Financial problems: Hospital and chemotherapy bills,

New Flower

Balance billing: the hospital and Chemotherapy office want the difference between billing charges and amounts allowed and paid by my insurance. My outstanding balance $30,00. How can I safe myself from the bankruptcy? All suggestions are welcome

Akiss4me

Hi New Flower, welcome
There are a couple things you can look into regarding your Insurance & billing.
First, check to see if the hospital & Insurance Company are contracted. If they are, then the hospital must except the contacted amount, and can ONLY bill you a co-pay or dedutcable.
Second, check to make sure your Insurance is paying for all allowable charges and did not deny any charges because they were submitted improperly, etc.
Basically, scrutinize the charges & balances....do not take their word for it. I was left with 14,000.00 worth of bills that my Insurance altimately ended up paying because of errors.
Good luck. ♥ Pammy

Eil4186

Akiss4me said:

Hi New Flower, welcome
There are a couple things you can look into regarding your Insurance & billing.
First, check to see if the hospital & Insurance Company are contracted. If they are, then the hospital must except the contacted amount, and can ONLY bill you a co-pay or dedutcable.
Second, check to make sure your Insurance is paying for all allowable charges and did not deny any charges because they were submitted improperly, etc.
Basically, scrutinize the charges & balances....do not take their word for it. I was left with 14,000.00 worth of bills that my Insurance altimately ended up paying because of errors.
Good luck. ♥ Pammy

Thats good to know Pammy.

Thats good to know Pammy.

lolad

Akiss4me said:

Hi New Flower, welcome
There are a couple things you can look into regarding your Insurance & billing.
First, check to see if the hospital & Insurance Company are contracted. If they are, then the hospital must except the contacted amount, and can ONLY bill you a co-pay or dedutcable.
Second, check to make sure your Insurance is paying for all allowable charges and did not deny any charges because they were submitted improperly, etc.
Basically, scrutinize the charges & balances....do not take their word for it. I was left with 14,000.00 worth of bills that my Insurance altimately ended up paying because of errors.
Good luck. ♥ Pammy

I dont know about anyone
I dont know about anyone else here, but i get more and more upset when i read about people having such a difficult time because of insurance companies. As if we dont have enough to worry about. These insurance companies should be ashamed of themselves. Take pammys advice and fight the sorry a** company. I would also see if maybe the insurance could help with a financial aid program or something. I qualified for one thru my hospital and cancer center. Again, sorry you have the extra not needed burden on you. We should all get together and write the senator on this issue and let them know that its outragous that they could even deny payments when we have an illness like we do. Take care and i hope things work out good for you.
laura

lanie940

lolad said:

I dont know about anyone
I dont know about anyone else here, but i get more and more upset when i read about people having such a difficult time because of insurance companies. As if we dont have enough to worry about. These insurance companies should be ashamed of themselves. Take pammys advice and fight the sorry a** company. I would also see if maybe the insurance could help with a financial aid program or something. I qualified for one thru my hospital and cancer center. Again, sorry you have the extra not needed burden on you. We should all get together and write the senator on this issue and let them know that its outragous that they could even deny payments when we have an illness like we do. Take care and i hope things work out good for you.
laura

I agree with you 100%. It
I agree with you 100%. It really makes my blood boil when I read posts on an IVILLAGE message board called Politics Today. ARRGH! there are a few on there who really support ins companies. They are young and healthy and really don't give a hoot about the poor or the ill with a disease that is no fault of our own. I sometimes just ignore them and say nothing, I once said "Just remember, don't be too smug, Breast Cancer strikes 1 in 8 woman at some point in their lifetime" I want ins reform, I want ins companies to stop denying paying or turning people down because of pre-exhisting conditions. Sometime I'd like to tell them when they get so nasty and smug, "You already have a pre-exhisting condition" You are heartless when it comes to your fellow man" sorry for my rant, but I just get so angry about ins problems people have. Yes, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Marcia527

usually on the insurance
usually on the insurance statement sent to you, they state that the amount billed greater than the amount allowed for service, you will not be billed for this amount. I'd call the insurance company and talk to them.

lanie940

Marcia527 said:

usually on the insurance
usually on the insurance statement sent to you, they state that the amount billed greater than the amount allowed for service, you will not be billed for this amount. I'd call the insurance company and talk to them.

I saw on mine where there
I saw on mine where there was a statement where they agree to accept the ammount the Ins paid.

New Flower

Akiss4me said:

Hi New Flower, welcome
There are a couple things you can look into regarding your Insurance & billing.
First, check to see if the hospital & Insurance Company are contracted. If they are, then the hospital must except the contacted amount, and can ONLY bill you a co-pay or dedutcable.
Second, check to make sure your Insurance is paying for all allowable charges and did not deny any charges because they were submitted improperly, etc.
Basically, scrutinize the charges & balances....do not take their word for it. I was left with 14,000.00 worth of bills that my Insurance altimately ended up paying because of errors.
Good luck. ♥ Pammy

Financial problems: Hospital and Chemotherapy bills
Thank you very much for your suggestions,
Unfortunately, during my treatment due to unknown disagreement the
some physicians walked away from contract with my insurance. My insurance made several promises to resolve "balance billing" situation, but has fulfilled its promises yet (6 months).
Te hospital Billing Department is more concerned about its bottom line than about the patients who were being provided with medical care. I do not know where I should complain.

New Flower

lolad said:

I dont know about anyone
I dont know about anyone else here, but i get more and more upset when i read about people having such a difficult time because of insurance companies. As if we dont have enough to worry about. These insurance companies should be ashamed of themselves. Take pammys advice and fight the sorry a** company. I would also see if maybe the insurance could help with a financial aid program or something. I qualified for one thru my hospital and cancer center. Again, sorry you have the extra not needed burden on you. We should all get together and write the senator on this issue and let them know that its outragous that they could even deny payments when we have an illness like we do. Take care and i hope things work out good for you.
laura

Financial problems: Hospital and Chemotherapy bills
We should write to our politician. In ongoing "Health care" discussion the most critical element financial relationships between "Doctor"- " Hospital" Insurance " and patient have been left out. What happens when Doctor who is associated not not is participated provider, then patients have gotten bills and forced to pay balance. I think politicians are afraid to have a honest conversation about Health care.