December 4th 2023.
When Beverly Browning of Mesa, Arizona got the results of her breast biopsy in 2003, she was elated to find out that the test had revealed no trace of cancer. But her joy was soon dampened when the hospital presented her with a $9,500 bill. Her insurance company denied the payment, citing a pre-existing condition.
Browning, now 61, appealed to her insurance company and tried to negotiate with the hospital, but to no avail. She finally found help online, and hired a medical billing advocate. The advocate, Cindy J. Holtzman of Medical Refund Service Inc. in Marietta, Georgia, was successful in convincing the hospital to lower the bill to $1,800 and write off the rest, thus saving her about $7,500.
Medical billing errors are not uncommon, according to the Medical Billing Advocates of America, a trade association in Salem, Virginia. They estimate that eight out of ten hospital bills contain errors. To protect yourself from such errors, Holtzman advises people to ask for an itemized statement, check the dates of services, and call the doctor's office or hospital to get the procedure code in order to determine if the charge is reasonable.
If you are unable to resolve the billing dispute on your own, or if the bill is too large, you may need to hire a medical billing advocate. These advocates typically charge a fee of 25%-35% of the amount saved. You can find one at www.billadvocates.com, but you must sign a form authorizing the advocate to work on your behalf and contact everyone involved.
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