Receiving a medical bill can elicit anxiety, especially since it can be hard to predict what you’ll be charged for a doctor’s visit, a procedure or any other medical service.
If you get an alarmingly high bill, you might feel too overwhelmed to deal with it. If it’s a small bill, you might be tempted to pay it without giving it a once-over, just to make it go away. But it’s worth scrutinizing every bill you receive, given that up to 50% of bills can contain errors.
A recent audit found that hospital bills of $10,000 or more contained an average of $1,300 of billing errors; a study by the American Medical Association showed that after visiting an in-network hospital, 4 in 10 patients faced surprises. In 2016, the average price of a surprise bill was $628, up from $220 in 2010, according to the study.
You’re entitled to an itemized bill, but you usually have to request it.
“People don’t like to look at their medical bills,” says Jon Smith, CEO of Atlas Health, a company that helps people decipher medical bills. “If a bill is within reason, people want to trust their doctor or their hospital. But many times, they’re paying more than they have to.”
You should comb every bill carefully for errors, Smith says. It’s understandable if the idea of examining lists of billing codes doesn’t excite you. But the task will seem less daunting if you understand what’s included on your bill — and how to look for things that shouldn’t be there.So we broke down the process for you. Read this guide before you read your next medical bill.
When will you get a bill?
There aren’t regulations that dictate how long after a visit or a procedure you should receive a bill. It could be two weeks, or it could be a year. After a visit, a provider submits a claim to a patient’s insurance company. Then the claim needs to be processed, which can take time. Hospital billing procedures also vary. One facility might send bills immediately following care, while another waits to send them in batches. If it’s been two months and you haven’t received a bill yet, you may want to call your provider’s office and ask for it.
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