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I've been getting those separate bills recently and it's driving me nuts. For one small out patient procedure I have received bills from the hospital, the docto

by ahi 3y ago

I've been getting those separate bills recently and it's driving me nuts. For one small out patient procedure I have received bills from the hospital, the doctor, the anesthesiologist, anesthesiologist nursing company, and a random surgeon I have never met that the doctor asked in for a 30 second consult (I know how long the procedure took) while I was under. Seriously considering ignoring some of these whotf-are-you bills out of spite.

freetime2 3y ago
> Seriously considering ignoring some of these whotf-are-you bills out of spite. Then they will sell your debt to a collections agency who will make it their business to harass you to the maximum extent legally allowed (and sometimes more than that). This may include impacting your credit score - although I think some states at least have protections against that.
- toomuchtodo 3y ago
  https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-kicks-off-rulemaking-to-remove-medical-bills-from-credit-reports/ https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-kicks... ("CFPB Kicks Off Rulemaking to Remove Medical Bills from Credit Reports") https://www.consumerreports.org/money/debt-collection/fight-when-contacted-by-a-debt-collector-for-medical-bill-a8932597676/ https://www.consumerreports.org/money/debt-collection/fight-... ("How to Fight Back When Contacted by a Debt Collector for a Medical Bill") https://www.patientadvocate.org/ https://www.patientadvocate.org/
Buttons840 3y ago
I'm surprised medical billing scams aren't rampant, considering it's 100% normal to have a bill from from an unknown company show up asking for payment for unclear reasons for a procedure done a year ago.
- NoMoreNicksLeft 3y ago
  > I'm surprised medical billing scams aren't rampant, considering it's 100% normal to The difference between honest-to-god scams, and just these meaningless me-too bills that accompany every medical procedure or test... well, is there a difference? If a scam is some scheme or trick to get you to pay for something you never agreed to pay for and wouldn't agree to pay for if it were said up front, through deception strategies like opaque policies and maneuvering you to a point where you can no longer back out of it... Then pretty much all of it is a scam. That the people performing the scams have professional degrees in medicine, that they're gainfully employed as hospital and medical company employees, and so on, that doesn't really change the nature of it. Originally, the "scammy" behavior was developed (and not deliberately) to try to coerce the insurance companies into paying. But the insurance companies could afford employees to counter all those tactics. This didn't mean the experise was wasted though, they simply turned that onto the patients themselves. The crazy thing to remember is that none of that expertise will go away, no matter what happens. Maybe they'll turn it on the government too, at some point, if we ever get universal healthcare. That could be a hoot, couldn't it?
- verisimi 3y ago
  Isn't the whole thing a scam? Top (legislation) to bottom (little gripy socks, as per another commenter).
- kazizi 3y ago
  They are rampant though. Been in the medical system for the better part of a decade and after every hospital visit, I have to call the hospital to verify each bill I receive. At least 20% of the bills mailed to me are fake.
IG_Semmelweiss 3y ago
there is a company where you can submit your bills if you suspect overbilling. they have professional coders on staff and they will find fraud or overbilling on your behalf and also sue the hospital too medical billing fraud is a serious offense that can get the hospital in quitw hot water and they leverage that
- darrin 3y ago
  What's the company? I've wanted to outsource dealing with medical billing games a few times.

by ahi 3y ago

freetime2 3y ago

> Seriously considering ignoring some of these whotf-are-you bills out of spite. Then they will sell your debt to a collections agency who will make it their business to harass you to the maximum extent legally allowed (and sometimes more than that). This may include impacting your credit score - although I think some states at least have protections against that.

toomuchtodo 3y ago
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-kicks-off-rulemaking-to-remove-medical-bills-from-credit-reports/ https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-kicks... ("CFPB Kicks Off Rulemaking to Remove Medical Bills from Credit Reports") https://www.consumerreports.org/money/debt-collection/fight-when-contacted-by-a-debt-collector-for-medical-bill-a8932597676/ https://www.consumerreports.org/money/debt-collection/fight-... ("How to Fight Back When Contacted by a Debt Collector for a Medical Bill") https://www.patientadvocate.org/ https://www.patientadvocate.org/

Buttons840 3y ago

I'm surprised medical billing scams aren't rampant, considering it's 100% normal to have a bill from from an unknown company show up asking for payment for unclear reasons for a procedure done a year ago.

NoMoreNicksLeft 3y ago
> I'm surprised medical billing scams aren't rampant, considering it's 100% normal to The difference between honest-to-god scams, and just these meaningless me-too bills that accompany every medical procedure or test... well, is there a difference? If a scam is some scheme or trick to get you to pay for something you never agreed to pay for and wouldn't agree to pay for if it were said up front, through deception strategies like opaque policies and maneuvering you to a point where you can no longer back out of it... Then pretty much all of it is a scam. That the people performing the scams have professional degrees in medicine, that they're gainfully employed as hospital and medical company employees, and so on, that doesn't really change the nature of it. Originally, the "scammy" behavior was developed (and not deliberately) to try to coerce the insurance companies into paying. But the insurance companies could afford employees to counter all those tactics. This didn't mean the experise was wasted though, they simply turned that onto the patients themselves. The crazy thing to remember is that none of that expertise will go away, no matter what happens. Maybe they'll turn it on the government too, at some point, if we ever get universal healthcare. That could be a hoot, couldn't it?
verisimi 3y ago
Isn't the whole thing a scam? Top (legislation) to bottom (little gripy socks, as per another commenter).
kazizi 3y ago
They are rampant though. Been in the medical system for the better part of a decade and after every hospital visit, I have to call the hospital to verify each bill I receive. At least 20% of the bills mailed to me are fake.

IG_Semmelweiss 3y ago

there is a company where you can submit your bills if you suspect overbilling. they have professional coders on staff and they will find fraud or overbilling on your behalf and also sue the hospital too medical billing fraud is a serious offense that can get the hospital in quitw hot water and they leverage that

darrin 3y ago
What's the company? I've wanted to outsource dealing with medical billing games a few times.