I have seen other posts regarding medical bill advice on this sub Reddit, but if this is not the appropriate place for this question please let me know.
I saw an ear nose and throat doctor in May 2019, and I received a bill just a few weeks ago. I knew I had not met my deductible yet so I was willing and ready to pay out of pocket for that visit.
The bill has two items on it: $169 for the consultation and $55 for a procedure to remove impacted earwax.
The issue? The doctor never removed any impact earwax. I remember it just like it was yesterday, he examined both of my ears and told me in fact that I did not have excess earwax.
I called the billing department and they advised me that any changes to a bill have to come from the doctors office itself. So I call the doctors office. I have left multiple messages with them and they always tell me that they will speak with the doctor and then nobody ever calls me back. Everyone I speak to there is very rude even though I tried very hard to stay polite and friendly. But every time I speak with somebody they tell me that the notes say I had the procedure done and that the charge stands. And then they tell me that to have it removed they would have to speak with the doctor. But the conversation with the doctor seems to never happen.
Today I involved my insurance company, and they told me that they will call the doctors office for me and try to fix this. But I have a little hope seeing as how I got nowhere despite several phone calls and emails. It just seems like I cannot get through to anybody in that office to understand, and they either don’t get the message to the doctor or they do and the doctor just does not feel like calling me back. I feel like if I could speak with the doctor directly I could plead my case.
But since the doctor sees so many patients, I can’t imagine he would remember me from five months ago, and if his notes say that I had the procedure done, won’t he just rely on his notes? It’s truly my word against his at this point. I cannot believe that a doctor would write down that he did a procedure that he did not do.
What can I do about this if my insurance company doesn’t get anywhere? My insurance told me I should pay the amount I am not disputing as a show of good faith and indicate in writing that I am disputing the remainder. Do you all agree that that is a good idea? I am also concerned about accruing late fees and possibly being sent to collections over this.
It is only $55, but I simply cannot in good conscience pay one single dollar for a procedure that I did not have done.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Submitted October 23, 2019 at 09:27PM by CityofBridges35 https://ift.tt/2pavFFt
