Need To Vent!!!

Need to Vent!! [Edit Post] posted 31 minutes ago I went for my pre-op apt. yesterday. I got a call from the hospital on the way there saying not to forget my payment. I said what payment I do not have a co-pay I get billed a percentage. The lady was very rude and informed me that I had to pay up front for my hospital stay and it would be 98.00? due yesterday. I pretty much freeked out and told her that I had never been informed of this and I have been jumping through hoops since Sep. 2011 to get everything done that my insurance required. They spring this on me 4 days brfore my surgery. She called me a lier and did not believe that I was never told. I turned around and came home and called my insurance and ask if they could do that. My insurance said No they cann't and that that was way more than I would be paying period. The dr. said oh yea I'm sorry you did not come into this process the same way most people do through a siminore. Mine is for Medical reasons not elective. In the end I did ot have to pay and everything is still a go for Tues. June 5th. I did not need that extra stress now. Always check things out before you  go ahead with something that doesn't sound right to you. Never take a No from someone who is not in authority to give you a Yes.

 I'm glad things worked out for you

Good for you for double checking instead of just giving over the money. Good luck on the 5th!!

I had to pay $500 up front and have spent well over $10,000 so far out of pocket. Not fun. I'm a nurse but my insurance through the hospital is crap. I've had similar conversations at least 20 times. Unfortunately, I have never won. But you're a good reminder to keep trying! :)

 Hospital billing departments suck ass.

I have been going around in circles with one hospital for over a year on a bill, because they can't read an EOB and see my co-pay is being made at the time they bill my INS.

Hmmm, I am wondering about your statement - Mine is for medical reasons not elective.

What does that mean?  I was referred by my doctor to obtain surgery to due to me being morbidly obese.  Elective surgery is surgery that can be scheduled.  Otherwise you are coming into the hospital through the emergency room and you need surgery that day or the next.

Maybe I am just wondering about your terminology.  Thanks in advance for your clarification.

All the best next week.

Judy

I went to my surgion for a completly different reason and he told me that my Hiatal hernia needed to be repaired very badly because it was pushing on my heart and lungs. he ask if I had ever concidered weight loss surgery and I told him no because my insurance would not cover elective cosmetic surgery. He told that the only way he would feel comfortable fixing the hernia was to do the gastric sleeve and explained it to me. He said that it was medical not elective. I started the processes right then. My insurance gave me several hoops to jump through which I've done. Two weeks ago they said no to the sleeve but yes to the bypass. The only money I had to pay up front was for the physic eval and that was because he was not a provider for my insurance. I paid and filed myself and got most of the money back. I pay a % of what my insurance allows the dr to charge. I also have a catastrophic cap that insures that that is all I pay for that year. I have almost reached that so the hospital just made sure they charged me that amount only. It was a stretch because my husband has been laid off since Feb. The hospital still conciders all beairactric sugery elective no matter what the Dr. says. It stinks.

 Did she actually use the words  "you are a liar" or "you are lying"?  If so, that lady would no longer have her job when I was through with her.  Or did you just take her apparant disbelief as she was calling you a liar?

She did not actually say you are lying but when I told her that I had never been told about the moneyup front, she said oh yes you knew. I even told her that I did not appreciate being called a lier. The Dr appoligized and so did the schedualing person, but she never did. I'm not done with her.

 I had to pay $500.00 the morning of surgery and was never told. Thank goodness I had it, but it was sooooo worth it! And I agree with Kim, as a nurse my insurance sucks! I even had my surgery at the hospital that I work for. (well I work for the same organization).