Speak up . . . claim what's rightfully yours

[Bucky]

For those of you who have been around the forum for years, you will know that I do NOT like telemarketers or having to deal with making phone calls to insurance companies, phone companies, etc.

It is very irritating to me to listen to their lists about press 1, press 2, press 3, etc.  I just want to talk to a human being that I can understand.

Well, in this months phone bill there was a $62 service call fee charge.  I've had to call repair service several times within the past three weeks.  I have phone service, I don't have phone service, I have crackling service, I have no service . . . on and on and on.  On Feb. 1st, when they came out, found no problems.  (this is the date they charged me for).  Feb. 7th, I call again . .same problems I had before - keep getting cut off, crackling in lines, no dial tone, blah, blah, blah.  They come out, find a problem in the line down the road, switch our phone to another line - problem fixed. 

Today, I decided, I'm contesting this $62 charge.  It's THEIR lines that were causing the problems, not ours.  After going through a "brief" press this, press that, I got to speak to a real person.      I explained the whole story to Joe.  He checked to verify the events with the repair dept., came back and said, "we'll waive the service fee as it was problems in our line".  YES!!!!   

It makes me feel good when I fight for what I know is rightfully mine and WIN!! 

Moral of the story:  Whatever it is . . . doctor bills, phone bills, insurance bills, service charges . . . IF you feel these charges are in error, phone the company, explain your reasons why in a civil, pleasant tone of voice.  If you don't get any satisfaction from the person you are talking to, ask to speak to the supervisor of that department.  Document everything!!

Have a good day!   

Bucky

[Crymeariver]

I just found a $125 charge on my hospital bill for a doctors appt that they never billed to insurance.  As my rheumy always says, if they send a bill don't give 'em any money because you'll never get it back.  I let them keep billing me for a few months till they work it out with the ins. company and I see a reason for the charge on the bill.

[Carolina]

Oh Bucky and Cry!

You are BOTH SO RIGHT!

We must go to the wall against idiocy and incompetence.  And just plain greed and robbery.

I used to run Human Resources and could have cried every time an employee paid a bill they didn't OWE, because getting the bill scared them, or confused them.

Just hang on to your money and PURSUE your questions.

We're just dealing with a health insurance company that took my husband's premiums and then "decided" that he 'didn't have' the insurance because he was insured else where.

He WASN'T insured else where.  In fact it was a man by the same name in a different state.

We are still getting bills from June, that this insurance company refuses to pay, even after THREE people have talked to him and said they were fixing the mix up.

One doctor has turned the bill over to a third party collection agency.

Nothing SCARES me, but lots of people would pay and hope to get money back when the mistake is ironed out.   UH UH

Hang on to your money.

Some times I have an entire morning of phone calls scheduled for just this sort of insanity.

Sigh.

Oh, and my husband was SHOCKED to find that the $16,000 bill for anesthesia during his colonscopy, when it was finally settled by the insurance company, the insurance company paid about $200.

Because that's what the insurance company had negotiated with that particular service.

My husband has never looked at the insurance bills to find out what the doctor bills and what the doctor actually receives.

In fact, only people with no insurance are expected to pay the full amount billed.

The whole thing is insanity cubed.

oh dear this has turned into a rant.



Good topic.

Elaine

[BonusMom]

I agree that it's the uninsured patients who get taken advantage of i.e. 16,000 bill reduced to 200.

My Mom was uninsured for a brief period of time and needed a steroid injection. I suggested she negotiate with the office manager prior to the procedure for a cash payment in full made on the date of service at the insurance contracted rate.  The provider agreed. 
Win-Win.

I had an OP procedure done (12/09) at a facility that, unbeknownst to me, was contracted with my primary insurance, a PPO, AND my HMO.  My surgeon did not accept my HMO.  The facility receptionist didn't copy my secondary card when I pre-registered, so I assumed they weren't contracted since the doctor wasn't.

When the bill came from the facility, they offered a twenty percent discount if paid in full within 14 days. So I paid the facility nearly nine hundred dollars so I could save some money.  Eight months later, I discover the hospital is contracted and called the hospital and asked them to submit the bill to my secondary carrier.  They asked me to fax my ins. card, which I did.  Two weeks later, I get a superbill in the mail from the hospital telling me that I need to do it myself.  I guess that since they've already been paid, they're not going to do a thing for me.

I submitted the bill to my secondary carrier the first part of November and I'm still waiting for the claim to be paid and for my reimbursement check.
I smell a complaint with the Department of Insurance coming on....

[lynnmarie219]

You go girls....

I agree...speak up before you hand money over if there are questions and possible errors...that's what I do too!

[dainbramage]

I have worked for the hospital for 23 years. You would think they would have the best insurance...WRONG. I had to fight to get stuff for my unknown bleeding disorder child that no one still to this day has an idea what he has. I yelled and told them I would go to the better business bureau. I took names, dates, times and I shoved everything into their face. I was so tired of fighting, but I was so mad. Finally I got a resource person. She was the go between. She took care of the insurance and my son's rights. Everyone can have a resource nurse. She listened to my anger and my crying and she helped get my child a second opinion, still did not help, he is still the only one of his kind in this country. (USA) He was tested for every blood disorder around. She was wonderful.
Now I have the same insurance, but somehow they pay the bills and I don't have to fight. Only once when my son fell and had to go to the hospital in the back of the ambulance. They wanted to see if I was suing my son's school for this accident. NO NO NO They paid the bill.
Once when I had an ER visit. They sent me a bill for a doctors fee, because he was not on my insurance, BUT HE WORKED IN MY HOSPITAL. I complained and won.
Carolina was right don't pay the bills and fight, but make sure you write the dates, times, and the person who you talk to.
You will sometimes notice the bill will go down in price....hum makes me wonder.

[Pisces24]

Well if you get a telemarketer that you don't want to talk to:
MAKE UP A LANGUAGE and talk it to them.  Don't use a word of English except Hello.
It will drive em crazy and they will quit calling you.

I'm mean I know but I get sooo tired of the calls.    I keep getting calls for warranty insurance on a car I have not had for 6 years!!!!