amount I paid but the receipt will show the date I made the payment, usually the day of the doctor service demanded at the check-in desk.
The receipt will not show what the payment is for.
The receipt will not show a word description and CPT* (Current Procedural Terminology) code. That is the specific description of what the charge is FOR.
At more than one of such encounters at medical appointments lately I have been told that I have to pay the full charge or I cannot see the doctor. If I question the charge and ask how they arrived at the charge of that dollar amount, they will not answer and will just tell me, you have to pay the full amount right now.
If I offer to pay a good amount toward the full amount but ask to be billed in the US mail for the remainder of the charge, I am told "no, you must pay now or you will not see the doctor today."
There will be no CPT code available to me from which I can check that specific dollar charge and code against the EOB (Explanation of Benefits) in the mail from my health insurance carrier. That is the only way I can audit or check or verify the charge.
IF the insurance carrier involves government Medicare or Medicaid and maybe a STATE agency employee group health insurance plan or STATE retirement health insurance plan, there would seem to be other legal concerns in addition to the concerns I am expressing regarding these medical billing practices to patients.
I hate to say this but that seems very dishonest. It feels a bit like a "hold up" or a "shake down" at the doctor's office reception desk.
Any insights or experiences shared will be appreciated.
_______________