Bills that don't match. Ever had them?
By writersedge
@writersedge (22563)
United States
October 28, 2010 7:26am CST
My Dentist's bill and my insurance one don't match. My Dentist's office says I owe, $111.00 and my insurance says I owe $62.00. I sent my husband in with both bills and $62. My Dentist and my insurance never match.
My other doctors rectify the bills with the insurance company documents before they send out a bill. My D's O doesn't.
But this is the least of the problems I've seen with bills. I used to have a Dr's office where the code and the listed services never matched. What a mess. They kept denying everything. I kept getting threats that either I pay the entire amount or they would mess up my credit score. I had to keep going to the business office to straighten it out. Finally I called the insurance and then called the business office. I told them what codes to put in. I had the insurance send them a new code book. I know my insurance at the time was unusual for their office and it used really different codes, but I didn't like what I had to go through. I'm glad I have a different Dr. now.
But alas, my Dr. is retiring! Finally get one I like and he's leaving! Now I have to wonder what fun problems I'll have next.
2 people like this
7 responses
@celticeagle (189944)
• Boise, Idaho
30 Oct 10
I really hope that alot of young people just starting out read this. It really pays for people to look at their itemized statements and bills. Make sure things jive and are correct. Call the office if you have a question or see a discrepancy. the information you listed is so typical for some offices and it is really good for people to know this stuff happens. Be aware! Check things out. What a headache! I would find a doctor who's office has it together. I was lucky at my last job where I was given alot of choses in insurance coverage. Had one that you could chose the doctor and another where you couldn't. Had to go with their certain ones. Ugh! Bottomline is that the insurance company is working for you and they need to be ontop of it. I have never had the type of problems you have but I hope this helps others just starting out.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
31 Oct 10
The problem is my insurance has a complicated formula. I liked the insurance I had that had straight up co-pays. You just pay $10 or $20, whatever and be done with it. But every Doctor, depending on what codes they put in, I have to pay a different amount. So I look at what the insurance says and pay that amount. My Dentist is the best in the area. I'm not switching because there is a difference in the bill amounts. We just bring the two in and the business office changes it.
Yes, very true, one should always check, compare, double check. Esp. people with incomes where every cent counts like ours right now.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
1 Nov 10
Tricare has different formulas for diffent things. Depending on what codes the office puts down depends on the formula for that amount of $. Every bill comes back with different amounts of $ disallowed, different amounts they paid, and a different amount that I pay. It might be $14,95 or it might be $20. 25 and I just went to a Dr. each time. So go figure. Co-pay for blood tests seems to be $80 per test and my Dr. and another Dr. wanted 3 batteries of tests a month. No way I could do that.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189944)
• Boise, Idaho
31 Oct 10
I've never heard of different co-pays except when you go to a specialist. I am SO glad I don't have to worry about it anymore. I have medicare now. Ugh!
@EvrWonder (3571)
• Canada
2 Nov 10
Wow. What a mess is right. This must of been a huge headache, not to mention having to do leg work that one would think someone on their end would of already figured out and fixed themselves.
Surely you are not the only one this has happened to??
Personally, I have not had a situation with a doctors and an insurance company but last week I made a purchase on eBay. Since my item arrived today, I went to leave my feedback. I noticed that the shipping amount on eBay, at the feedback stage, show three dollars more than what I assumed I paid. So then, I looked at my PayPal transaction and I did pay what I thought. I kind of wonder why now, all of a sudden the shipping costs are showing three dollars more. Weird.
To top it all off, I got a new cell phone today. My anniversary date is in the middle of each month, when they charge my credit card. Well as usual I get a text from the carrier saying that they got their money and thanks.
Well it is the 1st of November and today, I got a text from the carrier saying, thanks, that they got their money. I'm like, what? So I called them. They claim that no money has been debited from my credit card since the middle of last month. Well now I have to wait until I get my next credit card bill to see, for sure.
A headache but I guess poop happens sometimes and this is one of them.
Hope that when you get a new doctor that it will be an esy, problem free transition and that there will no longer be any billing issues for you.
