So I just got a bill...

[patrick593]

For my sleep study I did 2 months back... and its for more than I have in savings.

I specifically told my doctor to not sign me up for anything that wasn't covered and when I called Cigna they told me it wasn't approved and out of network or some chit like that.
They gave me an arbitrary fax number to send a hand written appeal, no format, just write "I want an appeal" to.

Can't see straight I'm so pissed. Quite literally would break my bank account.

F**K the medical industry for inflating costs on everything and crappy doctors for not speaking with their clients before sending them to do something not covered by insurance.

 

[PhishPhan682]

your bill was over $50k? Damn baller.

f'kn Obama.

 

[FL33]

For my sleep study I did 2 months back... and its for more than I have in savings.

I specifically told my doctor to not sign me up for anything that wasn't covered and when I called Cigna they told me it wasn't approved and out of network or some chit like that.
They gave me an arbitrary fax number to send a hand written appeal, no format, just write "I want an appeal" to.

Can't see straight I'm so pissed. Quite literally would break my bank account.

F**K the medical industry for inflating costs on everything and crappy doctors for not speaking with their clients before sending them to do something not covered by insurance.

Did you ask the group that did your study if it was covered by insurance?

 

[T.M.P.]

Welcome to capitalism.

 

[patrick593]

Did you ask the group that did your study if it was covered by insurance?

When my doctor ordered the study I asked him if it was covered and he said something along the lines of "oh well we'll check and we wouldn't send you anything not covered"

 

[Catfish_ Crazy]

So, why are you so poor?

 

[PtownHoosier]

For my sleep study I did 2 months back... and its for more than I have in savings.

I specifically told my doctor to not sign me up for anything that wasn't covered and when I called Cigna they told me it wasn't approved and out of network or some chit like that.
They gave me an arbitrary fax number to send a hand written appeal, no format, just write "I want an appeal" to.

Can't see straight I'm so pissed. Quite literally would break my bank account.

F**K the medical industry for inflating costs on everything and crappy doctors for not speaking with their clients before sending them to do something not covered by insurance.

That sucks. But I got yo back. Just do this.

 

[FL33]

Welcome to capitalism.

Haha...you're kidding....right?

 

[patrick593]

So, why are you so poor?

Because she charges by the hour

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

I did a home sleep study last night
It was horrible
Take your troubles to the Madri Gras

 

[zeke4ahs]

Be persistent in fighting it. I've negotiated some medical bills way down before.

 

[hoosierdug]

Be persistent in fighting it. I've negotiated some medical bills way down before.

THIS^^^^^

I'd start with a figure for less than what you have in savings and negotiate from there. Unless the gap is 3 times or more than what you have, they'll probably take it in order to settle it and be done.

 

[Rangeline Fan]

You should sleep on it...

 

[CF**]

For my sleep study I did 2 months back... and its for more than I have in savings.

I specifically told my doctor to not sign me up for anything that wasn't covered and when I called Cigna they told me it wasn't approved and out of network or some chit like that.
They gave me an arbitrary fax number to send a hand written appeal, no format, just write "I want an appeal" to.

Can't see straight I'm so pissed. Quite literally would break my bank account.

F**K the medical industry for inflating costs on everything and crappy doctors for not speaking with their clients before sending them to do something not covered by insurance.

Can you get rid of that long ass sig??

 

[T.M.P.]

Haha...you're kidding....right?

The ultimate goal of the medical industry is to make money. They just made money.

 

[twenty02]

Well you can always go on a payment plan.

It isn't hard to check if a provider is covered by your insurance. Every insurance I've had has a provider search on their website. I'd never just trust the doctor to check something that is your responsibility, not to mention all the forms I promise you signed at this sleep study where you took responsibly for paying.

Sucks it's a tough lesson, you have 2 options, beg your insurance for mercyv and for them to pay, which will likely fail, or beg the provider to give you a discount, which may possibly work.

I've gotten screwed by out of network anesthesiologists, who were working within an in network surgery center. I've learned you have to ask if every single person that will be treating you is in network.

 

[patrick593]

Can you get rid of that long ass sig??

I don't have a problem with it... It's one line long. Fix your display or turn off signatures

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

Its expensive to watch some one sleep

 

[CF**]

I don't have a problem with it... It's one line long. Fix your display or turn off signatures

Good luck paying your bill. Bitch.

 

[Rangeline Fan]

For my sleep study I did 2 months back... and its for more than I have in savings.

I specifically told my doctor to not sign me up for anything that wasn't covered and when I called Cigna they told me it wasn't approved and out of network or some chit like that.
They gave me an arbitrary fax number to send a hand written appeal, no format, just write "I want an appeal" to.

Can't see straight I'm so pissed. Quite literally would break my bank account.

