Over ten years ago, my father was admitted to a local hospital with a kidney stone.
The stone was large and he needed additional surgery to crush the stone. I reminded him not to pay any hospital bills before I had a chance to review them and I was glad he waited to pay his bills. As a health advisor, I can do this for you as well.
He got a series of large bills from the hospital and with a little bit of research and a few lengthy phone calls (sometimes this is necessary!), the bills were either drastically reduced or eliminated.
The same process was repeated when my mother broke her hip. She saved $3500 when I again took the time to review her bills with the insurance company and the hospital-billing department.
So, put that checkbook away until you are really convinced you actually owe the money.
Take the time to call the insurance company or hospital and get clarification before you pay.
Here are things you can do to double-check fees before you pay the bills:
- Call an expert or health advisor for help
- When you can, familiarize yourself prior to procedures, how much you can expect to pay
- Learn to spot billing errors
- Ask if you qualify for discounts
- Familiarize yourself with healthcare “speak”
- Visit the hospital’s billing office (talk to someone)
- Be polite, but not a pushover
It’s important to review your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) prior to paying any medical bills. A health advocate can be a great resource to review the bill and do the leg work for you.
I’ve saved my clients significant amounts of money by taking the time to do some research and asking for another review of the bill. Don’t feel overwhelmed by the bills, let me know how I can help!
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