A Debt Consolidation & Credit Counseling

Debt Consolidation &
Credit Counseling

Too many bills?
Trouble keeping up?
Behind?

Free
Debt Consolidation
Quote

Medical Bills

Hospital Billing

For Fast Response Toll Free

Pay off your bills today and lead
a debt free life tomorrow!

Receive your FREE debt consolidation analysis and start saving today! Click Here for your free quote.

Medical Bill - Hospital Bill

Saving Money On Your Hospital Bill

Hospital speak is a jargon filled way of itemizing medical bills so that consumers are unaware of exactly what they are being charged for. If you have ever tried to decipher a hospital bill you will know what I mean. One estimate puts hospital overcharges at $10 billion a year. Some of these overcharges are legitimate errors but some are deliberate attempts to extract as much money from patients, and their insurance carriers, as possible. The key is keeping the bills indecipherable, but there are ways consumers can fight back.

The hospital money maze begins at discharge when you are asked to pay the hospital bill in full prior to being released. You should never pay this bill prior to discharge even if the hospital says it is required. Above all, never put the hospital charges on a credit card as the clerk suggests. Ask them to send you an itemized bill for their services. Then audit that bill.

The hospital bills are nearly impossible for consumers to decipher because the charges are disguised with codes and medical terminology. A recent example is a woman who discovered her husband's charges for hip replacement surgery included newborn blood work and a crib mobile. Charges like this are not so difficult to discern but others are more difficult like a charge one woman found on her bill listing a mucous recovery system. The translation? It was a box of tissues for which she was charged over $100.

The bulk of charges are covered by insurance, but consumers pay a percentage of the bill. In addition, the amount the insurance company pays goes towards a lifetime maximum of benefits. Not only that, but over charges like this get passed on to consumers who must pay ever increasing premiums for health insurance.

When charges for ordinary supplies such as linens show up on a bill those charges should be questioned, as the room charge should include such basics. If there are charges on your bill that don't' seem correct they should be questioned. You have the right to have a billing department representative sit with you and explain each charge. If there is a dispute about whether a charge is proper or not, such as the gentleman who was billed for newborn blood work, the hospital is obligated to research the charge and remove it if there is no proof the work was done or was ordered by the doctor.

In addition to the statements received from the hospital, other providers send bills too. One hospital stay can generate bills from a surgeon, radiologist, anesthesiologist, laboratory, physical therapy and many more. So just as you think you can catch your breath and get caught up with the medical bills, another round arrives with the same medical jargon and mysterious codes outlining the contents of the bill.

These should be handled in the same way as the hospital bill. Go over your bill and if you have questions, call the billing department of the service that sent it. If you get a bill from a doctor you know you never saw, say so. Ask if your doctor ordered a consultation, and if so, ask for the medical notes dictated by that provider as part of any consult they did at your physician's request. Don't be intimidated by the tactics employed to put you off or otherwise discourage you from investigating your medical bill.

Know what and how much your insurance policy covers.

If your admission to the hospital is not an emergency, call and ask what is included in the room charges. If soap or tissues are not included you can opt to bring your own.
Ask if you are allowed to bring your own prescription medications to the hospital with you to cut down on the expense. Dispensing medications from the pharmacy is very expensive.
Ask your doctor for an estimate of what his treatment will cost, and if he anticipates needing to use other physicians or hospital service providers. This way you will know what to expect. You can also make sure that all providers are on your insurance plan's list of approved providers.
If you are able to do so you can keep a record of treatments such as medication, and blood work. IF you are unable to do this for yourself, a friend or family member might be able to do that for you.
When your bill arrives compare the charges to the list you have have kept and if you have questions call the billing department for a detailed explanation.

The important thing to remember is that you do have rights as well as responsibilities. If you do not receive satisfactory answers from the hospital billing department, ask to speak to the hospital administrator or patient liaison. Remember you are doing this to keep from paying charges that are not yours and keeping insurance affordable for everyone as well as keeping the premiums low for yourself in the future.

Free Debt Consolidation Quote

Articles

Credit Cards | Bankruptcy |