28 Dirty, Little Industry Secrets People On The Inside Are Sharing With The Public

5.

“If you see an independent physician or physician-owned group (not corporate) and you struggle to pay your medical bills, call and speak with the billing or practice manager. Tell them what’s up and ask to work out a payment plan. If you have a good history with the practice, a clear plan to pay, or are willing to do auto-pay, they should be more than willing to work with you. Also, if you think your bill is wrong, talk to them first and not the insurance company. They can see the reason the insurance is saying they won’t pay. Insurance companies lied to our patients all the time and said it was us when it was them. Ask for the name and call log number they got when they called if they are appealing.”

“Also, ask for copies of the denials and the history of communication with the insurance company. Then you can reference that directly when you call the insurance company. The office is on your team, or at least should be. They want to be paid too. Also, constantly canceling or missing appointments, or not doing what the physician recommends, works against you when there’s an issue. It shows that you don’t take your medical care seriously, especially if you are complaining. And it will also work against you if you take legal action.”

—talepa77