Looking for suggestions, because I don't know what to do.
My wife needs to have her gall bladder removed, we scheduled it for Nov 14 so she can sync it with her off days from work. It's outpatient, so she called the hospital asking what we would have to pay, $2000 BEFORE they'll let her have the surgery, and that's just from the hospital. Doesn't include anesthesia or the surgeon, she is also having her tubes tied, which the gyno said she could do immediately after the gall bladder surgery, while she was still under.
All told, everything totals around $5000.
We have Blue Cross Blue Shield (Florida) insurance, although we live in Alabama. We have HDHP, with the amount the hospital is asking left as our deductible, $2000. We would have to pay 25% of the remaining costs, so about $750 (3000 x 25%).
We don't have $2750 sitting around and the hospital will not take payments.
We started the process of a hardship withdrawal last week and I found out it was denied this morning. I've spent all day on the phone. I'm exhausted, frustrated, confused, baffled, at this point.
Apparently, Vanguard wants a preauthorization / explanation of benefits from BCBS. Unfortunately, BCBS claims they don't know what that is and they aren't able to provide anything other than what they've already given us, paperwork showing our deductible and the part they cover after we meet the deductible.
Hell, I conferenced in vanguard customer support with the surgeons office and bcbs, where they both explained they couldn't provide vanguard with something that doesn't exist.
Googling for 5 minutes shows there are such things as this EOB that vanguard is asking about, but my insurance and all of the offices involved (4), do not do this, they bill insurance AFTER the surgery.
I've spoken with 2 different vanguard support people and had insurance and one of the offices on the line each time, vanguard support just keeps repeating the same damn thing, and insurance keeps telling them they can't provide the paperwork they are asking for because it doesn't exist.
We had each office generate a letter of the charges they intend to file, and provided that to vanguard, but they keep saying they can't use that, it has to be some paper from insurance.
I'm beyond frustrated, my wife has been crying half the day.
Just looking for some guidance, suggestions, anything at this point.
Edit: Im currently on a waiting list for 24 hours to speak with a Vanguard supervisor. For some reason I cant immediately speak with one, although Ive been on the phone all day with their support.
Submitted November 08, 2018 at 03:39PM by AtaLoss99 https://ift.tt/2PLrX0s
