A question about medical insurance billing?

Question

I received fairly expensive medical services and received a statement that my insurance paid 90%, and that I owed the additional 10%. However, several months have gone by and I have still not received a bill for the additional 10% from my provider. Is there some kind of statute of limitations on billing? I have put aside cash for the bill but am wondering if I'll ever receive it. I don't want to call and remind them, however. What should I do? Any advice? How long do I have to wait before I can be sure they're not going to bill me?

Yes that's what I mean to ask -- is it common practice in the medical world to not bill the patient directly the additional 10% (for example) once the insurance company has paid the 90%? I've heard this is sometimes done to encourage patients to return to the same doctor. Is it wishful thinking?

Answer 1

I would call the facility and ask. If it is your balance, you are responsible for it whether you recieve a bill or not. It's the same as any other service (gas, electric, cable, phone) if you received the services, you are responsible for the bill. There may be a glitch in the system and that may be the reason you have not recieved a bill. But trust me, they will fix the glitch!!! :-)

I do collections for a major hospital, and just today was instructed by my boss to turn to collections an account that was from 2001! The patient never received a bill until mid-2006, but that makes no difference, but it was still their responsibility to pay, so to collections it goes!!! :-)

Bottom line, if you know you owe it, pay it, they'll find you eventually!

BTW, I disagree with the post above mine, if they do an audit, and find that you really did owe the balance, regardless of what you were told, you will have to pay.

Answer 2

I do medical insurance billing,

An insurance company (or medical office) can come back years later and still bill you if it's a legitimate bill. You're better off paying the 10% now, instead of waiting until they add late charges, or worse, send it to collections. Even if you don't receive the bill in the mail, you're still legally responsible to pay your medical bills. They'll track you down eventually, so just pay it. Save yourself a headache later. There is no statute of limitations for medical billing. At least to my knowledge.

Did you pay a co-pay at the time of the medical service? That may have been the 10% they're talking about.

An insurance company doesn't have access to your doctors billing records to see if you've paid it or not. They only send you an EOB showing what they're responsible for and what your responsible for. You may be worried for nothing.

Good luck

Answer 3

They're supposed to bill you when they get paid. However, some hospitals NEVER bill the patient and then a year later, puts them into collection. (Which is SO not fair!!!) Some doctors use a billing service to send the statements out to patients, and sometimes one or two gets lost in the shuffle....

My advice - call the doctor and play dumb and ask if you have any outstanding balance. (Tell them you just want to close your books on last year or something like that...) Don't tell them you have an EOB!!!! Some people who post the payments write off the balance in error, sometimes not... If the person you speak to tells you that you have no balance, ask them if there's anything outstanding to your insurance. If they say no, then you're in the clear. (Make sure you get their name and write a note for your records - in case they bill you later!!!)

Answer 4

It's wishful thinking. It takes a while to catch up, but I bet within six months you start receiving the billing for the 10%. Even if you move, and they never invoice you for it, they can STILL send it to collections.

Answer 5

U should try calling them to make sure if your provider ever paid that 10%. But sometimes i know they will harrast u and tell u a different I hope this helps and good luck ♥

Answer 6

you're able to have saved a replica of your denial letter. you're able to extra useful re-be conscious top away on your state well being plan and to Social centers and supply that denial to the unfastened mattress Fund. You waited till the invoice went into sequence quite of inquiring approximately this Fund faster. You knew you owed the well being center and did no longer something to make a fee plan b efore the debt went to Collector. it is probable too previous as a results of repair your undertaking. you're able to extra useful initiate working finished time and grant to pay off the debt and dont assume somebody to pay for you. from now on, do no longer bypass to a well being center. bypass to an pressing care health center or county health center and dont rack as much as any extent further charges. And get an entire time interest. all human beings with out coverage is on your undertaking and merely think of approximately people who're 50 or 60 years previous with out coverage who can't get employed.

Answer 7

Most have a year from the date of service.