Question charges for what seem like routine items, such as warm blankets, gloves and lights.The hospital level should be equal to or lower than that of the doctor-billed level if it’s higher, that’s a red flag that there may be a billing error.Question the level listed on your bill and ask for a written explanation of why that level was billed by your physician. Their levels are standardized, and physicians are required to meet three criteria to justify billing at each level. Doctors also charge for ER services by level, also ranging from 1 to 5.“They don’t freely hand this information out, but they will send it to you if you ask for a written response,” says Pat Palmer, founder of Medical Billing Advocates of America. Hospitals have their own criteria for determining levels and should make this available upon request. Question the level indicated on your bill and ask for a written explanation of why that level was billed. Hospitals charge for ER services by level, depending on the amount of equipment and supplies needed, with Level 1 requiring the fewest (e.g., a nosebleed) and Level 5 representing an emergency (trauma, heart attack). Check the level of room for which you were charged.If you go to the hospital at night and end up being admitted after midnight, make sure your charges for the room start on the day you start occupying the room.Ask for an explanation, in writing, from the hospital’s billing department for any disputed charges.Always ask for an itemized bill so you can see every charge.In some cases, for example, less expensive ultrasound tests are just as effective as costly CT scans. If a less expensive test can provide the same information, then request that option. If possible, ask about the tests the doctor or nurses are ordering.For the same reason, if you are able to, ask to have any lab testing that is sent outside the hospital to be sent to facilities that participate in your insurer’s plan.This may not always be possible, but if your preference is noted in your file, once you receive your bill, you may be able to negotiate with the hospital to accept your insurer’s higher in-network reimbursement rate, leaving you with a smaller financial responsibility, even if you are seen by an out-of-network doctor. Just because a hospital is considered in-network by your plan doesn’t mean that all the physicians who work there are as well. If you are insured, ask to be seen by a doctor who participates in your insurance plan.“Do what is best medically first, then worry about the finances second.”Īt the emergency room or in the hospital: “When you are in the hospital, you should concentrate on getting better,” says Kevin Flynn, president of HealthCare Associations, a company that helps patients decipher their medical bills. ( FULL COVERAGE: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us)Īccording to medical-billing advocates, who are the health care world’s equivalent of tax-refund specialists, there are ways to protect yourself from huge health care expenditures both before you’re seen by a doctor and after you receive your bill. It just might save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Since Americans spend nearly $7,000 per capita on health care every year - and since these expenses climb steadily, at an average annual rate of 6.5% - it’s probably worth scrutinizing the remittance from your last hospital visit. Hospital bills, however, are another matter: as many as 8 out of 10 bills for health care services contain errors, according to Medical Billing Advocates of America. Follow doesn’t happen often, but occasionally you can catch a mistake on a restaurant check or a miscalculated receipt from the grocery store.
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