Medical Insurance Bills

Bob Dobbalina

Miki Dora status
Feb 23, 2016
4,261
4,656
113
I haven't seen a medical bill in a long time.

Back surgery
Hip surgery
Wife had our son
Even early fertitlity treatments.

No bill.

My job has great benefits apparently and Kaiser has been easy to work with.



But, ya. Call direct. Go from there. Ask for statements. Be transparent if there is financial hardship.
 

gbg

Miki Dora status
Jan 22, 2006
3,870
3,390
113
It may be balance billing where insurer pays x and then they try to collect from patient for the rest. Balance billing in CA is illegal but they all try it anyway. He needs to get in touch with his insurer and get clear statements of benefits/billing regarding all treatment received in teh last 12-24 months. That will show what insurance paid, what he's responsible for etc. He also needs to figure out what his deductible is. Once deductible is paid all else is covered. If he has a high deductible, he should be able to work out payment plans to enable him to pay off the deductible.

The alternative is filing BK which will wipe it out but will tank his credit for 7ish years.

NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Once you file for bankruptcy, your credit improves immediately. If the bills are piling up and you can no longer pay, it is worth it but talk to a bankruptcy attorney. It is on your report for 7 years but does not impact your ability to get a loan for a car or a house for 7 years. You can get a FHA loan 4 years post bankruptcy.
 

2surf

Duke status
Apr 12, 2004
15,284
2,053
113
California USA
www.allcare.com
My Bone marrow transplant cost $500K. I had been paying Kaiser $350 a month for 15 years, so I got a 9 x return on my investment, tax-free. I think in your situation if you have anything to complain about, those complaints should always be sent to the provider in writing and delivered by certified letter.
 

SurfFuerteventura

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Sep 20, 2014
8,405
4,588
113
Ribbit
Why do people in the modern world still worry about medical bills?

B
Mainly because, the tax money collected from them, that should pay for their own health care is used to hurt the health of citizens in other countries proclaimed "against freedom and democracy".

Makes perfect sense.

Kill the commies with socialized medicine, what are they thinking? Spending tax money on health care and education, who does that?

:socrazy::trout::bricks::poke:
 
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i_ride_spinnaz

OTF status
Aug 19, 2020
342
705
93
It may be balance billing where insurer pays x and then they try to collect from patient for the rest. Balance billing in CA is illegal but they all try it anyway. He needs to get in touch with his insurer and get clear statements of benefits/billing regarding all treatment received in teh last 12-24 months. That will show what insurance paid, what he's responsible for etc. He also needs to figure out what his deductible is. Once deductible is paid all else is covered. If he has a high deductible, he should be able to work out payment plans to enable him to pay off the deductible.

The alternative is filing BK which will wipe it out but will tank his credit for 7ish years.

NOT LEGAL ADVICE

Balance billing isn't illegal in CA across the board. It's much more nuanced than that. In many cases in CA it has now become illegal, and rightly so, but that's not always the case.

If insurance deems a procedure or treatment as not medically necessary, they won't cover it. Similarly, if the facility chosen by the patient wasn't in network and they elected to go there anyways, absolutely the facility can legally try to recoup the cost of treatment. Again, many providers are happy to work with patients to either determine an affordable payment plan, or completely clear their balances if their circumstances warrant it. Providers are more likely to clear a balance if insurance has already paid out an acceptable amount. We approve balances being cleared all the time, much more often than we send people to collections.
 

TeamScam

Miki Dora status
Jan 14, 2002
5,486
1,119
113
Mid-Atlantic
Why do people in the modern world still worry about medical bills?

B
Mainly because, the tax money collected from them, that should pay for their own health care is used to hurt the health of citizens in other countries proclaimed "against freedom and democracy".

Makes perfect sense.

Kill

:socrazy::trout::bricks::poke:
I think those people might be bad people.
We don't like them.
I wish they wouldn't fuhk with us.
We could save a lot of money, but there goes our monopolies on half of everything still. We need to protect that.