@EvrWonder (3571)
• Canada
2 Nov 10
Glad that you were able to get the discrepancy sorted out! Sweet. One less thing to worry about.
I am going to wait to see what my next credit card invoice says. I am not too worried about allowing automatic debits to my cc. Only a select few. I have been with the same cell phone carrier for years. I am confident that if there was a charge not warranted, that it would be credited back, no problem.
You are smart however to never allow automatic deductions to your credit card or debit card. This is wise and I should be as wise. For now I think positive, am selective in the companies I do that sort of business with and hope for the best. I trust that if there is ever a problem, that the credit card company will handle it.
I also let the tax company have automatic access to my bank account. Sounds nuts as I have been told I am to allow it but if I owe I owe. I just rather they take it. I am not worried that the tax man or my cell phone carrier is going to rob me.
Although you are wise and perhaps after this discussion I may have a change of heart.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
3 Nov 10
I don't even have a consistant income for those automatic deductions, also when you switch off them, they tend to have a penalty for switching. So consider everything and take care.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
2 Nov 10
It wasn't that bad. My husband brought in both bills and showed them the error. They changed it. I'm not changing Dentists when I have the best one in the area and he's impossible to get into so once I leave, I wouldn't be taken back.
Your credit card, you could call and see if what they say is true or not. I never allow automatic deductions on my credit or debit cards. Take care. Thanks for dropping by and responding.
@cream97 (29085)
• United States
3 Mar 11
Hi. writersedge. I am very glad that you have straightened out the codes and all.
I hope that you don't have this problem anymore at all. This was not your fault at all. My physician retired too. He retired sometime last year. I did not know that he was retiring either. I now have to go to a doctor that is new. I have to find me another doctor to act as my family doctor.
I hope that you don't have this problem anymore at all. This was not your fault at all. My physician retired too. He retired sometime last year. I did not know that he was retiring either. I now have to go to a doctor that is new. I have to find me another doctor to act as my family doctor.@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Mar 11
Yes, when Drs. retire, it can be a trial to find a new one that's really good. Thanks and take care.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
31 Oct 10
I hope you're able to find a Doctor you like. I also hope you seldom have problems with differing bill amounts. Thanks and take care.
@maezee (41985)
• United States
2 Nov 10
I thought I remembered hearing something on the news about health care rip offs like that. But I really can't remember.. Ahh, well. Did you maybe mis-read the bill? Sometimes when you get those letters from doctors or dentists, it will tell you how much you have to pay out of pocket, and how much your procedures were in total. Maybe you were reading the wrong column?
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
2 Nov 10
No, both bills have a "Patient responcibility" column. One said $62 and the other said over a hundred. When my husband brought the bills in, the Dentist's Office changed it. The insurance disallowed a certain amount and that column was missing and always is on the Dentist's bill.
@kingparker (9673)
• United States
26 Jan 11
Sometimes, their way of operation just totally mess up themselves, and they simply blame on the customer. They should calculate them clearly and tell the customer before let the customer go. So, their customers should know how much they owe them or how much the insurance will pay for it. No need of collection agency sent out to collect the due amount, or even send a lawyer's letter.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
26 Jan 11
Here, only lawyers or collection agencies if you go without paying the bill. It used to be 3 months, now one month. I think one month is crazy. The bill could have gotten lost in the mail, you might not know how much it is even. Our insurance takes a month to send information to us. They should be able to calculate it immediately, but our insurance takes a month, so I don't think they could do it any faster.
@Jennlk84 (4205)
• United States
29 Oct 10
That must be frustrating - getting two bills that say something completely different. I don't think I've ever had that specifically happen to me but I have gotten bills before that were a price that I knew couldn't be or that was wrong. Just happened with our insurance company a few months ago actually. It's always a frustrating situation because getting ahold of those types of places and trying to get it all worked out is certainly a chore - so I feel your pain!
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
29 Oct 10
My Dentist's office is pretty good about it. But I've had lots of problems getting a hold of people to straighten things out other places. Thanks and take care.