F**K the medical industry for inflating costs on everything and crappy doctors for not speaking with their clients before sending them to do something not covered by insurance.

Here's a hint...the doctor doesn't care.

Lesson for everyone. Make sure you get an itemized list of the things the doctor would like to do, then contact the insurance company yourself.

Chances are...one, someone in the doctor's office coded something wrong (which is extremely common).

The other thing is that you need to verify that your doctor is in-fact in network. The most common problem with this though is that while the doctor's office is "in-network" and the charges they would charge would be considered "in-network", if they refer you to a place for something outside of their office and direct care (in this case a sleep study...or could be a treatment or surgery of some kind), the place you are being referred to may not be in network. While you're doctor may verify that the services are covered, rarely do they verify if the facility you are being referred too is actually in network.

 

[C-$]

Here's a hint...the doctor doesn't care.

Lesson for everyone. Make sure you get an itemized list of the things the doctor would like to do, then contact the insurance company yourself.

Chances are...one, someone in the doctor's office coded something wrong (which is extremely common). The other thing is that you need to verify that your doctor is in-fact in network. The most common problem with this though is that while the doctor's office is "in-network" and the charges they would charge would be considered "in-network", if they refer you to a place for something outside of their office and direct care (in this case a sleep study...or could be a treatment or surgery of some kind), the place you are being referred to may not be in network.

The vast majority of the time it's a coding issue.......

I'd recommend calling the office/hospital/facility where you had your sleep study done.

 

[Eppy99]

For my sleep study I did 2 months back... and its for more than I have in savings.

I specifically told my doctor to not sign me up for anything that wasn't covered and when I called Cigna they told me it wasn't approved and out of network or some chit like that.
They gave me an arbitrary fax number to send a hand written appeal, no format, just write "I want an appeal" to.

Can't see straight I'm so pissed. Quite literally would break my bank account.

F**K the medical industry for inflating costs on everything and crappy doctors for not speaking with their clients before sending them to do something not covered by insurance.

I feel bad for you, but

For my sleep study I did 2 months back... and its for more than I have in savings.

I specifically told my doctor to not sign me up for anything that wasn't covered and when I called Cigna they told me it wasn't approved and out of network or some chit like that.
They gave me an arbitrary fax number to send a hand written appeal, no format, just write "I want an appeal" to.

Can't see straight I'm so pissed. Quite literally would break my bank account.

F**K the medical industry for inflating costs on everything and crappy doctors for not speaking with their clients before sending them to do something not covered by insurance.

I feel bad for you, but the lesson for everyone is that's it's not the doctors responsibility to know what your insurance will cover. That is your solely on you to know if he's in your network and to find out specifically what they will cover. You generally can even find out what codes for billing are acceptable and double check with whoever does billing with the office. The doctor won't call your insurance, you have to.

 

[Eppy99]

The ultimate goal of the medical industry is to make money. They just made money.

I noticed you highlighted industry, so I'm curious how you're defining industry in this context. Yes your right that the industry is in it to make money. However while the doctors are also in it to make money their sole goal is for the patient to become healthy. I'm sure there are some doctors that may take advantage of patients, but lets remember their work isn't for charity. I would say many more patients take advantage of doctors than vice versa.

 

[patrick593]

I feel bad for you, but

I feel bad for you, but the lesson for everyone is that's it's not the doctors responsibility to know what your insurance will cover. That is your solely on you to know if he's in your network and to find out specifically what they will cover. You generally can even find out what codes for billing are acceptable and double check with whoever does billing with the office. The doctor won't call your insurance, you have to.

Yeah fun lesson to learn, have to use my entire life's saving...
I've been to the dr almost once a week for like 3 months. As easy as it is to stop and say, please itemize all my potential procedures so I can review them before you schedule my appointment.
Lessons learned, 9 years of saving down the drain

 

[patrick593]

Good luck paying your bill. Bitch.

Go fck yourself, I was planning on changing it but you're a monumental prick.

 

[Zizkov]

The US has the worst medical system in the west.

 

[Zizkov]

The US has the worst medical system in the west.

 

[Moops]

Go fck yourself, I was planning on changing it but you're a monumental prick.

No you weren't. You said you weren't and he responded in kind.

Now he and I will both get great amusement every time we see your sig and remember how stupit you were and wasted all your money.

 

[jet812]

The ultimate goal of the medical industry is to make money. They just made money.

This is true. This is also why we have the best doctors, hospitals, meds, equipment, etc. As much as big pharma sucks, it's not the socialized medical countries that produce many of the drugs that cure disease.

