It happens all the time. You go to your mail box and all of sudden there is a bill from your doctor's office demanding payment. For some it comes as a shock. Your friendly family doctor is demanding money and wants it now. What happens if you don't understand the bill? Who do you call? Your first call should be to your doctors billing department. However be careful because if you do not approach them correctly no doubt you will hear the following, "Call your insurance company!"
The truth of the matter is most doctors' offices are swamped with multiple business processes and issues. The last thing that anyone wants to deal with is an irritated patient that is upset over a bill. This is a reality. I say this because for years I was a billing manager and office manager for a medical practice and dealing with the daily fires that ignite I understand well the mindset of a doctor's office.
In order to figure out what is going on the art of communication is key. By following these simple rules you are sure to get results:
1. Remain calm. Remember you are calling for help. You begin yelling and screaming at the person you are asking to help you is not a good idea and it will not get you anywhere. In addition you may be yelling at the wrong person. The problem may have been created by your insurance company.
2. Know your facts. Make sure you know what is called the date of service, or the date that you received services from the doctors office or facility that is in question. Ask yourself is this a co-pay that I am being billed for? Is this a part of a deductible or coinsurance? Remember it is your insurance policy, you pay for it, so you should know how it works. Just like it would be unreasonable to buy a car and have no idea how it functions. Do not have any insurance policy without getting a breakdown as to how it works.
3. Know when to move on. No matter how much you feel the person you are speaking to should know the answer to your question, many times they don't. You may be speaking to someone that has only been there a few weeks and is like a deer in headlights and has no idea what you are asking. Instead of forcing someone to answer a question that they do not have the answer to, know when to ask for a manager.
4. Be polite. All day long the administration of a doctor's office is constantly under fire. You would be surprised what people will do when a kind soul is on the other end of the phone.
By following these simple rules you are sure to start to unravel the situation. But know that in most setting's approximately 86% of all medical bills contain so type of error. It is always best to ask the opinion of someone who knows medical coding and billing rules. Think I am just doing some shameful self promotion? Not at all, for instance what if a doctor's office bills a 99212 with another E/M code, can you be billed for the denied E/M code? Have any idea what I am talking about? Probably not! Do people get billed for them? Absolutely! Should they be billed? Absolutely not! However some choose to pay the bill to get rid of it and throw money out the window and other ignore the bill and wind up getting sent to collections with negative marks on their credit report. Wouldn't it be better to get a pro to be your advocate and just resolve the matter? And trust me once an office knows that you know what you are doing you will find that your problems will soon vanish and usually never raise their ugly head again. Yes dealing with your doctor's office is truly a fine work of art, if done properly it will yield results.
To learn more about me and my company and how we can assist you with mounting medical bills and get rid of costly billing errors please visit us at [http://www.myclaimsagent.com] or call us at 888-242-6942.
-Joelle Stephens, CHIS, CBCS, CAP
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