How to Have Medical Billing Mistakes Corrected

Don’t ever assume that you and your insurance company will be correctly billed after you leave the doctor’s office or hospital.  From incorrect patient ID labeling to miscalculations to billing for a canceled service, there are many things that can go wrong with your medical bill in-between your appointment and the filing of your patient record. Unfortunately, they can equate to a headache that will have you running to the doctor’s for another examination.  As a patient who is most likely naïve to billing procedure, it can be nearly impossible for you to track mistakes in billing, much less correct them.  If you’ve had to learn the hard way about medical billing mistakes, then you know that they can end up costing you, the patient, a lot of time, money, and frustration.  Here are some pointers for how to have medical billing mistakes corrected:

·         Review the medical coding on your bill.  Make sure the correct code was used for the procedure you had and call your insurance company to make sure they also have the appropriate code on file.

·         Prevent surprises by planning ahead.  If you know what procedure you will be getting at the medical office, call your insurance company ahead of time to verify coverage for that procedure.  That way, if your bill comes out to anything other than what you’d planned, you will know where to find the mistake.

·         Be vigilant about following-up with personnel.  When there is a mistake in medical billing, correcting the mistake often takes a team of people.  This can be confusing and, additionally, makes it easy for office employees to pass the buck.  Do not sit around and wait to get a return or follow-up call.  Mark it in your schedule to call them as many times and as often as is necessary to get the issue resolved.

·         Keep good records.  Save copies of all of your bills and medical appointment exit sheets with the billing codes on them.  Write down the contact name, telephone number and conversation details relating to each and every interaction you have with someone pertaining to your medical billing issue.

·         Ask for a three-way call.  If you can get your insurance provider and the medical office on the line at the same time, you are in a power position to hold someone accountable for the mistake.

·         Stay away from assumptions.  Don’t assume that you owe money just because you got a bill, and don’t assume that the problem will solve itself.

As with any mistake, the best solution is prevention.  If you make it a point to know exactly what to expect as far as out of pocket medical expenses are concerned, then you will be able to catch a mistake in medical billing right away, and the sooner you catch it, the better.  Your best bet is to stay aware, take ownership of your medical bills and pursue a resolution as soon as possible after you notice a mistake.