 

[Ungar16]

When my doctor ordered the study I asked him if it was covered and he said something along the lines of "oh well we'll check and we wouldn't send you anything not covered"

Where do you work? Why are you with Cigna geez they haven't been in Indiana for awhile. Have you called the office to negotiate the deal? I would file the appeal. Also see how they coded it. Usually it is just a coding issue that they can work out to fix whether it is covered or not. Also if there isn't a place any where around that is in network you can use that to help your appeal process.

 

[patrick593]

Where do you work? Why are you with Cigna geez they haven't been in Indiana for awhile. Have you called the office to negotiate the deal? I would file the appeal. Also see how they coded it. Usually it is just a coding issue that they can work out to fix whether it is covered or not. Also if there isn't a place any where around that is in network you can use that to help your appeal process.

Thanks... This is very helpful
I have no idea what coding is or 90% of what you said but I'll be learning about it pretty damn soon.
The appeal process is a fax number. No formal process or form just fax a hand written letter to that number saying you'd like the appeal.
Somewhere I imagine a fax machine feeding into a trash can

 

[patrick593]

No you weren't. You said you weren't and he responded in kind.

Now he and I will both get great amusement every time we see your sig and remember how stupit you were and wasted all your money.

Prick #2... Actually yeah I was. I was going to go back to my dumpster fire sig but guys like you make me dig in.
May be funny to you but see how funny you'd think it was when it would completely bankrupt you

 

[IUJay1]

Prick #2... Actually yeah I was. I was going to go back to my dumpster fire sig but guys like you make me dig in.
May be funny to you but see how funny you'd think it was when it would completely bankrupt you

So you still insist on being a petulant child because you didn't do your homework by attacking others over comments about your signature.
I'm going through chemo and other treatments for liver cancer and you can bet your ass I know exactly what my insurance covers before I walk into any office. I feel bad you are having financial difficulties, but in this case, it is entirely your own fault.

 

[patrick593]

So you still insist on being a petulant child because you didn't do your homework by attacking others over comments about your signature.
I'm going through chemo and other treatments for liver cancer and you can bet your ass I know exactly what my insurance covers before I walk into any office. I feel bad you are having financial difficulties, but in this case, it is entirely your own fault.

Sorry to hear about your cancer. I've lost family and have family going through it now so that's very near and dear to my heart. Best of luck on recovery.

Not really that hard not to dance on someone's misfortune

 

[1987Grad]

Thanks... This is very helpful
I have no idea what coding is or 90% of what you said but I'll be learning about it pretty damn soon.
The appeal process is a fax number. No formal process or form just fax a hand written letter to that number saying you'd like the appeal.
Somewhere I imagine a fax machine feeding into a trash can

"Coding errors" are what they discover when someone calls them out for overcharging. "Oh snap, we coded something wrong, sorry!" If you don't ask about it and just pay the "error" never gets found, so no harm, no foul, right?

 

[burnthemallralphie]

IUJay, Good luck in your fight. Wishing you remission and recovery.

 

[SAZdds]

"Coding errors" are what they discover when someone calls them out for overcharging. "Oh snap, we coded something wrong, sorry!" If you don't ask about it and just pay the "error" never gets found, so no harm, no foul, right?

Not necessarily. Insurance is at the root of most of the medical industries problems. It's like a game sometimes when you have 10 different codes you could use for a procedure, but some insurance companies will only cover 1 specific code even though it technically isn't even the correct code. Many times you end up in gray areas with coding and not coding the technically correct code for the sole purpose of getting the patient's treatment paid for. I run a private dental practice and there probably isn't a day that goes by that a patient doesn't ask me to commit insurance fraud of some kind. The patient doesn't realize that's what they are asking, but submitting a code that isn't technically correct is in fact insurance fraud. We now have a society that cares more about "what does my insurance insurance cover?", instead of "what needs to be done to make me healthy?".

 

[Rangeline Fan]

Where do you work? Why are you with Cigna geez they haven't been in Indiana for awhile...

Not exactly sure but Cigna haz somdthing to do with either rhe Sagamore Network and/or Anthem.

Hard to keep all of this shuffling around straight.

 

[Ungar16]

Not exactly sure but Cigna haz somdthing to do with either rhe Sagamore Network and/or Anthem.

Hard to keep all of this shuffling around straight.

Which was bought by Anthem... but you should still have the Sagamore network. It just isn't a common carrier we see at least in Northern Indiana. Maybe down south it is more common. Fully insured you will see Anthem and United Healthcare.. self insured we use the Sagamore network and a couple others.

 

[patrick593]

"Coding errors" are what they discover when someone calls them out for overcharging. "Oh snap, we coded something wrong, sorry!" If you don't ask about it and just pay the "error" never gets found, so no harm, no foul, right?

Like most companies, they'll bend over the ones that don't call or make a stink