I got a bill in the mail today from HRRH from when I was in the hospital for three days.  Well, I am not mad but kind of annoyed.  The bill states I owe them $5.00 for phone usage.  Well, I almost fell on my butt cause I know for a fact I didn't use the phone there at all.  I called accounts receivable to ask them about this and the lady asked me if I used the phone........I said no cause I had my cell phone with me the whole time and only used that.  She then said okay, I will adjust the charge for you.................If it was that simple why did I get a bill to begin with.  That is the annoying part..............what if I didn't call and just paid them not worrying cause it is only $5.00?  They would have gotten money from me for nothing.  How many other people do they do this too?  

Amanda

When my hubby got his right leg amputated at St. Mikes my work plan covers a semi private room which is what he got... AFTER I found out St. Mikes charges over the amount normal and my insurance didn't cover the whole room and I had to pay over $200 for a one week stay.

I get your frustration... I think it is interesting that they don't have to inform patients of the cost before providing the service.

Glad you got the bill waived.

 Lol on that same topic, HRRH charged me for the semi private room and tried to say I hadn't informed them about the coverage my work provided. Took a week to get those fees sorted out

 They did this to me as well.. And to make it even more ridiculous about the charge for phone usage, is that I didn't even have the phone in my room! They took it out when I said I didn't want to use it. So I'd like to know how they figure they have the right to send me a bill for using an imaginary phone! The accounts lady did also waive the fee, but it really irritated me..

in my paper work form st.joes, it says that we will be charged a phone useage, even if we DON'T use the phone!! i thoguth that wasthe weirdest thing.  I still have'nt recived the bill yet, so i guess i'll have to wait and see

 Really?????? That is weird!!!!!!  Especially with todays technology......I carry my phone with me everywhere and because I was so nervous about my phone being"stolen" I slept with it in bed with me......under my pillow.  LOL  I remember my husband asking about the phone in the room and it took us a good 5 minutes to even find it.  It was in the very corner behind a machine.  So I said how in the world will I even reach it if someone calls so I said forget it, I have my cell if you need me.  

They got me :(
I called them and told them I didn't even know I had a phone in the ward room. I am not from Toronto and used my cell phone for everything. They still made me pay by credit card over the phone. Then 3 weeks later I got another bill for the exact same amount for a misc. charge. I called again and they said a computer error caused me to be billed X2 for the phone. They eliminated the second charge. lol

I thought I was getting off lucky since they told me I'd have to pay $12 for the incentive spirometer that was growing white mould by the second day. I never did get a bill for that. lol

 "Incentive Spirometre"?  IS that the breathing thing?  I never got charged for that............does that mean I should expect another bill in the mail?  :(

OT - I find this all quite interesting. I travel in Ontario quite often for work and it IS COMMON for the hotels to try and bill my credit card months after my stay for this charge or that charge. So far, I have been billed for booze that was never stationed in my room, parking that I never used as I didnt' drive to the location and food charges when I never ate at the hotel. Every single one of these charges have been removed from my credit card. Just so we are clear here...these are not "no-tell motels" or the kind of establishement that is rentable by the quarter hour! These are expensive 4 star venues. Since this has happened quite offten, one has to begin to wonder if these charges are not just a sham to begin with. For what its worth, I have heard from various people being in these similar situations at other hospitals as well. I say, always check your invoices and question what is not an obvious charge that you feel that you have incurred.

What interesting is that the Ottawa Civic Hospital seems to do the opposite.  When I did my pre-op I had to check in and register to stay at the hospital. O.k. fair enough.

The woman called my insurance company to confirm exactly what was covered and what was not.  My dad said after they didn't want to put me in a semi private room if it wasn't covered because they wouldn't get their money.  I just thought she was beign nice but I think my dad was right.

 I also got a bill for the phone from HRRH. 

I was not told there would be a charge so I called and they waived the fee. it seems to be a fast money grab that they hope they don't get questioned about.