Bill from a hospital

[Madison Granny]

I got a bill today from a hospital that I have never been to.  My Rheumy's office is very near this hospital and I was at his office that day.  He took a bunch of blood test that day.  I wondering if he didn't send one to their lab.  The bill is for just 10 dollars so the insurance has had to pay on it.  Nothing is a hospital is just 10 dollars.  But I haven't received anything from our insurance about this hospital.  Their business office is only opened M-F.  So I guess I have to wait until then.

[Pisces24]

Insurance has an 800 available 24/7.  You can call them on possible "fraud" and ask what it was for. They do appreciate that.

I had a bill once for a few hundred dollars on my insurance from a city I have NEVER been to in Iowa. Come to find out, they mis-keyed and put some guy's bill on my insurance in error. I had never even heard of the dr before either.

Doesn't hurt to call -even for $10.

[Madison Granny]

Thank you for your reply.  I going to call the hospital's 800 number and find out the name of the doctor Monday.  I am just wondering if my Rheumy sent one of my blood test to their lab.  He never has before.  But since he in that same area I'm think maybe and he billed the insurance company for them and now they want the rest of their money from me.  If that's not it I guess I have to call the insurance company and see if they know anything.  I did have my flu shot at Wal-Mart this year and the insurance told me they didn't pay for immunizations.  So I wonder if that clinic could have been associated with that hospital.  But that should have been more than 10 dollars more like 30 dollars.

[Madison Granny]

I t was my Rheumy that sent one of last blood test to that hospital's lab to be done.  Wish he would tell be when he's going to send my tests to other labs to be run.  I got  to thinking and I think he sent one of my first test when I first went to him to another lab.  But he sent my insurance info with that one.  I love my Rheumy but I have had trouble with his billing people.  They kept billing me for the kit to draw the blood for the test when my insurance said I should not be billed.  Wish my Rheumy would go and straighten out his billing people.  But I guess I can't have everything my way.  Thanks for listening to my rant.

[Skylar]

Medical doctors in general don't know much more about billing than the average person - they don't bill, they don't work with various insurance agencies etc. - they rely on their billing people and companies that they hire to do the billing for them.... and if they are in a group with other doctors, they may not even have any say or choice in who these people are. Frustrating to deal with for both patient and Dr. Insurance rules/billing and reimbursements are extremely complicated in the States.

I've also noticed a trend in the last few years where hospitals are trying to maximizing their revenues - and they are now tacking on all kinds of fees onto lab tests and doctor office visits. I see a Dr. who's office is a block away from the hospital and they tack on an operating room fee - hey this is a dermatologist and I'm not going anywhere close to an operating room - this fee is close to $200 and my insurance pays it - but for some people, they are shocked when they get this bill and their insurance doesn't pay - nasty surprise and I find it outrageous.

As for sending some blood work to a hospital lab - they may be the only one, or one of the few labs in the country that do some rare tests - so I wouldn't find it unusual to have once vial sent to the hospital for testing. The big lab companies like Quest only do tests that bring in a good revenue (i.e are cheap and lots are ordered so it makes good sense business wise to do them) and they leave tests that don't earn much or are very new to hospitals to do.

I do know it's frustrating to get bills like that which you should never see and never have to deal with. I hope you get it resolved quickly.